After listening to the owner of Fu Jing Restaurant in Shetou Township - Chen Zhao Qiang’s railway relics collecting experience, we raised some questions. The content is as follows:
1. We are wondering what the most difficult situation you are facing regarding railway relics collection?
At first, the obstacle is that there weren’t many railway relics, but I have been continuously collecting them for over 20 years, so the problem for now is that I don’t have enough room for my collections. Exhibition space is my major concern now.
2. What is the most valuable collection among your railway relics?
135 patrol train because it is a real train. I came to its rescue from the recycling depot and repaired it until it can move again. I preserve it as a cultural relic so it is the most valuable I’ve got.
3. May I ask where you obtained your railway relics collections?
There are three sources. One is from flea market, especially from Fu He Bridge in Taipei. Another is through internet, such as Yahoo Auctions and PChome eBay Co., Ltd. The other is from retired Taiwan Railway employees and some railway fans. They gave them to me as presents. My sources came from above three channels.
4. What impressed you the most among the cultural relics?
When I was little, I looked forward to my dad bringing back railway lunch box the most! At that time, to eat a lunch box is very enjoyable. So, I’d say railway lunch box was one of my best impressions of railway in my childhood memory.
5. Since you family is a railway family, could we know why you did not become a train driver?
Although my father, grandfather, second granduncle and third granduncle were train drivers, I did not want to become one. You know why? It is one thing to be tiring, but the major reason is that being a train driver is risky and you have to have strong stress resistance. If being lucky, one hits a person once six years on average. The worst can be that you hit two in a day. I did not want to see such bloody scene so I said “no” to becoming a train driver.
6. We wonder if you can categorize your railway relics?
My collections are, by and large, trains and lunch boxes. Lunch boxes are railway lunch boxes, and I’ve collected them from different places, including Japanese subway lunch box. My collection of lunch boxes has been accumulated to over 500. My another collection is railway related relics, chiefly these 4 types: high speed rail, Taiwan railway, sugar railway and forest railway. I collect any railway relics related to those four kinds.
7. Could we get an idea of how much you spent on all your collections?
It has been 20 years and a month since I started the restaurant in December 24th, 1999. I have not built up much wealth because I spent mostly on the collections. December 24th is Christmas Eve, and I want everyone to feel peaceful and blissful so I made a peaceful and blissful station sign outside the building to make you all feel blessed.
1. We are wondering what the most difficult situation you are facing regarding railway relics collection?
At first, the obstacle is that there weren’t many railway relics, but I have been continuously collecting them for over 20 years, so the problem for now is that I don’t have enough room for my collections. Exhibition space is my major concern now.
2. What is the most valuable collection among your railway relics?
135 patrol train because it is a real train. I came to its rescue from the recycling depot and repaired it until it can move again. I preserve it as a cultural relic so it is the most valuable I’ve got.
3. May I ask where you obtained your railway relics collections?
There are three sources. One is from flea market, especially from Fu He Bridge in Taipei. Another is through internet, such as Yahoo Auctions and PChome eBay Co., Ltd. The other is from retired Taiwan Railway employees and some railway fans. They gave them to me as presents. My sources came from above three channels.
4. What impressed you the most among the cultural relics?
When I was little, I looked forward to my dad bringing back railway lunch box the most! At that time, to eat a lunch box is very enjoyable. So, I’d say railway lunch box was one of my best impressions of railway in my childhood memory.
5. Since you family is a railway family, could we know why you did not become a train driver?
Although my father, grandfather, second granduncle and third granduncle were train drivers, I did not want to become one. You know why? It is one thing to be tiring, but the major reason is that being a train driver is risky and you have to have strong stress resistance. If being lucky, one hits a person once six years on average. The worst can be that you hit two in a day. I did not want to see such bloody scene so I said “no” to becoming a train driver.
6. We wonder if you can categorize your railway relics?
My collections are, by and large, trains and lunch boxes. Lunch boxes are railway lunch boxes, and I’ve collected them from different places, including Japanese subway lunch box. My collection of lunch boxes has been accumulated to over 500. My another collection is railway related relics, chiefly these 4 types: high speed rail, Taiwan railway, sugar railway and forest railway. I collect any railway relics related to those four kinds.
7. Could we get an idea of how much you spent on all your collections?
It has been 20 years and a month since I started the restaurant in December 24th, 1999. I have not built up much wealth because I spent mostly on the collections. December 24th is Christmas Eve, and I want everyone to feel peaceful and blissful so I made a peaceful and blissful station sign outside the building to make you all feel blessed.
Data Compilation :Members of Expert Expedition
Source of Photos :Members of Expert Expedition
Source of Information:Members of Expert Expedition
Source of Photos :Members of Expert Expedition
Source of Information:Members of Expert Expedition
