Hong Kong Railway Museum

Hong Kong Railway Museum (formerly Tai Po Market Station)

Hong Kong Railway Museum (Chinese: 香港鐵路博物館; Cantonese Yale: heung1 gong2 tit3 lou6 bok3 mat6 gun2) is a railway museum in Tai Po, Hong Kong.[1] It is now under the management of the Leisure and Cultural Service Department. Opened on 20 December 1986, it is located at the site where the Old Tai Po Market Railway Station was built in 1913. Admission to the museum is free.

History

Tai Po Market
大埔墟
KCR station
Location On Fu Road, Tai Po
Tai Po District, Hong Kong
Coordinates 22°26′51″N 114°09′52″E / 22.4476°N 114.1644°E / 22.4476; 114.1644Coordinates: 22°26′51″N 114°09′52″E / 22.4476°N 114.1644°E / 22.4476; 114.1644
Owned by Kowloon–Canton Railway Corporation
Operated by Kowloon–Canton Railway Corporation
Line(s)   Kowloon–Canton Railway (British Section)
Platforms 2 (side platforms)
Tracks 2
Connections Bus, public light bus
Construction
Structure type At-grade
Platform levels 1
History
Opened 1 October 1910 (1910-10)
Closed 6 April 1983 (1983-04-07)
Services
Preceding station   KCR   Following station
towards Kowloon
Kowloon–Canton Railway (British Section)
towards Lo Wu
Location
Hong Kong MTR system map
Tai Po Market
Location within the current MTR system

The Kowloon-Canton Railway (British Section) opened in 1910 in Tai Po Market was one of the stops in the New Territories. The station building was erected in 1913. Since then, it acted as a centre of administration and trade which indirectly boosted Tai Po Market's economy by bringing traders there.

The KCR was electrified in 1983 and the station was taken out of service, with new stations being opened to the north (Tai Wo) and south (Tai Po Market) of it. One year later, the Old Tai Po Market Railway Station was declared a monument. The site, together with the buildings and relevant exhibits, were then given to the government by the KCRC for the construction of the Museum.

Architecture

The building of the station is unique in the way of architectural style among original Kowloon-Canton Railway (British Section). It is of indigenous Chinese architectural style, with many small figures decorating the exterior, such as are commonly found in existing old southern Chinese temples.

Exhibits

6 historical coaches are inside the museum
Exhibition gallery include historical pictures and artifacts that help chronicle the story of how the railways developed in Hong Kong

Inside the museum

On the left of the museum, there is an exhibition room of train tickets and train models of not only KCR trains but also Japanese Shinkansen and Eurostar. The further internal part of the room is a refurbished ticket office and signalling house.

Vehicles on the track

Two locomotives are on exhibition at the museum:

There are six coaches on the tracks for public viewing and appreciation of the contrast between the old and the new.

There are also a pump trolley and a diesel-engined railcar.

A 1:1 scale model of a non-refurbished East Rail Line Metro Cammell EMU was once on display at the Museum, but was removed to make space for locomotive #51.[2]

Transportation

The museum is accessible from Tai Po Market Station of the MTR.

Gallery

See also

References

  1. ↑ Hong Kong Railway Museum, Hong Kong Tourism Board
  2. ↑ "1:1 Yelloe-head model .". www.rrpicturearchives.net. Retrieved 2011-02-16.

External links

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