Not all of the Jitong Railway is spectacular mountain scenery and heavy grades. On the Mongolian steppe, a single QJ was enough to move the daily passenger train along at 80 km/h (50 mph). It traversed the mountain section at night, so daytime views could only be obtained by travelling far to the east. At this time, it was believed to be the last scheduled mainline steam passenger train, anywhere, that was run without any concession to romantic nostalgia .
