A CT273-model steam locomotive, which had not seen active duty for 35 years carried passengers again yesterday as part of celebrations of the 127th anniversary of the founding of the precursor to the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA).
With the whistle blowing and white smoke puffing out of its smokestack, the “Queen of the Steam Locomotives,” led a four-carriage train into the Changhwa Railway Station at 9am. Passengers and railway enthusiasts on the platform captured the moment on their cameras and mobile phones.
The 240 seats on the train for a trip between Changhwa and Ershui (二水) quickly sold out when they went on sale online last month.
Photo: Wu Wei-kung, Taipei Times
Driver Liu Ken-yueh (劉耿岳) said the train was powered by the steam generated by burning coal, adding that the coal burner was right next to the driver.
“The temperature was quite high, and you really have to be able to bear it in the summertime,” Liu said, his clothes drenched in sweat. “Compared with electrical-powered trains, operating a steam train consumes a lot more of your strength.”
The locomotive was manufactured by Kawasaki Heavy Industries in 1943. It was used for the trains running between Taipei and Kaohsiung, and had a top speed of 85kph, making it the fastest train in service at the time.
The TRA stopped using the locomotive in 1979 and removed it from active duty in 1984.
In 1993, the Taiwan Folk Village (台灣民俗村) leased the locomotive to put it on display in the park. However, it failed to return the locomotive after its lease expired in 2008.
The TRA recovered the locomotive from the park in 2010 and placed it in the fan-shaped train depot in Changhwa.
Taipei Depot director Hong Chin-hsing (洪進興) said the locomotive was in a bad shape when the agency recovered it.
“Many of parts were rusty, and we had to tear down the locomotive to repair it,” Hong said. “Some of the parts were beyond repair and we had to redo them. The restoration of CT-273 was the most complicated and difficult task we have done.”
The TRA spent a little over two years restoring the locomotive so that it could become operational again, inviting retired technician Liu Shu-ken (劉樹根), 81, to supervise the restoration work, Hong said.
Liu has also helped restore CK124 and CK101-model locomotives.
The retiree stood with the drivers in the driver’s cabin yesterday to ensure that the locomotive was operating correctly.
The rare opportunity to see a steam locomotive in action drew many railway fans, including 11-year-old Yang Hao-yu (楊皓宇) and his family.
“I may not have the chance to board the train again if I miss today,” Yang said.
This year marks the 127th anniversary of the start of construction of a railway line between Keelung and Taipei in 1887. The line was extended during Japanese colonial rule by the Ministry of Taiwan Railway between Keelung and present-day Greater Kaohsiung, with construction finishing in April 1908.
The TRA was established in 1945 following the end of World War II and the end of the Japanese colonial era.
Meanwhile, a TRA employee in Hualian, Yang Chao-shun (楊朝順), was named an exemplary employee for his record of not taking a single day of leave — even for illness — in 24 years.
He has coordinated train times and operated switch machines and control signals at Heren Station, a cargo shipment station, since he joined the TRA in 1989.
Heren has the highest cargo transport volume of any TRA station at 13,000 tonnes a day, according to Hualien operations section boss Chang Chien-li (張建曆), who said the station has suffered from a lack of personnel on top of its heavy workload.
“Staff at the station have not had time for breaks, but Yang Chao-shun has not ever asked for leave, not even for one day,” Chang said.
Additional reporting by staff writer and CNA
GENSLER SURVEY: ‘Economic infrastructure is not enough. A city needs to inspire pride, offer moments of joy and foster a sense of belonging,’ the company said Taipei was named the city with the “highest staying power” in the world by US-based design and architecture firm Gensler. The Taiwanese capital earned the top spot among 65 cities across six continents with 64 percent of Taipei respondents in a survey of 33,000 people saying they wanted to stay in the city. Rounding out the top five were Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City (61 percent), Singapore (59 percent), Sydney (58 percent) and Berlin (51 percent). Sixth to 10th place went to Monterrey, Mexico; Munich, Germany; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Vancouver; and Seoul. Cities in the US were ranked separately, with Minneapolis first at
The Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association has cautioned Japanese travelers to be vigilant against pickpockets at several popular tourist spots in Taiwan, including Taipei’s night markets, the Yongkang Street area, Zhongshan MRT Station, and Jiufen (九份) in New Taipei City. The advisory, titled “Recent Development of Concerns,” was posted on the association’s Web site under its safety and emergency report section. It urges travelers to keep backpacks fully zipped and carried in front, with valuables placed at the bottom of the bag. Visitors are advised to be especially mindful of their belongings when taking photos or speaking on the phone, avoid storing wallets and
Scoot announced yesterday that starting in October, it would increase flights between Taipei and Japan’s Narita airport and Hokkaido, and between Singapore and Taipei. The low-cost airline, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, also said it would launch flights to Chiang Rai in Thailand, Okinawa and Tokyo’s Haneda airport between December and March next year. Flights between Singapore and Chiang Rai would begin on Jan. 1, with five flights per week operated by an Embraer E190-E2 aircraft, Scoot said. Flights between Singapore and Okinawa would begin on Dec. 15, with three flights per week operated by Airbus A320 aircraft, the airline said. Services between Singapore
ENDORSING TAIWAN: Honduran presidential candidate Nasry Afura said that Honduras was ‘100 times better off’ when it was allied with Taipei The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said it would explore the possibility of restoring diplomatic relations with Honduras based on the principle of maintaining national interests and dignity. The ministry made the remarks in response to reporters’ questions regarding an article titled: “Will Taiwan Regain a Diplomatic Ally?” published in The Diplomat on Saturday. The article said Honduras’ presidential election in November could offer Taiwan the chance to regain an ally, as multiple candidates have promoted re-establishing diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Honduras severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in March 2023 in favor of Beijing, but since switching its diplomatic recognition,
RSS