The “Communist Youth League” Locomotive That Never Fades

　　Since the establishment of the country’s first “Communist Youth League” locomotive crew in Baotou in 1960, 24 chief drivers have completed nine rounds of locomotive model replacements. In 1977, the 7th chief driver Wu Tiansheng led his team to manually feed coal for three months, transporting 8 million tons of coal; in 2018, during flood rescue efforts, the 22nd chief driver Du Chao transported stone materials overnight; Teng Rulei, who once showed little motivation, was inspired by outstanding teammates and made a turnaround to become the 23rd chief driver.

　　In 2024, the “Communist Youth League” locomotive underwent its ninth model replacement, being upgraded to the domestically developed FXN3C Fuxing diesel locomotive. After the replacement, it began to haul freight trains on the section from Linhe in Inner Mongolia to Ejin Banner.

　　The Linhe-Hami Railway, stretching east from Linhe in Inner Mongolia to Hami in Xinjiang, serves as a strategic corridor for transporting coal from west to east. This steel artery carries more than 100 million tons annually, accounting for one-eighth of the total railway coal transport nationwide, and is an important part of the northern corridor of the Belt and Road Initiative.

　　Liu Yunpeng, the 24th chief driver of the “Communist Youth League” locomotive and now 28 years old, has worked with his team to familiarize themselves with the performance of the new model, developing operating techniques such as “point sanding” and “side single-valve braking”. He also helped compile the FXN3C Driver Operation Manual. Post-2000 driver Urigendalai and his colleagues endure both the 70°C heat and -30°C cold in the engine room, keeping a close watch on every component of the locomotive to ensure smooth operation.

　　“Our youth may lack the prosperity of big cities, but every grain of sand records the story of the ‘Communist Youth League’ locomotive,” wrote Urigendalai in his log.