Alishan Forest Railway Garage Park Introduction
Chiayi Depot Park, formerly known as "Beimen Repair Shop" during the Japanese colonial period, was originally established at the Beimen Engine Shed with the opening of the railway in October 1910. It was officially put into operation in 1912, as the railway construction expanded. The main work of the depot involved the construction and repair of various locomotives, passenger cars, and freight cars for the Alishan Railway, boasting nearly a century of history. Since the Alishan Railway was opened, the repair shop has been the central base for maintenance. Although the trains were originally purchased from the United States, the Beimen Repair Shop employed around two hundred skilled workers capable of repairing, remodeling, and manufacturing. They handcrafted damaged parts and even produced external boilers and steam engines. Additionally, the Alishan cypress wood carriages are among the classic masterpieces of the repair shop, with many valuable retired Alishan trains currently preserved at Beimen Repair Shop. On August 23, 1993, a major fire at Beimen Repair Shop destroyed the wooden factory buildings, and some old trains were also lost in the blaze. Today, some of the repair shop structures have been updated, and a few rare vehicles are preserved in the garage. In order to allow the public to visit this historically significant site, it was renamed Chiayi Depot Park in 2005. The park serves as the base for the Alishan Forest Railway trains and is a large ecological park for train enthusiasts, where visitors can closely interact with various retired steam trains, diesel locomotives, powered passenger cars, and freight cars, including the cypress carriage used by the Japanese crown prince during the Japanese occupation, providing a glimpse into the century-long history of the Alishan Railway.
