Travel Date: 2024/03/23
It's been six years since we last visited this place. Our son was only four months old at the time, and when I showed him pictures, he couldn't believe it. He always feels like we never take him anywhere, as he can't remember those early days... Luckily, I have pictures from every place we've been to. Over the past two years, we haven't gone out as much as we used to six or seven years ago, especially since moving to the north. I have no idea where to go next, as many places either we've seen before or they don't seem that interesting to visit. This isn't great for my YouTube channel either, as I barely have any videos except for cooking ones. At least winter seems to be fading away, and suddenly we're experiencing temperatures of 34 degrees Celsius, such a change from the 15-20 degrees recently. I love summer, so the warmer weather doesn't bother me at all, but the only downside is that I can't open my eyes due to the sunlight, and I end up looking terrible in pictures, lol.
We also made a stop at Tianwei Highway Gardens as I wanted to find some herbs for my balcony... I've managed to make many of them disappear... I guess keeping plants on the balcony is a lot harder than having an actual garden like I used to have in Poland.
Changhua Roundhouse (扇形車庫)
The Changhua Fan-shaped Garage is located in the northern part of Changhua Station. It's part of the Changhua Locomotive Depot and was built in 1922. The warehouse building is centered around the railway turntable, forming a semi-arc-shaped garage with twelve lanes in a radial pattern. It's one of the legacies of Taiwan's Japanese rule. Initially, the roundhouse had only six stalls, but more were added in 1933.
Currently, the only preserved fan-shaped garage in Taiwan is this county-level monument in Changhua County. Worldwide, there are only three roundhouses still in use, with the other two located in Mexico.
The purpose of this roundhouse was to maintain and repair locomotives and provide parking space for long-distance trains. For this reason, the place was also called the "locomotive hotel."
Today, it's used as a maintenance depot for diesel and electric trains and is also home to old steam engines. It's the only place in Taiwan where all types of locomotives are serviced.
The garage building is divided into twelve stalls, each with its own rail spur, large enough for one locomotive. It's centered around the turntable and spread out at a 99-degree angle towards the garage. Since steam locomotives can only drive forward, unlike electric or diesel locomotives that have front and rear cockpits for two-way driving, steam locomotives need to be turned around on the transfer platform to change their direction. The locomotives stop on this bridge-like structure and wait for it to turn them in the right position to take their space.
In addition to the Changhua fan-shaped garage, six roundhouses were built in different cities between 1895 and 1945, including Taipei, Hsinchu, Chiayi, and two in Kaohsiung. The first roundhouse was built in Taipei in 1901.
As cities grew and steam locomotives were phased out of service, roundhouses became obsolete. In the 1970s, the roundhouse in Kaohsiung was the first to be demolished. After the demolition of the other five roundhouses, people realized that if the last one in Changhua was not preserved, the memory of steam locomotives in Taiwan would fade away.
The Taiwan Railway had plans to build a central electric train maintenance base, and the last remaining garage was meant to be dismantled. However, it was saved by local residents and railway enthusiasts. The electric vehicle maintenance base was relocated to the south of Changhua Station. In January 2001, the Changhua County Government designated the roundhouse as a county historic site.
To enter the Changhua Roundhouse, visitors only need to register at the entrance guard room, and group tours can be arranged for more than ten people. The garage is still in service, retaining its maintenance function. Visitors have the opportunity to witness on-site maintenance and observe locomotives departing from the warehouse, experiencing the actual operation of the fan-shaped garage. In addition to the main building and random dynamic displays, there are two robot sculptures in the factory made from discarded parts of the Taichai diesel engine. Construction observation decks, rows of chairs under trees, and toilets are also available.
Entry to the Changhua Roundhouse is free of charge, and the opening hours are Tuesday to Friday from 13:00 to 16:00, and on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from 10:00 to 16:00.
Next to the place, you can also visit Roundhouse Railway Park, which offers rides on a small train for 150NT per person. Additionally, there are various types of souvenirs and coffee available. There was also a small market at the time, although I'm not sure if it's like this every weekend.
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