Preparing for homeland of old cultural relics of Yuanlin Railway
      Photo and text /Jingsiou Vanguard Team    2014.12.31

      It is one of the dreams in the campaign of Jingsiou Vanguard Team to give a home to the old cultural relics of Yuanlin Railway, a story museum to memorize the 110 years’ history of Yuanlin Railway. We should thank the headmaster, chairman and general director for launching the preparation mechanism of “Jingsiou Station” soon, they rescued the old cultural relics of Yuanlin Railway

 Reflection

in the demolished ruins of the old station. Teacher Mei-tu commanded the workmates and alternative service in person to sort, scrub and place gradually with hard work. After several days, the forgotten 40 years’ old toilet became “Jingsiou Station” in preparation.

 

Planning Education Campus of Jingxiu Railway

      Teacher Mei-tu, a history expert in Yuanlin often discusses the specific practice for the construction of Yuanlin Railway passing through the classroom with President Huang, and they plan two indoor wings, station square, exterior dormitory wall beside the station, the station-side ditch is transformed into railway, and the water heater iron box is transformed into Yuanlin Sugarcane Railway Station, and all of them are positioned and implemented.

 

      Jingsiou Elementary School has a history of 62 years, and the surviving old buildings were the headmaster dormitory and old toilet which have been left unused for 40 years, especially, the land belongs to Yuanlin Township Office and the building belongs to the school. Based on the importance of protecting the land, culture and education assets, it is hoped to transform the wasted land into “Jingsiou Station” through the active practice of loving Yuanlin railway. Once the local VIPs like Town Mayor Chang of Yuanlin Township, Village Chief Feng of Nanping Neighborhood, Village Chief Wu of Hsinsheng Neighborhood, Chief He were invited for discussion, and all supported the transformation.

 

Sorting out and Registering Old Cultural Relics

      After finding Jingsiou Station, Teacher Mei-tu actively contacted, and it was decided that Teacher Chang-hung came to support the sorting and registration courses of cultural relics of Yuanlin Railway at the end of 2014. Teacher Chang-hung is both a student’ parent and a senior and professional railway fan, as well as the general secretary of culture and history studio of Half-line Railway. It was Saturday, and there was a supplementary course, we came to the base with brush, cleaning cloth, label paper, document card, recorder and photographer.

      We saw many long tables arranged in the wings, with many old cultural relics of Yuanlin Railway placed on the tables. The members and Teacher Chang-hung saw them like old friends, and the members immediately requested Teacher Chang-hung to give guidance on the name and purpose of the cultural relics. They classified and photographed the cultural relics one by one, checked the quantity, measured the specifications, evaluated the materials and preservation integrity, registered the basic datasheet of the cultural relics. Teacher Chang-hung, Teacher Mei-tu, Teacher Hsiang-ting guided by groups and pasted the nameplate one by one, and it took two hours to complete the initial filing.

Making an appointment      

      Our earnest attitude moved Teacher Chang-hung. Then he took out two albums to interpret the past elegance of Yuanlin Railway professionally, the “Italian beauty EMU300 electric multiple unit train” once parking in old Yuanlin Station crossed Jhuoshuei River and made a record of maximum speed more than 100km. We were moved that Teacher Chang-hung used his rest time to specially guide us in the school. He strongly recommended us to visit Chaunghua Station Cultural Relics Museum. So we made an appointment to expand the horizon of railway with Teacher Chang-hung on January 8.