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  • 21 Aug, 2019

  • By, Wikipedia

Taiping Mountain Forest Railway

0.0
Tuchang (土場)
-1979
4.53
Renze (仁澤)
+0.845
Middle Station (中間)
+3.92
Lantai (蘭臺)
-1979
+0.988
Bailing (白嶺)
-1979
+3.20
Baimi (白糸)
-1978
+0.946
Shangping (上平)
+1.60
Taiping Mountain (太平山)
+5.60
Jianqing (見晴線)
Sanxing (三星線)
+15.3
Zhongxinggang (中興崗)
+20.9
Maoxing (茂興線)

The Taiping Mountain Forest Railway (Chinese: 太平山森林鐵路; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Thài-pîng-soaⁿ Sim-lîm Thih-lō͘), also known as Bongbong Train (Chinese: 蹦蹦車; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Póng-póng-chhia) is a 36.4 km (22.6 miles) long narrow-gauge forest railway with a gauge of 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) in Yilan County, Taiwan. Part of it can be used for heritage trains, but it is temporarily closed.

History

The Taiping Mountain Forest Railway was commissioned in 1920 and connected to the Luodong Forest Railway in 1924. No regular passenger services have been provided since 1979, but a short section of the track was used for a sightseeing train. Since commercial forestry has been phased out on Taiping Mountain, the area is used for sightseeing and recreation.

In 2012, due to damage caused by a typhoon, the sightseeing train was taken out of use. On 19 September 2018, the operation was officially resumed on a 3 km-long section of the track. Eight trips per day are available between Tài Píng Shān-sho station and Shigeru station at intervals of 30 minutes. Each one-way trip takes 20 minutes.

Maosing Reminiscent Trail

The 1.5 km (nearly 1 mile)-long Maosing Reminiscent Trail (茂興懷舊步道, closed) starts at the platform of Maosing Railway Station. It runs at a height of 1.870 m to 1.950 m above sea level on the disused railway track and has thus only a relatively small gradient. There are recreation and information boards about history, natural resources, and geology.

The Maosing Reminiscent Trail provides a combination of both heritage and ecotourism. Most of the railway sleepers are rotten, but a majority of the rails are still in good order; the rails are left in place and railway sleepers are covered in gravel to provide a footpath. Most of the trestle bridges have collapsed or deteriorated. Thus, some of them have been repaired, some of them left as historic ruins, and others have had to be removed and replaced by modern suspension bridges.

Jancing Historic Trail

The Jancing Historic Trail (見晴懷古步道) was installed on a section of the former Jancing Forest Railway and originally had a total length of 2.35 km (1.4 miles). Since a landslide occurred, only 0.9 km (0.5 miles) are publicly accessible. The former Jancing Forest Railway was approximately 5.5 km (3.4 miles) long and provides access to the natural and cultural heritage along the old railway track. The remaining rails, trolleys, and bogies are a reminder of long-gone times of the lumber industry.

Track

Old Taiping Mountain Railway

The Old Taiping Mountain Railway (Chinese: 舊太平山; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Kū Thài-pîng-soaⁿ) has been removed and only very little information about it is available.

New Taiping Mountain Railway

The New Taiping Mountain Railway (Chinese: 新太平山; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Sin Thài-pîng-soaⁿ) is the main system that exists today. It uses a combination of railways and aerial tramways to transport lumber down the mountainous terrain.

