How has he come to have such a deep affinity with trains?

Although Hung Chih-wen's "train career" began just three years ago, with a round-island train trip after taking the joint college entrance exams, his affinity with trains can be traced back through his family history.

A family of train buffs: "Taiwan's very first train was called the Tengyun No. 1, and by pure coincidence the first of our ancestors who came over here from Fukien Province happened to be named Hung Teng-yun," he says.

Even more remarkably, a stone arch that this forebear was awarded by the Ching court in recognition of his donations to charity was later moved to Taipei's New Park, right by the old Tung-yun Special, which was placed there after its "retirement." Whenever the Hung family went to the park to pay respects to their ancestor, they would stop and have a look at this ancestral train of the same name, and reflecting that the bond "seemed to have been arranged by fate," they gradually acquired a deep interest in trains.

Back in the early days of the Republic, Hung's great-grandfather set up a model train track in the courtyard of their old home in Tamsui. His grandfather was fond of photographing trains and railroads. And his father and his uncle took him on train rides almost every week as a boy. It was, you might say, a whole family of train buffs!

Train treasure-trove: As soon as he finished taking the college entrance exams, Hung Chih-wen set off on a round-island train trip, covering every main line on the island in three months' time, as well as many secondary ones, and becoming familiar with the system inside and out. After entering college, he discovered some fellow enthusiasts and formed the Railroad and Train Research Association. They're all crazy about trains--they ride them for fun, visit old locomotives, wax nostalgic. . . .

He began writing the column to earn extra money for travel, without realizing it would bring out such a response. A passenger was pointing out the sights going by to his children with one hand and holding an article of his in the other. Another time he was spotted near a train station poking about taking pictures by a reader who asked for a souvenir photo.

But what thrills him most is still the excitement of discovering "hidden treasures."

"The first railroad in Taiwan was built in 1887 by Liu Ming-chuan, so the history of Taiwan's railways goes back more than a century. Besides the lines under the Railway Administration, there are special transport lines that were once used by the forestry, sugar, salt and mining industries, adding up to 4,000 km in all. And there have been all different kinds of locomotives. Taiwan is a treasure-trove for people who study trains," Hung says.

One of his discoveries was a presidential passenger car.

For presidents only: Last year, when he and some fellow students were watching trains being dispatched at a switchyard in Nankang, they caught sight of a specially designed passenger car with a sign over the door saying "No Entrance: Testing Under Way." "It was painted just like a Chukuang car, but it had 13 windows instead of five and was shaped like an old Kuankuang," he recalls.

Kuankuang cars were built back in the sixties and seventies specially for tourists, offering more windows, plusher furnishings and fancier service than ordinary cars. But they were discontinued years ago. How could one suddenly have reappeared?

After a thorough investigation, he found out that the car was a special, air-conditioned "saloon car" to be used by the president on trips and inspection tours. "Back before transportation became more developed, the railways were the most rapid and comfortable means of transportation around, so the head of state usually traveled by train. There were three presidential cars in all. Two of them were made of wood, built in 1904 and 1911. Emperor Hirohito rode in them during the Japanese occupation, and President Chiang Kai-shek used them after Retrocession. The third car was built in 1969, working from a Kuankuang. As the highway system became better developed, the president mostly traveled around by automobile, and the third car had never been used, just locked away in the depot. Even the Railway Administration had forgotten it still existed," Hung says. Much to everyone's surprise, he recognized it for what it was during its biennial service. After he reported on it in his column, President Lee made a round-island train tour for the first time earlier this year on the eve of the completion of the Southern Link Railway. It finally had a chance to be used.

Born too late: Regrettably, not all old trains have been that fortunate. Along with changes in the times, most transport for the forestry, sugar, salt and mining industries has been switched to trucks, and freight trains are becoming more and more scarce. Even some of the Railway Administration's secondary lines have been shut down in recent years because of poor business. That makes Hung, who was born in 1970, sigh, "If I'd only been born a few years earlier, I'd have been able to ride more lines and make a record of them."

