The mini steam train is super cute！ The Hsinchu Railway Cultural Exhibition is here

▲ A veteran station master leads the public in riding the super cute mini train. (Photo / Provided by Hsinchu County Government)

Tourism Center / Comprehensive Report

With smoke, steam, and whistles all in place, the mini steam train—including its appearance, surrounding tracks, and warning signs—is an exact but scaled-down replica of a real steam locomotive. Not only is this adorable little train incredibly eye-catching, it can actually carry passengers too！ The Hsinchu County Government is hosting a special exhibition on railway historical materials, running from now until June 30, 2014, inviting the public to learn about the development history of Taiwan’s railways and trains.

▲ The Hsinchu Railway Cultural Exhibition displays rarely seen items such as mileage indicators. (Photo / Provided by Hsinchu County Government)

To help the public better understand the workings of steam trains, retired Taiwan Railways station masters have been invited to use the mini steam train for explanations, allowing visitors to admire the cute and eye-catching little train while also gaining a simple understanding of how steam trains operate.

The special exhibition brings together the development history of railways in Hsinchu, including common items such as hats and uniforms, as well as rarely seen engineering equipment like mileage indicators, gradient indicators, and steel rail cross-sections. Zhang Hongming, Director of the Taiwan Literature and History Archive under the National History Museum, stated that trains and railways record the development trajectory of Taiwan, and Hsinchu County is also one of the important railway hubs. The special display of railway-related materials is now open to the public.