If you have additional information about this locomotive, and would like to share it, click the Add Note button.

The profile photo shows 7040 at the summit of the Jingpeng Pass at Shangdian with a West bound freight that was taken round 2001. By the end of 2005 the Jitong Railway was dieselised and 7040 was among the last 20 active steam locomotives still operating on the section of the Jitong Railway between Daban to Chabuga right to the very end of steam there in December 2005.

In 2006 7040 along with four other QJ locomotives were moved from Daban Depot on the Jitong Railway to the Jinzhou 701 locomotive works near Nanpiao in Liaoning, China as they had been bought by the Railroad Development Corporation for export and preservation in the United States of America. In 2007 QJ 7040 was the third and last QJ bought for preservation in the USA as she was bought by the late Rick Corman who was head of the R.J. Corman Railroad Group in Lexington, Kentucky as a collector’s item for special operations on the Central Kentucky Lines round Lexington.

7040 would be the last QJ Class 2-10-2 to be overhauled at the Jinzhou 701 locomotive works before it closed in 2008 and would also be one of the last few QJ 2-10-2 steam locomotives to be overhauled in China during that time. At Jinzhou 7040 was overhauled to American standards and tested too prior for shipment, but unlike sister QJs 6988 and 7081 in Iowa, USA, 7040 underwent several changes to her appearance as her smoke deflectors were removed, the reason for this was to make the locomotive have a bit more of an American look to it and the fitment of a hand operated bell mounted on top of the smokebox door. After testing at Jinzhou 7040 was moved by rail to China's port, Dalian, for shipment to the United States of America. After arriving from China 7040 was moved from the shipping port at Houston, Texas to Lexington, Kentucky by rail on a flat car. Once she arrived further work was carried out on the locomotive. 7040 was fitted with red skirting boards on the sides of the running plates and she was renumbered from 7040 to 2008 and named “Old Smokey”. Later changes would see an American whistle and air horn fitted replacing the Chinese 5 note Chime whistle and Chinese air horn.

On the 24th of May 2008 QJ 7040 now 2008 made her debut hauling her first train in the United States of America which was a train load of sand from Louisville to Lexington. After this first run operations with 7040 were limited as the locomotive was steamed only once or twice a year. In 2013 QJ 7040 was steamed for the last time under the ownership of R.J. Corman, there had been plans to use 7040 on a proposed dinner train operation out of Lexington but those plans were dropped and due to ill health Rick Corman sadly passed away. Following this 7040’s future in Lexington, Kentucky was in doubt as the R.J. Corman Railroad Group were unwilling to operate the locomotive again on the Central Kentucky Lines. But in 2020 the ex-China Rail and Jitong Railway 2-10-2 was donated to the Kentucky Steam Heritage Corporation at Irvine, Kentucky which would be the new home for QJ 7040. The locomotive is currently in storage in Lexington but will be relocated to its new home at Irvine very soon. As it is planned to put QJ 7040 operational again for use as an excursion locomotive in the not-too-distant future, where it will be one of only three ex China Rail and Jitong Railway QJ Class 2-10-2s that will be operational outside of China.