Taiping Mountain Forest Railway
Forest railway in Yilan County, Taiwan
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The Taiping Mountain Forest Railway (Chinese: 太平山森林鐵路), also known as Bongbong Train (蹦蹦車), is a 36.4 km (22.6 miles) long narrow-gauge forest railway with a gauge of 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) in Yilan County, Taiwan.[1] Part of it can be used for heritage trains, but it is temporarily closed.[2]
| Taiping Mountain Forest Railway | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Taipingshan Mountain Forest Railway
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| Technical | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Line length | 36.4 km (22.6 miles) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Track gauge | 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minimum radius | 15 m | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operating speed | 15 km/h max. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Maximum incline | 3 % | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Taiping Mountain Forest Railway | |||||||||||
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| Taiping Mountain Forest Railway | |||||||||||
| Chinese | 太平山森林鐵路 | ||||||||||
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| Bongbong Train | |||||||||||
| Chinese | 蹦蹦車 | ||||||||||
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History
The Taiping Mountain Forest Railway was commissioned in 1920 and connected to the Luodong Forest Railway in 1924. No regular passenger services have been provided since 1979, but a short section of the track was used for a sightseeing train. Since commercial forestry has been phased out on Taiping Mountain, the area is used for sightseeing and recreation.[3]
In 2012, due to damage caused by a typhoon, the sightseeing train was taken out of use. On 19 September 2018, the operation was officially resumed on a 3 km-long section of the track. Eight trips per day are available between Tài Píng Shān-sho station and Shigeru station at intervals of 30 minutes. Each one-way trip takes 20 minutes.[4]
Maosing Reminiscent Trail
The 1.5 km (nearly 1 mile)-long Maosing Reminiscent Trail (茂興懷舊步道, closed) starts at the platform of Maosing Railway Station. It runs at a height of 1.870 m to 1.950 m above sea level on the disused railway track and has thus only a relatively small gradient. There are recreation and information boards about history, natural resources, and geology.[5]
The Maosing Reminiscent Trail provides a combination of both heritage and ecotourism. Most of the railway sleepers are rotten, but a majority of the rails are still in good order; the rails are left in place and railway sleepers are covered in gravel to provide a footpath. Most of the trestle bridges have collapsed or deteriorated. Thus, some of them have been repaired, some of them left as historic ruins, and others have had to be removed and replaced by modern suspension bridges.[5]
Jancing Historic Trail
The Jancing Historic Trail (見晴懷古步道)[6] was installed on a section of the former Jancing Forest Railway and originally had a total length of 2.35 km (1.4 miles). Since a landslide occurred, only 0.9 km (0.5 miles) are publicly accessible. The former Jancing Forest Railway was approximately 5.5 km (3.4 miles) long and provides access to the natural and cultural heritage along the old railway track. The remaining rails, trolleys, and bogies are a reminder of long-gone times of the lumber industry.[7]
Gallery
Remains of a wooden trestle bridge
Maosing Reminiscent Trail
Taiping Mountain Bong Bong Train
Taiping Mountain Bong Bong Train
Taiping Mountain Bong Bong Train Station
Taiping Mountain Bong Bong Train
Taiping Mountain Bong Bong Train
Taiping Mountain Forest Railway Station, 2022
Top-down shot of Taiping Mountain Forest Railway Station, 2022
Track
Old Taiping Mountain Railway
The Old Taiping Mountain Railway (Chinese: 舊太平山; pinyin: Jiù tàipíng shān; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Kū Thài-pîng-soaⁿ) has been removed, and very little information about it is available.
New Taiping Mountain Railway
The New Taiping Mountain Railway (Chinese: 新太平山; pinyin: Xīn tàipíng shān; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Sin Thài-pîng-soaⁿ) is the main system that exists today. It uses a combination of railways and aerial tramways to transport lumber down the mountainous terrain.
