China Railways' Datong works delivered 2-8-2 No. 8419 to the Boone & Scenic Valley tourist operation in Iowa in 1989. It was the last JS or Jian She ("Construction") class locomotive in the Datong production run of more than 1900 engines beginning in 1957, making it one of the newest steam locomotives in the world. Its dimensions, designed with metric specifications, include 54-inch drivers (painted red, as with all modern Chinese steam engines), cylinders of 22.83x27.95 inches, and 215.5 p.s.i. of boiler pressure. The locomotive weighs 418,000 pounds, has 54.7 square feet of grate area, and develops 56,780 pounds of tractive effort. A typical sound emanating from modern Chinese locomotives is a sharp, intermittent hiss of steam from the skyline casing, which houses various appliances. I photographed JS 8419 at Boone on September 2, 2000, during a time when the wreath of Chinese characters that usually decorated the front of the engine was missing, having been removed temporarily for access to the smokebox. Subsequently that garish feature was permanently removed, in my opinion greatly enhancing the appearance of JS 8419 — although the red driving wheels remain.