Hsinchu Depot in the Age of Steam

The depot was situated immediately adjacent to the platform at Hsinchu Station. At that time, military police were stationed on the platform, so taking photos had to be done discreetly to avoid being caught.

At the far end of the platform toward Kaohsiung, the depot was very close. There was also a water tower at the end of the platform.

The depot was clearly visible from the overpass. When I tried to take a photo, my guide warned me not to do so. Although there were no military police, warning signs about reporting suspicious persons were everywhere, so even local residents couldn't be fully trusted.

In the end, I managed to take two photos from the overpass. The roundhouse and turntable have since disappeared, but the water tower visible on the left still remained as of 2024.

Because the depot was located so close to the station, it was possible to photograph it from passing trains. Stalls 9 through 16 of the roundhouse can be seen here.

CT169 was parked beside the roundhouse. Because the exhaust chimney for the roundhouse was located toward the front, locomotives usually entered head-first onto the turntable. However, this engine was facing backward, possibly because it was not under steam. CT169 was built in 1920 by the Kisha Seizō company in Japan.

A pile of coal can be seen on top of the coaling stage. Coal was shoveled manually into the tender—a task that must have been quite labor-intensive. The tender for the DT650 could carry 8 tons of coal and 20 cubic meters of water.

DT672 was built in 1942 by Kisha Seizō and was formerly Government-General of Taiwan's D5122. It was the largest freight steam locomotive used in Taiwan. Tapping the locomotive with a hammer as part of inspection was a common practice, much like in Japan.

CT187 was built in 1926 by Kisha Seizō. The smokebox door of Taiwanese steam locomotives featured a central handle along with cleats similar to those found on American locomotives. This was a unique specification in Taiwan, reportedly added on the advice of a postwar U.S. railway mission.

The R50 class diesel-electric locomotives were a variant of the R20 series, built by GM-EMD in the United States between 1960 and 1966, with 52 units produced. While the earlier R0 series included experimental features, the R50 series represented Taiwan’s first fully practical diesel locomotives.

Although turntables were primarily used to align locomotives, sometimes freight cars bound for the shed would also be placed on them.

Hsinchu Depot had a large coal storage yard. Unlike other facilities that used stones, this one was constructed solely of concrete. The volume of coal usage must have been significant, as the piled coal was already reduced to about half.

CT168 is positioned front-first on stall 5 of the roundhouse, while CT164 is facing backward on stall 6. Both were built by Kisha Seizō in 1920. Since the chimneys are oriented forward, it’s presumed that the standard position was to enter forward. However, we couldn’t get closer to the roundhouse to observe the smoke exhaust setup inside.

DT592 was manufactured by Kawasaki Rolling Stock Works in 1926. Taiwan’s DT580 class locomotives were equipped with air brakes from the beginning, so the location of the air reservoirs was standardized. Some units had deflectors, but most did not.

DT610, built in 1929 by Kisha Seizō, is seen exiting the roundhouse after being turned on the turntable. This photo is displayed at the Railway Department Park, part of the National Taiwan Museum, which was converted from the former Taiwan Governor-General's Transportation Bureau building near Taipei Station. You may want to visit and look for it.

The fence in the foreground was made by reusing old smoke tubes from locomotives. It was common in railways to repurpose old rails and components. The sign “Factory—Authorized Personnel Only” is written in Chinese as “工場重地、閑人勿進.”

Before departure, DT672 had its smokebox cinders removed and underwent water and coal replenishment. The soot-covered front of the engine was washed clean with water as a final step before heading out.

DT673, built in 1942 by Kisha Seizō, was originally D5123 under the Taiwan Governor-General's Railway Bureau. The DT650 class had open cabs, and to prevent damage to the tender from the tablet token used in the token block system, hand-made buffers were attached.

R136 is seen entering Hsinchu Station pulling a northbound Chu-Kuang Express. It belonged to the R100 class of diesel-electric locomotives built by GE-EMD in the United States. A handmade fountain is visible in the foreground, which was no longer present when I visited the station in 2024.

In the foreground is DT592 parked out of service, while CT187 is conducting push-pull switching operations with passenger coaches in the background. DT592 was built in 1942, and CT187 in 1926, both by Kisha Seizō. Trains hauled by CT150 class locomotives were commonly seen on local services of the West Trunk Line and the Neiwan Line.

Near the direction of Hsinchu Station, a southbound freight train led by DT652 is passing by. In the foreground is DT653. You can see the tower of the Hsinchu Station building in the upper right. Completed in 1912, the station building is now designated as a national historic site in Taiwan.