Rio Grande in Taiwan!

  
(left) The Tan-Sui (original named Rio Grande) Line's last run by TRA in July 16 1988.
(right) The converted new Tan-Sui Subway in 1997.

    I think most American Railfans should know the famous railroad, Rio Grande. Many people like its narrow guage railway in CO. Their steam, and their truck-like diesel car are so attractive. The other famous train of Rio Grande is their Ski Trains. Even Rio Grande already merged into Southern Pacific many years ago, and then now became part of BIG Union Pacific family after UP took over Southern Pacific; however, the famous Rio Grande Ski Trains are still running. Those Rio Grande color painted passenger trains serve people , although Amtrak handles most all passenger service.
    There is a Rio Grande historical passenger coach preserved in Japan. You can see this report from my friend, Naito's homepage(English). However, you may not know what is the "Rio Grande"'s original meaning and there is a "Rio Grande" in my home country - Taiwan!!!
    The Rio Grande means "BIG RIVER". When Spanish owned Taiwan(So Taiwan is not part of China at that time!), they called the Tan-Sui River crosses Taipei city and Taipei county now "Rio Grande". Tan-Sui BIG name in early age of Taiwan. At that time, No Taipei, Only has Tan-Sui in north of Taiwan. My family is original from Tan-Sui. My great-grandfather put a MODEL RAIL layout in the park of our Tan-Sui house. I have seen the photo. There were tracks, tunnels and steel bridges. The photos were taken in the early century. Even there were no trains can run on it(I think), I assume it must be the very early priviate model railroad layout in Taiwan.
    We named the Tan-Sui as Rio Grande in the early age. After Japanese got Taiwan, they built a railroad linked Taipei and Tan-Sui. That's the well-known Tan-Sui Line. It was converted to a modern subway system now. When the new system was built, they preserved many historical names from some stations. However, they didn't know Tan-Sui was named as Rio Grande. If they know that and called it as Rio Grande. We will have a Rio Grande line in Taiwan, right?
    My friend Shinkyo is a model train business man in Taiwan. His model train store is named Rio Grande Model, now. If you didn't know the story I just talk to you above, you will think he is a Americanized person. Actually, he just used the old name of Tan-Sui, Rio Grande for his model train store. Basically, don't be surprised we have the name, Rio Grande in Taiwan. We have San Diego, too!!! Yes! The San Diego station in Taiwan was translate to San-Dio-Lian as a Chinese charactor. It was truely named as San Diego before, and there is a station until now! I don't think TRA should change its Chinese name, but how about the English name? If TRA can rename the English name of this station to San Diego. That will be a very interesting thing. We has Santa Fe's San Diego station in southern California, and has another San Diego station across the ocean in Taiwan. Is that funny?

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