Re: The Alishan narrow gauge - Amazing spirals and shay locomotives
| December 07, 2019 09:17PM |
The 2ft. 6 in. narrow gauge railroad from Chiayi to Alishan in Taiwan ranks as one of the world's most amazing railroads. It climbs more than 7,000 feet from the coastal lowlands into the high altitude timberlands. It was built the Japanese in 1912 for logging conifers, mainly huge cedars. The 45 mile route employed 47 tunnels and 72 wooden bridges as well as multiple spirals and 4 switchbacks with a gradient of 6.26 percent. The spirals were probably the most incredible anywhere, and any model railroader would probably hesitate to dream up something this outlandish for their layout, however limited in space.
Motive power for the railroad were 20 shay engines that also worked the logging spurs out of Alishan. There were two groups of shays, 18-ton 2 cylinder engines, and larger 28-ton 3 cylinder locomotives. By the time my wife and I rode to Alishan in 1973, passenger service was I diesel rail cars, and steam was pretty much restricted to the branches out of Alishan and to switching in Chiayi. Today passenger service is provided by diesel locomotive hauled trains. Shays appear to be used on holidays and special events. In recent years two shays have been active, both 28-ton 3-cylinder engines, numbers 25 and 32. Two-cylinder engine 14 has been transferred to the Puffing Billy Railway near Melbourne, Australia. In photos it look beautiful, but I don't know if it is operational.
In June of 1973 when we were at Alishan, we saw two shays in operation. We enjoyed a third shay in the yard at Chiayi that was busy scooting back and forth making various switching moves. I was able to join the engineer/fireman (one man operation) for a number of moves. Since I have not printed or scanned most of my negative, I will add one of my photos, some postcards I bought in Alishan and a couple of pictures by my Japanese railfan friend Mineo Kawasaki.
2-cylinder shay 18 taking water at Alishan, June 1973
Another 2-cylinder shay, engine 16, at Peimen station in May 1976, photographed by Mineo Kawasaki
Here is engine 16 bringing in a load of logs sometime before 6/73 (postcard photo)
(to be continued)
Motive power for the railroad were 20 shay engines that also worked the logging spurs out of Alishan. There were two groups of shays, 18-ton 2 cylinder engines, and larger 28-ton 3 cylinder locomotives. By the time my wife and I rode to Alishan in 1973, passenger service was I diesel rail cars, and steam was pretty much restricted to the branches out of Alishan and to switching in Chiayi. Today passenger service is provided by diesel locomotive hauled trains. Shays appear to be used on holidays and special events. In recent years two shays have been active, both 28-ton 3-cylinder engines, numbers 25 and 32. Two-cylinder engine 14 has been transferred to the Puffing Billy Railway near Melbourne, Australia. In photos it look beautiful, but I don't know if it is operational.
In June of 1973 when we were at Alishan, we saw two shays in operation. We enjoyed a third shay in the yard at Chiayi that was busy scooting back and forth making various switching moves. I was able to join the engineer/fireman (one man operation) for a number of moves. Since I have not printed or scanned most of my negative, I will add one of my photos, some postcards I bought in Alishan and a couple of pictures by my Japanese railfan friend Mineo Kawasaki.
2-cylinder shay 18 taking water at Alishan, June 1973
Another 2-cylinder shay, engine 16, at Peimen station in May 1976, photographed by Mineo Kawasaki
Here is engine 16 bringing in a load of logs sometime before 6/73 (postcard photo)
(to be continued)
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488 stops for water at Los Pinos tank on closing day Oct. 1979. Photo courtesy Don Richter
The NGDF was started by Don Richter and is currently operated in his memory by Nathan Holmes and others. Others who have contributed to the upkeep of this board are (in no particular order): Charles McCandless, Everett Lueck, Ted Wilton, Cole Adams, James Bane, John Moellmer, Jon Bentz, Linn Moedinger, lloyd lehrer, Rod Jensen, John Craft, Steven Forney, Herb Kelsey, Bill Ramaley, Russ Sperry (El Russo Loco), Josh McNeal, John West, Jim Armstrong, Bob Bergstrom, Greg Scholl, Blake Forbes Doug van Veelen and Mark Fuller.