International Railroad Discussion > Trains in the rain - Taiwan

Spent a rainy Saturday in Taiwan yesterday hiking in Pingxi district about 90 minutes from Taipei. Our trailhead was at the Sandioling station where the scenic Pingxi branch diverges from Taiwan's east coast line. The branch is a single track line running through a deep gorge to the historic mining centers of Pingxi and Jingtong. Hourly weekend service is operated by four car "DRC" trains (Isn't DRC is better descriptor of a single diesel powered car than Budd's RDC?). Constructed during Japanese colonial times, the branch is still operated by token system, with tokens handed off at the mid-branch passing station at Shefen. Train photography was a little challenging as rain poured down heavily all afternoon, but here are a few of the Pigxi branch plus other trains passing Ruifang station where the DRCs originate.

(1) Ruifang-bound train pulls into Shefen. The floating object is one of the ubiquitous balloon lanterns launched by tourists at Shefen and Pingxi. A railway employee seemed to be engaged full-time is collecting the flaming remains from the tracks.

(2) After hiking the Sandioling waterfall trail we rode the line to Pingxi for a late lunch. Our train departs for its final destination on Jingtong passing the narrow streets of old-town Pingxi.

(3) Another Jingtong-bound train crosses a high bridge in the old town.

more to follow...

Dave



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 06/05/17 02:02 by DavidP.

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(4) DRCs at Ruifang

(5) A locomotive-hauled train at Ruifang

(6) Mainline express speeds through Ruifang

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(7) Mainline express at Sandioling

(8) Pingxi branch DRC at Shefen

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Made two business trips to Taiwan many years ago. Unfortunately, I did not get to see any trains on my visits.
Thanks for posting your very interesting photos.
ALLEN

When I was in Taiwan in 2009 I spent a morning interesting morning railfanning at Sandiaoling. The buttons for Sandiaoling on the ticket vending machines at Taipei Main Station were labelled 'San Diego'.

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Nice pictures. What about the freights there?

Pedro Rezende
Vespasiano MG,
https://youtube.com/c/minasgeraisrailways1

pedrop Wrote:
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> Nice pictures. What about the freights there?

One came through Ruifang station while I was there but I wasn't quick enough with the phone to get a picture. Power appeared to be two EMD export diesels, pulling twenty or so empty gondolas. There's also a large container yard I've seen from the road connecting Taoyuan Airport and Taipei where it looks like boxes are loaded on/off of flatcars.

Dave

I'll see if I can edit up some of the freights I got on video in 2009 and post them.