How railway plumbers work in freezing water

By Tian Xuefei and Zhou Huiying in Harbin | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2018-02-08 13:42

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Recently, a pair of waders standing erect on the ground went viral. In order to replace a damaged part of water storage well, Li Hongquan, a plumber at Nancha Railway Station, Heilongjiang province, had to work standing in deep water. When he climbed up from the well, the extreme cold made the waders freeze minutes later. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Recently, a pair of waders standing erect on the ground went viral online.

“Several days ago, in order to replace a damaged part of water storage well, I had to work standing in deep water,” said Li Hongquan, a plumber at Nancha Railway Station, Heilongjiang province. “When I climbed up from the well, the extreme cold made the waders freeze minutes later.”

“In fact, it is quite common in our daily work of inspecting and maintaining 17 water storage wells in the station,” he added. “We are working for guaranteeing all the passengers’ demand for water on the train.”

In the summer, it is quite stuffy in the well while in the winter the plumbers often need to work in the extremely cold water in the well. In order to improve the cold resistant, they put nearly a-meter-thick hay in the well.
The workers do not stop their regular inspection work even in the cold night.

“No matter how rapidly the railway technology develops, water will remain necessary for the passengers,” said Deng Dehui, director of the comprehensive workshop at the station. “It means what we do is worthy.”

“Lots of railway employees continue working generation after generation,” he said. “Just like the waders we took over from our fathers, we will pass the spirit of railway worker down to our descendants.”