Jordan 20.9.2008: From the summit at Qasir, the Hedjaz Railway soon enters semi-desert and descends over many miles. We passed non-stop through the station at Libban, where among many stored, steel-bodied vans were the remains of two steam locomotives. Pacific No. 81 (Nippon/1953) looked to be largely intact but in poor condition, while the other engine, a 2-8-2, could not be identified. However, an assumption was that because one each of the other two classes of 2-8-2 - Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn, and Haine St. Pierre - had been kept back, presumably for spares, then the heavily cannibalised 2-8-2 at Libban was Jung No. 53 (Jung No. 52 having been scrapped). Anyway, after Libban we came to the delightful station at Jiza, pictured here. The station is manned full-time, with the railwayman and his family living in the upper floor, just for the handful of trains that pass through each year. Accordingly, they live a quiet existence, so the tour group was made very welcome as the family was keen to show everything about their meticulously maintained home and workplace. Such friendliness was encountered everywhere.
Roger Griffiths; roger.griffiths@hotmail.com