Stations
| Type | Track | Station | Chinese | Taiwanese | Hakka | Transfers and notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Railway | Jên-tsê Line | T'u-ch'ang | 土場 | Thô͘-tiûⁿ | Thú-chhòng | →  Luodong Forest Railway |
| Jên-tsê | 仁澤 | Jîn-te̍k | Yìn-chet | |||
| Aerial tramway | Jên-tsê Tramway | |||||
| Middle | 中間 | Tiong-kan | Chûng-kiên | |||
| Railway | Lan-t'ai Line | |||||
| Lan-t'ai | 蘭臺 | Lân-tâi | Làn-thòi | |||
| Aerial tramway | Pai-ling Tramway | |||||
| Pai-ling | 白嶺 | Pe̍h-niá | Pha̍k-liâng | |||
| Railway | Pai-mi Line | |||||
| Pai-mi | 白糸 | Pe̍h-mi | Pha̍k-mì | |||
| Aerial tramway | Pai-mi Tramway | |||||
| Shang-p'ing | 上平 | Siōng-pîng | Sông-phìn | |||
| Railway | T'ai-p'ing Mt Line | |||||
| T'ai-p'ing Mt | 太平山 | Thài-pîng-soaⁿ | Thai-phìn-sân | |||
| T'ai-p'ing Mt Junction | 太平山分歧點 | Thài-pîng-soaⁿ Hun-kî-tiám | Thai-phìn-sân Fûn-khîa-tiám |
Junction of San-hsing, Mao-hsing, and Chien-ch'ing Lines | ||
| Railway | Chien-ch'ing Line | Rail End | 路尾 | Lō͘-bóe | Lu-mî | Border of Taiping Mt and Dayuan Mt Work Stations |
| Mao-hsing Line | Mao-hsing | 茂興 | Bō͘-heng | Meu-hîn | Limited tourist service around station | |
Lines
| Name of the track | From station to station | Distance | Max. incline | Min. radius | Bridges (total length) |
Tunnels (total length) |
Number of trains |
| Renze (仁澤線) |
Tuchang (土場) - Renze (仁澤) | 4,53 km | 3% | 15 m | 63 (1665 m) | 2 (62 m) | 3 |
| Lantai (蘭臺線) |
Middle Station (中間) - Lantai (蘭臺) | 3,92 km | 2% | 15 m | 62 (1635 m) | 1 (47 m) | 3 |
| Baimi (白糸線) |
Bailing (白嶺) - Baimi (白糸) | 3,20 km | 2,5% | 15 m | 16 (480 m) | 0 (0 m) | 3 |
| Taipingshan (太平山線) |
Shangping (上平) - Taipingshan (太平山) | 1,60 km | 2,5% | 15 m | 16 (480 m) | 0 (0 m) | 4 |
| Sanxing (三星線) |
Taiping Mountain Junction (太平山分歧點) - Terminus | 15,3 km | 2,5% | 15 m | 16 (480 m) | 0 (0 m) | 4 |
| Maoxing (Maosing) (茂興線) |
Taiping Mountain Junction - Terminus | 20,9 km | 2,5% | 42 | 0 (0 m) | 3 | |
| Jianqing (Jiancing) (見晴線) |
Taiping Mountain Junction - Endstation | 5,60 km | 2% | 15 m | 62 (1635 m) | 0 (0 m) |
Dayuan Mountain Railway
Dayuan Mountain (Chinese: 大元山; pinyin: Dà yuán shān; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tāi-goân-soaⁿ)
| Name of the track | From station to station | Distance | Max. incline | Min. radius | Bridges (total length) |
Tunnels (total length) |
Number of trains |
| Dayuanshan (大元山線) / Si gongli (四公里線) | Anbu aerial tram (鞍部索道), Dayuan aerial tram (大元索道) - Cuifeng aerial tram (翠峰索道) | 7,86 km | 6,3% | 20 m | 88 (570 m) | 1 | |
| Cuifeng (翠峰線) | Cuifeng aerial tram (翠峰索道) - Wangyang mountain side (望洋山腰) | 9,0 km | 2,5% | 97 (570 m) | 0 | ||
| Qingfeng (晴峰線) | Qingfeng aerial tram (晴峰索道) - Zhongxinggang (中興崗) | 5,1 km | 2,0% | 25 | 0 | ||
| Piya (埤ㄚ線) | Start of Piya aerial tram (埤ㄚ索道著點) |
