Thursday, 3 September 2015

TW-1700862 Two 762 mm narrow gauge locomotives used in Taiwan

This postcard from 白斯嘉 (4 September 2015) Postcrossing shows two 762mm Narrow Gauge locomotives used in Taiwan.

(1) In 1879 the company Diepholzer Maschinenfabrik was founded to build mainly agricultural machinery. In 1924 the company started the production of field railway locomotives. It became the DIEMA company which ultimately became one of the world's leading specialists in producing narrow gauge diesel locomotives for industry, tunnel/track building and peat mining purposes.  Unfortunately in 1993, the company closed their main facility situated in the North German town Diepholz.

A large number of DEIMA diesel locomotives were exported to Taiwan. In the past the Taiwan Sugar Railways (台灣糖業鐵路) were an extensive series of 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow gauge railways concentrated mostly in southern and central Taiwan bulit originally to haul sugarcane from the fields to the sugar mills. These railways were also capable of providing limited passenger service.  The Diema locomotive depicted on the postcard was one of 25 (#167-191) used on these railways.

(2) The other diesel displayed on the postcard is the Jinma Brand Diesel Locomotive. Apparently there were only 4 of them used in Taiwan (#951-954).

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