By MOOK Scenic Spots Chen Wenlin, compiled and reported
The No. 650 Taiwan Sugar steam locomotive holds cherished memories for many railway enthusiasts. After a 14-year restoration effort costing millions, it has made its first run at the Suan Tou Sugar Factory in Chiayi County — a moment rich in historical significance. It has not only drawn large crowds of tourists and railway fans eager to witness its return, offering everyone a new reason and unique experience when visiting Chiayi.
The restored No. 650 steam train makes its maiden voyage at Suan Tou Sugar Factory in Chiayi County (Photo / Chiayi County Government)
The No. 650 steam locomotive was manufactured in August 1928 by Germany’s Koppel factory. As a high-performance engine, it has an 89-year history and features a distinctive design that sets it apart from other Taiwan Sugar steam trains, earning it the nickname “the Mercedes-Benz of steam locomotives.” With the advent of diesel and gasoline-powered engines, steam trains were gradually phased out and completely retired in the 1980s, with most sold as scrap metal. Due to historical circumstances, the No. 650 was decommissioned at the Suan Tou Sugar Factory in 1973 and subsequently purchased by the Tohoku Kogyo Co., Ltd. in Japan, where it was transported to Japan and displayed in Zao Town, Miyagi Prefecture. Later, it was bought by a Japanese railway enthusiast passionate about Taiwanese rail history and eventually donated back to Taiwan, with hopes of seeing it run again on the Chianan Plain.
After years of transfers and extensive restoration, the No. 650 steam locomotive has successfully resumed service (Photo / Chiayi County Government)
The No. 650 steam train will connect the Chiayi HSR Station with the Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum, reviving fond memories of the old Taiwan Sugar “five-cent trains” and sugarcane transport. It also brings together the “fastest” and “slowest” trains at this junction. Passengers arriving by high-speed rail can take the small train to the Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum, experiencing a culturally unique mode of transport and historically meaningful sugar industry tourism.
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