Stations

Type Track Station Chinese Taiwanese Hakka Transfers and Notes
Railway Jên-tsê Line T'u-ch'ang 土場 Thô͘-tiûⁿ Thú-chhòng Luodong Forest Railway
Jên-tsê 仁澤 Jîn-te̍k Yìn-chet
Aerial tramway Jên-tsê Tramway
Middle 中間 Tiong-kan Chûng-kiên
Railway Lan-t'ai Line
Lan-t'ai 蘭臺 Lân-tâi Làn-thòi
Aerial tramway Pai-ling Tramway
Pai-ling 白嶺 Pe̍h-niá Pha̍k-liâng
Railway Pai-mi Line
Pai-mi 白糸 Pe̍h-mi Pha̍k-mì
Aerial tramway Pai-mi Tramway
Shang-p'ing 上平 Siōng-pîng Sông-phìn
Railway T'ai-p'ing Mt Line
T'ai-p'ing Mt 太平山 Thài-pîng-soaⁿ Thai-phìn-sân
T'ai-p'ing Mt
Junction
太平山分歧點 Thài-pîng-soaⁿ
Hun-kî-tiám
Thai-phìn-sân
Fûn-khîa-tiám
Junction of San-hsing, Mao-hsing, and Chien-ch'ing Lines
Railway Chien-ch'ing Line Rail End 路尾 Lō͘-bóe Lu-mî Border of Taiping Mt and Dayuan Mt Work Stations
Mao-hsing Line Mao-hsing 茂興 Bō͘-heng Meu-hîn Limited tourist service around station

Lines

Name of the track From station to station Distance Max. incline Min. radius Bridges
(total length)
Tunnels
(total length)
Number of trains
Renze
(仁澤線)
Tuchang (土場) - Renze (仁澤) 4,53 km 3% 15 m 63 (1665 m) 2 (62 m) 3
Lantai
(蘭臺線)
Middle Station (中間) - Lantai (蘭臺) 3,92 km 2% 15 m 62 (1635 m) 1 (47 m) 3
Baimi
(白糸線)
Bailing (白嶺) - Baimi (白糸) 3,20 km 2,5% 15 m 16 (480 m) 0 (0 m) 3
Taipingshan
(太平山線)
Shangping (上平) - Taipingshan (太平山) 1,60 km 2,5% 15 m 16 (480 m) 0 (0 m) 4
Sanxing
(三星線)
Taiping Mountain Junction (太平山分歧點) - Terminus 15,3 km 2,5% 15 m 16 (480 m) 0 (0 m) 4
Maoxing (Maosing)
(茂興線)
Taiping Mountain Junction - Terminus 20,9 km 2,5% 42 0 (0 m) 3
Jianqing (Jiancing)
(見晴線)
Taiping Mountain Junction - Endstation 5,60 km 2% 15 m 62 (1635 m) 0 (0 m)

Dayuan Mountain Railway

Dayuan Mountain (Chinese: 大元山; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tāi-goân-soaⁿ)

Name of the track From station to station Distance Max. incline Min. radius Bridges
(total length)
Tunnels
(total length)
Number of trains
Dayuanshan (大元山線) / Si gongli (四公里線) Anbu aerial tram (鞍部索道), Dayuan aerial tram (大元索道) - Cuifeng aerial tram (翠峰索道) 7,86 km 6,3% 20 m 88 (570 m) 1
Cuifeng (翠峰線) Cuifeng aerial tram (翠峰索道) - Wangyang mountain side (望洋山腰) 9,0 km 2,5% 97 (570 m) 0
Qingfeng (晴峰線) Qingfeng aerial tram (晴峰索道) - Zhongxinggang (中興崗) 5,1 km 2,0% 25 0
Piya (埤ㄚ線) Start of Piya aerial tram (埤ㄚ索道著點)

References

  1. ^ Robert Kelly und Chung Wah Chow: Lonely Planet Taiwan. Lonely Planet, 1 February 2014. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
  2. ^ Bong Bong Train (temporarily closed).
  3. ^ 行政院農委會林務局©版權所有 (Executive Yuan COA Forest Service): 太平山森林鐵路 (Taiping Mountain Forest Railway). Archived 1 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 25 November 2017. (Chinese)
  4. ^ Radio Taiwan International: 宜蘭太平山のトロッコ、19日に運行再開.
  5. ^ Maosing Reminiscent Trail. 27 June 2016. Accessed 25 November 2017.
  6. ^ Jancing-Geschichtslehrpfad auf Google Streetview.
  7. ^ Jancing Historic Trail. 30 October 2017.

24°29′37″N 121°32′11″E / 24.49364°N 121.53645°E / 24.49364; 121.53645