Taiwan Steam Locomotive No. 9

Steam locomotive No. 9 was one of the early locomotives brought from Japan to Taiwan after the establishment of the Taiwan Government-General Railway. It was originally one of the locomotives imported from Britain in 1871 (Meiji 4) in preparation for the opening of Japan’s first government railway between Shimbashi (新橋) and Yokohama (横浜), and was formerly Japanese Government Railways locomotive No. 7, built by Avonside. It was sent to Taiwan in 1901 (Meiji 34). Since locomotives inherited from the Qing period already existed in Taiwan as Nos. 1 through 8, it became locomotive No. 9 in Taiwan. In the same year, 1901, another Avonside locomotive and locomotives built by Kisha Seizo (Kisha Kaisha) were also scheduled to be sent to Taiwan. The Kisha Seizo locomotives were among the earliest steam locomotives built in Japan, and works Nos. 1 and 2 had been prepared for Taiwan. However, the steamship Tsuruhikomaru, which was carrying these locomotives to Taiwan, ran aground and sank off Meshima in the Goto Islands, Nagasaki Prefecture, in October of the same year. As a result, one Avonside locomotive and Kisha Seizo works No. 1 were lost at sea and never reached Taiwan. Kisha Seizo works No. 2 was sent to Taiwan separately and was used on the Taiwan railway as former Class 18 and later Class B33, before becoming BK22 of Class BK10. After arriving in Taiwan, locomotive No. 9 was used on lines in northern Taiwan until 1925 (Taisho 14). After withdrawal, it was preserved and displayed in Taipei New Park, now 228 Peace Memorial Park, together with the Qing-period No. 1 locomotive “Teng-yun” (騰雲), and it remains there today. Avonside steam locomotives were introduced to Japan’s government railway, later the Japanese National Railways, only in these two examples. Other Avonside locomotives in Japan were either incorporated into the national railway through the purchase of private railways, or were light railway locomotives used on private railways and industrial sidings. No preserved Avonside locomotive remains in Japan today.