Another phenomenon he often laments in his column is the disappearance of train artifacts and memorabilia. "After old trains are retired from service, if they're not bought up and taken away by the Japanese, then they're sold for scrap at NT$5 a kilo," he says with emotion.

In fact, the Railway Administration once preserved one locomotive of each type, intending to set up a railway museum some day, but it later gave up the idea because of the cost. Besides the fifteen locomotives that have been sent to various cities and counties for display in local museums or cultural centers (see attached table), other retired locomotives lie scattered about in hubs and switchyards around the island. Maintenance is poor. Some of them are left out in the yard exposed to the elements. Some are locked up in depots.

Neglected and forlorn: To study these old locomotives, Hung Chih-wen has trekked all over the island, begging station personnel to open up hangers and let him get eaten alive by mosquitoes, just to have a peek at these retired old trains that nobody cares for anymore.

"Seeing them spotted with rust and covered with cobwebs really hurts," he says. But then again, "I'm just glad they've been kept!"

Old Steam Locomotives on Display in Taiwan

1. Tengyun No. 1, kept at the National History Museum in New Park, Taipei.

The locomotive used on Taiwan's first railway, completed in 1889 by Liu Ming-chuan. Manufactured in Germany and transported to Taiwan from the mainland, where it ran between Shanghai and Wusung.

2. Engine No. 9, kept at the National History Museum in New Park, Taipei.

Originally ran on Japan's first railway. Shipped to Taiwan during the early years of the Japanese occupation. Manufactured in Great Britain.

3. DT675, kept at the Panchiao Cultural Center.

DT650 class. The largest class of freight steam engines used in Taiwan, featuring small drive wheels with strong traction but low speed.

4. CT271, kept at Keelung Train Station but scheduled for display at Hai-men Tien-hsien.

CT270 class.The largest class of passenger steam engines used in Taiwan, with features precisely opposite those of the DT650: large drive wheels with poor traction but high speed.

5. CT284, kept at the llan County Athletic Park.

CT270 class.

6. CT278, kept at Erhshui Train Station in Changhua County.

CT270 class.

Also on display in front of the station is a steam engine that ran on sugar cane, owned by the Taiwan Sugar Corp.

7. DT651, kept at Kangkou Temple in Cheshih Rural Township, Chiayi County.

DT650 class.

8. CT259, kept at the Tainan City Gymnasium.

CT250 class. Features are similar to those of the CT270.

This was a new model specially shipped in from Japan during the Japanese occupation to carry visitors to a fair held in celebration of the 4Oth anniversary of Japanese rule over Taiwan.

9. DT652, kept at the Tainan City Gymnasium.

DT650 class.

10 CK58, kept at the Kangshan Cultural Center in Kaohsiung.

CK50 class.

Small and light. Specially used on secondary lines and in switchyards.

11. DT609, kept at the Kaohsiung Harbor Station.

DT580 class.

Has four drive wheels, specially used for freight.

12. CT251, kept at the Kaohsiung Harbor Station.

CT250 class.

13. LDT103, kept at Meilun Park in Hualien

LDT100 class.

Chiefly used to haul freight on the narrow-gauge track between Hualien and Taitung. There were originally four of them in Taiwan, but the other three have been repurchased by the manufacturer in Japan for display.

14. LDK59, kept at Liyu Shan Park in Taitung.

LDK50 class.

Also used on light, narrow gauge railways but mainly for pulling large passenger trains.

15. LDK58, kept at the Penghu Cultural Center.

LDK50 class.

Code: B means two drive wheels.

　　　C means three drive wheels.

　　　D means four drive wheels.

　　　T means coal car.

　　　K means water car.

Source: Hung Chih-wen/Table by Hsieh Shu-fen

[Picture Caption]

Hung Chih-wen (center), his uncle Hung Tsu-jen (right) and his father, Hung Ta-hsiung, (left) are all avid train buffs. They have "ties of kinship" of a sort with the Tengyun No. 1 behind them.

The Tengyun No. 1 and Engine No. 9, which might be called the original forebears of Taiwan's locomotives and are now in Taipei's New Park.

The Tengyun No. 1 and Engine No. 9, which might be called the original forebears of Taiwan's locomotives and are now in Taipei's New Park.