Beijing Youth Daily, September 27, 2006
At 3:30 p.m. yesterday, the nearly four-ton stone arch engraved with the words “Republic of China” was slowly transported into the China Railway Museum by a flatbed truck. This arch, once part of the old water tower at Beijing North Railway Station and a subject of much attention from railway enthusiasts, has now officially found a new home in the museum. The China Railway Museum announced that it will soon begin a survey of railway cultural heritage sites in the Beijing area.
The water tower, located near the turnaround section of Beijing North Station, was built in 1918. The inscription on the arch reads, “Built in the seventh month of the [year] of the Republic of China.” Originally used to supply water for steam locomotives, the tower gradually became obsolete with the rise of diesel engines. In September, the relevant authorities began demolishing the tower.
After Beijing Youth Daily reported on September 4 that the tower was to be demolished, the China Railway Museum expressed interest in preserving the arch and relocating it to the museum for safekeeping.
“Be gentle—don’t use steel cables, use soft straps instead,” someone at the site advised around 11 a.m. yesterday, as five or six workers prepared to lift the roughly four-ton arch with a crane and load it onto a flatbed truck. Mr. Kang Bin, a director at the China Railway Museum who was present at the scene, explained that in order to avoid damaging the arch during the move, they decided on the spot to use soft straps rather than steel wires.
Railway staff said the move had to be completed before 1:30 p.m., as a diesel locomotive was scheduled to pass through the area after that time.
Construction workers extended the crane’s four stabilizing legs and reinforced them with railway ties underneath. At approximately 1:05 p.m., the arch was fully secured with the soft straps. The crane’s long arm then slowly hoisted the arch and gently placed it onto the flatbed truck.
Wang Wei, a train enthusiast who lives near Beijing North Station, said the arch being moved to the museum was great news for railway fans.
Photo by: Wei Tong, Beijing Youth Daily
