"Train Hospital" Taipei Railway Workshop to Relocate by Year-End; Railway Culture Carnival to Be the Grand Finale

▲The Taipei Railway Workshop, known as the train hospital, will relocate to the Taoyuan Fugang Base by the end of the year. (Photo / Provided by Taipei City Cultural Affairs Bureau)

Travel Center / Taipei Report

The "Taipei Railway Workshop," which has traditionally been closed to the public and is known as the "Train Hospital," will be fully relocated to the Taoyuan Fugang Base by the end of this year. The grand finale of the first Taipei Railway Culture Festival, hosted by the Taipei City Cultural Affairs Bureau, will be a carnival birthday celebration held at the Taipei Railway Workshop site on October 26.The full day of exciting activities includes exploring the workshop through fun challenges, a railway market, painting your own future train, riding the "Dudu" steam train, and even visiting the historic bathhouse experience called the "Sizzle Spot" — bring your swimsuit and towel.

A must-photo spot at the railway carnival is the playful, oversized tin men, all creatively made from discarded train parts by TRA employee Mr. Yeh Shih-chin:

▲Tin men over 5 meters tall, the shiny black "Antenna Grandpa," and the colorful "Ox Demon King" make great photo buddies. (Photo / Provided by Taipei City Cultural Affairs Bureau)

At the main entrance of the park stand two over 5-meter-tall tin men, the glossy black "Antenna Grandpa," and the vividly colored "Ox Demon King" — eye-catching figures that serve as welcoming guardians. Take a closer look: the Ox Demon King’s nose comes from a train engine’s return oil pipe; his hat is made of engine parts and gears; his head to upper arms are from the high and low-pressure cylinders of a steam cylinder; his body is from a train air pump; and his feet are assembled from cylinders. The 5.6-meter-tall Antenna Grandpa has a head made of a small air cylinder, eyes made of pipe nuts, a big nose from a diesel engine injector, and a little mouth and ears made from gearshift gears. He wears a conical hat made of wire clamps, curly hair and a beard crafted from brake chain coils, a robust body modeled after a passenger car water tank, a skirt made of louvers from the water tank cooling system, and a Taiwan Railways logo buckle ring made from motor parts. He steps in steel-head shoes crafted from air cylinders — a stylish and punk-inspired figure who will become a landmark at the future Taipei Railway Workshop Fugang Base.


▲The nostalgic Taipei Railway Workshop will be relocating by the end of the year. Visitors should seize the chance to attend the grand finale carnival. (Photo / Provided by Taipei City Cultural Affairs Bureau)

The Taipei Railway Culture Carnival celebrates the completion of the Taipei Railway Workshop on October 30, 1935. The organizer, the Cultural Affairs Bureau, has planned an "Explore the Workshop Challenge" activity, selecting 30 must-see spots in the workshop and combining them with a cultural map quiz. Those who complete the challenge can exchange a limited-edition commemorative towel (only 1,000 available) at the service desk — one per person, while supplies last.

Even more special is the "Sizzle Spot – Bathhouse Experience" event. The bathhouse uses leftover steam from factory boilers, channeled through pipes into a large bathing pool. The carnival offers the public a chance to experience the joy of a post-work steam shower just like the workshop employees once did.Participants need to bring their own swimsuits, slippers, and towels. The activity begins at 12:30 PM, with the first session open for on-site registration in order of arrival. There are five sessions in total, each limited to 40 participants.

【Event Information】
Taipei Railway Workshop Carnival
Address: No. 50, Section 5, Civic Boulevard, Xinyi District (Taipei Breeze Mall)
Event Time: October 26 (Saturday), 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
As no parking is available on-site, the Cultural Affairs Bureau encourages the use of public transportation or the free shuttle bus provided by Taipei Breeze Mall.
North Workshop 48 Event Website: http://www.2013trcf.com