Lesson II
At this time, we were going to visit the inner Roundhouse to know its structure and all the functions of different facilities in order to enrich our narrations of the Roundhouse.
The formal name of Changhua Roundhouse is
Changhua Rolling Stock Branch.【14:50－15:00】
Assembling
It was the second time we visited Changhua Roundhouse. We were all excited about having chance to visit the inner of it.
Some County officers happened to come for discussing the necessaries of the Roundhouse maintenance.【15:00－15:10】
Q & A
We looked for some relevant information and found some questions about the Roundhouse after the first visit. We were going to ask Mr. Lai for answers.
Steam locomotive, CK124, is more magnificent
than we thought about it!【15:10－15:30】
Visit steam locomotive close
It was so lucky for us to visit steam locomotive, CK124 ‘Lady’ today. Mr. Lai told us the principle of fuels, the positions of main wheels and the meanings of the symbols on the locomotive.
Without permission, you can only visit around it.【15:30－15:50】
Visit the inner roundhouse
Mr. Lai led us into the Roundhouse after getting permission by Changhua Rolling Stock Branch. Usually only staff wearing a helmet is allowed to go inside of it for work.
The maintenance workbenches on the tracks 1 and 2 were the highest which were added from two-story to three-story.Maintenance workbenches
Changhua Roundhouse remains its original appearance while the locomotives are improved gradually. Therefore, all the stalls contain different maintenance workbenches. Standing inside of the Roundhouse to observe it, you would know the ground was excavated for maintaining the bottom of the locomotives.
When we stood beneath the chimney,
It looked huge and quite different.Chimneys on the roof
Two large chimneys on the roof of every track emitted thick smoke exhausted from steam locomotives.
Beware of some wicked businessmen added stones
and mixed with coals to increase the weights.【15:50－16:10】
Fuels field
The basketball court beside the Roundhouse placed piles of coals, sleepers and scrap irons in order.
Mr. Lai introduced the functions of the materials in detail.Pitchy sleepers
The pitchy sleepers would not rot easily. However, they smelled so bad.
The sewage disposal and the white square symbol
are two important facilities.【16:10－16:30】
The front of the roundhouse
Do you know there are some secrets under your shoes? The sewage disposal facility set under the drain hole covers avoids water polluted from diesel oil. In addition, the white square symbol keeps locomotives safe on the tracks from each other and crushing.
We were lucky to see the prescription
and the disassembled carriage.Prescription of maintenance for locomotive
We were curious about the “graffiti” chalked on the locomotive. After Mr. Lai’s narration, we then realized that the graffiti was “prescription” of maintenance for locomotive after being inspected.
Thank you, Mr. Lai. It was a terrific adventure.【16:30－16:40】
A rewarding journey
Thank Mr. Lai for providing much information that we could not find from the books and enhance our understanding of the Roundhouse. We believed those information would better our narrations.
Words from Cool-Bow
Mr. Lai took us to see the location for placing the coals and explained how to set it on fire. In addition, we observed the locomotives so closely with the instruction from Mr. Lai. What impressed me the most was the graffiti in chalk on the locomotive called “prescription” for locomotive by Lai. I could not imagine how the locomotives took medicine.
Before getting into the Roundhouse, I smelt the acrid smell of diesel oil. Now I really admired the repairpersons for their hard working. I had wondered what it would be in the Roundhouse and I knew there were many mechanicals and the facilities for maintaining the locomotives which were hardly seen from outsides. It was unforgettable that I had the chance to get close to my favorite steam locomotive, CK124, although it was just still there. Hope I can see it on duty in the future.
It was second time to visit the Roundhouse. First, we visited the repair factory behind the Roundhouse and we saw the three-story maintenance workbenches on the tracks 1 and 2 which were the markers of history of locomotive development. Then, Mr. Lai told us the facilities of steam locomotives and how to operate the trains. At the last, he took us to the fuels field where the fuels were put and we saw brakes, coals and the dust there. What the interesting was that the stalls in the Roundhouse were hollow and allowed repairpersons to pass easily.
The mission today was to visit the inner Roundhouse. And what impressed me the most was the disassembling carriage that I could not imagine how the locomotive had been taken apart before. I saw it was just like the jigsaw that the carriage could be pulled out for the consideration of convenience. Mr. Lai told us that they were used to pull it out by themselves and fortunately they operated the machines to do so. It was quite convenient and efficient.
Source: Changhua Cool-Bow
