The Taiwan Railway Administration plans to stage a celebration on June 9 to mark the 120th anniversary of the opening of the first rail line in Taiwan. On that day, the railroad operator will unveil the CK124 steam locomotive train, which will kick off ajourney around the island that is being dubbed "going down memory lane." The CK124 was the second steam locomotive that was driven manually, after the introduction of the CK101. The journey is sure to bring back memories for the older crowd, while delighting the middle aged and younger generations.

The CK124 steam locomotive is lovingly referred to as being in the grandfather class of locomotives, and is nearly 70 years old. It was built by a Japanese rail carriage company in 1936 and was retired from service in 1979. In the following years, the Taiwan Railway Administration found mechanics and experts who worked on maintaining the locomotive during the period of Japanese occupation. The railway administration also found old designs and blueprints for the train. Officials also were able to find foreign manufacturers of parts needed for old steam locomotives. After repairing the locomotive and restoring it to its former glory, the railway administration has decided to put it back into service on special holidays. Since its appearance is rare, however, each time it emerges from the garage and leads a train, it is sure to attract attention among railroad enthusiasts.

Yeh Jih-yang, the deputy director of the Taiwan Railway Administrations Secretariat Office, said that the steam locomotive is powered by coal, enabling it to motor down the railway at a speed of only 60 kilometers per hour. In addition, the exhaust of the coal-fueled locomotive commonly makes the faces of passengers quite dirty from the smoke. Nonetheless, there is a loyal group of fans for the steam locomotive. Not only do these enthusiasts gladly endure the inconvenience, some even describe the smell of the coal as like perfume to their noses.

The railway administration said that anyone who is interested in taking a trip on this train must purchase a set of commemorative tickets specially printed for the train trip. The tickets will be put on sale between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m on the day before the train makes a stop at a specific station. In addition, the tickets will be vended at the Keelung, Taichung, Pingdong and Hualian train stations. The commemorative set of tickets includes a pass to ride on the CK124, a commemorative train ticket, a stainless steel lunch box and other commemorative items. Each package is being sold for NT$1,000, and each person is allowed to buy up to four sets. The public can also forego buying the more expensive package and simply buy a set of four tickets, which is being sold for a little over NT$100. These sets will also be on sale at the aforementioned train stations.

For the people who are unable to take the train ride down memory lane on June 9, the railway administration plans to park the locomotive at designated places on specific days to let the public take a closer look at the huge machine. The locomotive will be parked on various days between June 9 and June 24 at the Sungshan station in Taipei, the Hsinchu station, the Changhua station, the Chiayi station, the Tainan station and the Luotung station in Yilan.