Hong Kong Railway Museum

The museum has two entrances; this side is closer to the present-day Tai Po Market Station. The term "market" ("墟") in Chinese dialects refers to a periodic fair or marketplace. Tai Po was originally called "Mei Chuen To" during the Han Dynasty. It began to be settled during the Ming Dynasty, and from 1691 (the 30th year of the Kangxi Emperor), it hosted regular agricultural markets—making it one of the earliest marketplaces in Hong Kong. Even today, the area around the museum is home to many shops selling produce and seafood.

Built in 1913, this red-brick station building features traditional Chinese architectural motifs. While most other Kowloon–Canton Railway (British Section) stations were of Western style, this one stood out for its distinctive design. It was used until 1983 when the railway was electrified and the station relocated. It was designated a declared monument in 1984. The waiting room is to the right of the entrance, and the office to the left. Inside are train models and historical equipment like block instruments—but photography inside is not allowed.

This diesel-electric locomotive, introduced in 1954, was based on the American EMD G12 design and manufactured by Clyde Engineering in Australia. It was nicknamed "Sir Alexander" in honor of Alexander Grantham, who served as Governor of Hong Kong from 1947 to 1957. It was retired in 1997 and transported to the museum in 2004 after being repainted in its original livery. Six of these locomotives (Nos. 51–55) operated in Hong Kong, each bearing its own nickname. All were eventually retired, and the others are now used on heritage railways in Australia.

Five passenger cars that were used on the Kowloon–Canton Railway are on display. The car on the left was added later and is preserved outside without a canopy.

The interior of Car No. 116, a first-class car built in 1964. Despite being first-class, it lacked air-conditioning. Even on today's trains in Hong Kong, first-class sections are still provided.

This is the interior of Car No. 223, a third-class car built in 1955. Compared to the first-class car, the seats are very simple. The right side has three-person benches and the left side has two-person benches. The seats are reversible depending on the direction of travel.

This car features a luggage compartment. A narrow passage runs along the side, suggesting it may have been used to conveniently check and retrieve passengers’ baggage rather than for freight-only purposes. This is speculation, but it’s not uncommon in countries like the UK for trains to offer baggage services.

Both first- and third-class cars have open platforms at the ends. There are no diaphragms (gangway connections), and a metal crossing board is set over the coupler to allow passage. This design gives a different atmosphere compared to Japanese passenger cars.

Today, Tai Po Market Station is a large station with multiple automatic ticket gates, a ticket office, and passenger service counters. There are also various shops and restaurants, but it lacks unique characteristics compared to other stations. Tai Wo Station next door has a similar atmosphere.

This is the rear end of a train departing from Tai Po Market Station. In Hong Kong, trains run on the left side, just like in Japan. Trains appear to operate at intervals of 4 to 12 minutes. Unlike Japan, there are no printed timetables; only digital displays show how many minutes until the next train.

This is a through train hauled by a Chinese DF11 diesel locomotive that used to run from mainland China into Hong Kong. In the past, in addition to intercity trains connecting Guangzhou and Hong Kong, there were also long-distance services to Shanghai and Beijing. However, with the opening of the Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong High-Speed Railway in 2024, all of these through trains have been discontinued.