Restored national treasure steam train "The Duchess" to make a glamorous comeback at June Railway Festival

By the MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Life Network Editorial Team

 

Taiwan Railways' last retired national treasure CT273 steam locomotive "The Duchess," which has been out of service for over 30 years, was recently successfully re-fired under the hard work of Director Hong Jinxing’s team at Taipei Railway Workshop, along with retired veteran Liu Shugen and others. It is expected to make a splendid return on Railway Day, June 9.

 

The CT273 steam locomotive was manufactured in 1943 (Year 32 of the Republic of China) by Japan’s Kawasaki Vehicle Manufacturing and assigned to Taiwan Railways' CT270 series, the same type as Japan’s C57. Japan produced a total of 201 locomotives of this model, with 14 originally in Taiwan. Due to its more streamlined body compared to other models, it earned the honorable nickname "The Duchess" and was honored as the "Queen of Locomotives."

 

Taiwan currently retains four such locomotives: CT271, CT273, CT278, and CT284, located respectively in Keelung, the Fan-Shaped Roundhouse in Changhua, Ershui, and Yilan. The CT270 series not only features elegant lines but also boasts extremely high speed, making it the most outstanding passenger locomotive on Taiwan Railways' western trunk line. With superior performance, its single-unit maximum designed speed was 100 km/h, while the highest speed of Taiwan Railways passenger cars at the time was only 85 km/h.

 

After the electrification of railways, the CT273 steam locomotive was decommissioned in 1979 (Year 68 of the Republic of China) and was officially removed from the roster in February 1984 (Year 73), becoming the last retired steam locomotive of Taiwan Railways.

 

 

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