The Taiping Mountain Forest Railway (), also known as Bongbong Train (), is a 36.4 km (22.6 miles) long narrow-gauge forest railway with a gauge of in Yilan County, Taiwan.Robert Kelly und Chung Wah Chow: Lonely Planet Taiwan. Lonely Planet, 1 February 2014. Retrieved 25 November 2017. Part of it can be used for heritage trains, but it is temporarily closed.Bong Bong Train (temporarily closed).
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.行政院農委會林務局©版權所有 (Executive Yuan COA Forest Service): 太平山森林鐵路 (Taiping Mountain Forest Railway). Retrieved 25 November 2017. (Chinese)
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.Radio Taiwan International: 宜蘭太平山のトロッコ、19日に運行再開.
Maosing Reminiscent Trail The 1.5 km (nearly 1 mile)-long Maosing Reminiscent Trail (, 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.Maosing Reminiscent Trail. 27 June 2016. Accessed 25 November 2017.
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.
Jancing Historic Trail The Jancing Historic Trail ()Jancing-Geschichtslehrpfad auf Google Streetview. 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.Jancing Historic Trail. 30 October 2017.
Gallery
Track Old Taiping Mountain Railway The Old Taiping Mountain Railway () has been removed, and very little information about it is available.
New Taiping Mountain Railway The New Taiping Mountain Railway () is the main system that exists today. It uses a combination of railways and aerial tramways to transport lumber down the mountainous terrain.
Stations TypeTrackStationChineseTaiwaneseHakkaTransfers and notesRailwayJên-tsê LineT'u-ch'angThô͘-tiûⁿThú-chhòng→ Luodong Forest RailwayJên-tsêJîn-te̍kYìn-chetAerial tramwayJên-tsê TramwayMiddleTiong-kanChûng-kiênRailwayLan-t'ai LineLan-t'aiLân-tâiLàn-thòiAerial tramwayPai-ling TramwayPai-lingPe̍h-niáPha̍k-liângRailwayPai-mi LinePai-miPe̍h-miPha̍k-mìAerial tramwayPai-mi TramwayShang-p'ingSiōng-pîngSông-phìnRailwayT'ai-p'ing Mt LineT'ai-p'ing MtThài-pîng-soaⁿThai-phìn-sânT'ai-p'ing MtJunctionThài-pîng-soaⁿHun-kî-tiámThai-phìn-sânFûn-khîa-tiámJunction of San-hsing, Mao-hsing, and Chien-ch'ing LinesRailwayChien-ch'ing LineRail EndLō͘-bóeLu-mîBorder of Taiping Mt and Dayuan Mt Work StationsMao-hsing LineMao-hsingBō͘-hengMeu-hînLimited tourist service around station
Lines
Name of the trackFrom station to stationDistanceMax. inclineMin. radiusBridges (total length)Tunnels (total length)Number of trainsRenze (仁澤線)Tuchang (土場) - Renze (仁澤)4,53 km3%15 m63 (1665 m)2 (62 m)3Lantai (蘭臺線)Middle Station (中間) - Lantai (蘭臺)3,92 km2%15 m62 (1635 m)1 (47 m)3Baimi (白糸線)Bailing (白嶺) - Baimi (白糸)3,20 km2,5%15 m16 (480 m)0 (0 m)3Taipingshan (太平山線)Shangping (上平) - Taipingshan (太平山)1,60 km2,5%15 m16 (480 m)0 (0 m)4Sanxing (三星線)Taiping Mountain Junction (太平山分歧點) - Terminus15,3 km2,5%15 m16 (480 m)0 (0 m)4Maoxing (Maosing) (茂興線)Taiping Mountain Junction - Terminus20,9 km2,5%420 (0 m)3Jianqing (Jiancing) (見晴線)Taiping Mountain Junction - Endstation5,60 km2%15 m62 (1635 m)0 (0 m)
Dayuan Mountain Railway Dayuan Mountain ()
Name of the trackFrom station to stationDistanceMax. inclineMin. radiusBridges (total length)Tunnels (total length)Number of trainsDayuanshan (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 km6,3%20 m88 (570 m)1Cuifeng (翠峰線)Cuifeng aerial tram (翠峰索道) - Wangyang mountain side (望洋山腰)9,0 km2,5%97 (570 m)0Qingfeng (晴峰線)Qingfeng aerial tram (晴峰索道) - Zhongxinggang (中興崗)5,1 km2,0%250Piya (埤ㄚ線)Start of Piya aerial tram (埤ㄚ索道著點)
References