Miaoli Railway Museum (苗栗火車頭園区)

The entrance to the Miaoli Railway Museum is located just outside the west exit of Miaoli Station. Admission is NT$100 for adults and NT$50 for children. The museum is open year-round from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. However, the outdoor exhibit area can be accessed free of charge.

One of the highlights is a stone pot restaurant modeled after the Chu-Kuang (莒光) Express. In addition, there are various eateries such as bakeries and restaurants. Visitors receive a coupon worth NT$50 upon admission, which can be used at these stores. Since temporary re-entry is allowed, some visitors were seen purchasing Taiwan Railways lunch boxes at Miaoli Station and returning to the museum.

The turntable hall houses CT158. Although the flat flooring makes the turntable less visible, the locomotive rotates four times a day, which can also be observed from the second floor. The CT150 class is identical to Japan's Class 8620 steam locomotives. CT158 was built in 1918 by the Kisha Seizō (汽車製造株式会社) Co., Ltd. (builder’s number: 358) and assigned to the Taiwan Government Railways under Japanese rule. Originally classified as Class 500, then renamed C95, it became CT150 after World War II. With 43 units, it was the most widely used steam locomotive class in Taiwan.

The Train Exhibition Gallery is accessible from the second floor of the turntable hall. In addition to viewing the preserved rolling stock from above, the gallery features railway-related displays including models, semaphore signals, track switches, and tablet block instruments. There is also a Q&A corner designed for children.

The DT560 class is a unique type developed by the Taiwan Railways Administration based on Japan’s Class 9600 design. Fourteen units were built between 1919 and 1920 by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) at its Schenectady Works. It is a rare case of a Japanese-design steam locomotive being built in the United States. Today, only DT561 survives and is preserved.

The R0 class was the first diesel locomotive series introduced by the Taiwan Railways Administration. Eleven units were built in 1959 by Hitachi’s Mito Works (日立製作所水戸工場). R6 is the sixth unit in the series and was assigned builder’s number 192421-6. At the time, Japanese National Railways borrowed the first unit (later Taiwan’s R1) from Hitachi and tested it for one month under the designation DF91. The locomotives were originally equipped with German MAN-designed engines, but due to frequent failures, six units were refitted with American GM engines at Taipei Works in 1971. Even after the upgrade, the class saw limited use and was completely withdrawn by 1999.

The S300 class was a series of diesel-electric locomotives introduced for switching duties and branch line service. A total of 21 units were manufactured by General Motors (GM) in the United States in 1965. Designed for branch line operations, the maximum speed was limited to 75 km/h and the locomotives were not equipped with multiple-unit control systems. While compact and economical, their performance was limited, and they were gradually retired between 1996 and 1997.

This open-deck third-class passenger car, 25TPK2053, was originally built in 1921 at the Taipei Railway Workshop (台北機廠) and designated as Hoha 2076. It was later reclassified as TP2076 after the war, and renamed again in 1965 as TPK2053. Subsequently converted into a service vehicle and reclassified as ES2053, it was restored to its original form in 1996.

The EMU100 series was the first electric multiple unit introduced in Taiwan. A total of 65 cars (13 sets) were manufactured in the UK by General Electric Company (GEC) in 1979 to coincide with the full electrification of the West Coast Line. These trains served as the Tze-Chiang (自强號) Limited Express, operating between Taipei (臺北) and Kaohsiung (高雄) in 4 hours and 10 minutes. They were retired in June 2009 and affectionately nicknamed “The British Lady (英國婆)” for their elegant appearance.

The E300 class was built in 1978 by General Electric in the United States. Although externally similar to the E200 and E400 classes, it lacked AC generators needed for air conditioning in passenger coaches. When used to haul air-conditioned trains, a separate power supply car had to be attached.

This crane unit was built by Hitachi in 1950 to respond to derailments by lifting derailed cars back onto the tracks. The unit consists of a flatcar carrying crane parts, a steam-powered crane car fueled by oil, and a tender car. The crane has a self-weight of 90 tons and can lift up to 65 tons. It is also capable of moving under its own power at up to 5 km/h.

The E100 was the first electric locomotive introduced by the Taiwan Railways Administration. Built in 1976 by Union Carriage & Wagon in South Africa, 20 units were imported through GEC in the UK. As they lacked onboard AC generators, they were used mainly for freight trains and non-air-conditioned passenger trains. All units were retired by 2007, and only unit E101 is preserved today.

This outdoor display area is free to access. The LTPB1813 was a non-powered trailer car built by Tokyu Car Corporation in 1970 for the narrow-gauge Taitung (臺東) Line. It was paired with express diesel trains like the “Kuanghua (光華號)” express. Retired in 1982 after track gauge conversion, it was displayed at the Penghu County Cultural Center from 1985. After suffering from severe corrosion, it was restored in 1999 at the Taipei Railway Workshop (臺北機廠) and relocated here.

In the late 1960s, sugar manufacturing was still thriving, and demand for diesel locomotives was high. Although Taiwan’s Taitung Line had introduced the LDH200 class, the Hualien Workshop (花蓮機廠) built the LDH101 in 1970 using existing engines and bogies. It was retired after the Taitung Line’s regauging in 1982 allowed for the operation of more advanced locomotives.

In response to surging demand for Tze-Chiang Limited Express service during Taiwan’s rapid economic growth in the 1980s, 11 sets (33 cars) of a new EMU series were ordered from Union Carriage & Wagon of South Africa and entered service in 1987. Originally designated EMU200, the trains were refurbished beginning in 2001 and repainted in white and wine-red with distinctive zebra-like stripes on the front, earning the nickname “Red Zebra. (紅斑馬)” All units were retired by 2022.