The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority: Regarding an earlier announcement on a cluster of patients infected with Respiratory Syncytial Virus in a female ward of Learning Disabilities, the spokesperson fo… read more
After completion of exhibition enhancement work, the Hong Kong Railway Museum (HKRM) will reopen to the public from tomorrow (October 4) with free admission and a new addition to its existing collections, Diesel Electric Engine No. 60 – “Peter Quick” (L60).
L60, which commenced operation in 1974, was one of the last fleet of diesel electric engines introduced to Hong Kong for the Kowloon-Canton Railway. Operating on the East Rail Line, L60 had witnessed the golden era of railway freight services between Hong Kong and the Mainland. Following the full electrification of the Kowloon-Canton Railway in 1983, L60 was withdrawn from passenger services and switched to hauling freight and maintenance trains. It was named after Mr Peter Quick, the second Managing Director of the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC), and was the last locomotive named after a person in Hong Kong. After serving Hong Kong for nearly half a century, L60 was retired from service in 2021. L60 was handed over to the HKRM for its permanent collection and display by the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRC), with the conservation work supervised by the Conservation Office of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD).
Addressing the handover ceremony today (October 3), the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Mr Vincent Liu, said that it was a piece of great news for train fans and the general public to have another large-scale railway artefact added to the HKRM’s collection, following Historical Coach No. 313 in 2020. It is believed that L60 can further enhance public interest in the historical development of the local railway.
Other officiating guests included the Managing Director – Hong Kong Transport Services of the MTRC, Ms Jeny Yeung; the Operations and Innovation Director of the MTRC, Dr Tony Lee; the Company Secretary of the KCRC, Mr C L Wong, and the Museum Director of the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, Mr Brian Lam.
Fabricated primarily from metal materials, L60 was subjected to prolonged exposure to outdoor environments throughout its service life. As a consequence, the iron parts of the locomotive inevitably suffered from corrosion and deterioration of its protective coating. In preparation for its relocation to the HKRM, the conservators from the Conservation Office conducted extensive conservation work and applied a protective coating to the locomotive at the MTR Lo Wu Locomotive Running Shed in order to minimise the rate of deterioration of the locomotive and ensure its suitability for outdoor display.
To complement this new, precious and historically meaningful exhibit L60, the HKRM has arranged to provide multimedia information of the exhibit through the LCSD’s “iM Guide” mobile app to offer visitors a more vivid and interesting experience.
This year also marks the 110th anniversary of the construction of the Old Tai Po Market Railway Station, in which the HKRM is located. The HKRM is presenting the “Stories Behind Built Heritage: Old Tai Po Market Railway Station Celebrates 110 Years” exhibition to introduce the history and development of the station as well as its relationship with the Tai Po community through historical photos collected from different parties. Visitors can fondly recall memories of their past train journeys through the photographs. For details of the exhibitions, please visit the website at hk.heritage.museum/en/web/hm/museums/railway.html or call 2653 3455 for enquiries.
In addition to the new exhibit L60, there are more special exhibits in the museum, including the first diesel electric engine in Hong Kong No. 51, narrow gauge steam locomotive once in service on the Sha Tau Kok Branch Line, and other historical coaches of different eras that railway fans should not miss. The HKRM is located at 13 Shung Tak Street, Tai Po Market, Tai Po, Hong Kong.
The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority: Regarding an earlier announcement on Candida auris carrier cases, the spokesperson for Queen Elizabeth Hospital gave the following update today (October 3): &nb… read more
To celebrate the 74th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China as well as to echo the Night Vibes Hong Kong campaign, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) organised a series of activities during the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays which attracted a large number of people to participate and share the festive joy.
The Mid-Autumn Lantern Carnival held at Victoria Park on the Mid-Autumn Festival and the following day (September 29 and September 30) had recorded more than 200 000 visitors, while the Cantonese Opera Showcase under the Bamboo Theatre also acheived a full house record. The carnival at Victoria Park had recorded an accumulated attendance of over 300 000 since its opening on September 23.
The Hong Kong Museum of Art (HKMoA), the Hong Kong Space Museum (HKSpM) and the Hong Kong Science Museum recorded more than 125 000 attendees in total in the four days from September 29 to October 2. On October 1, the HKSpM had hit a record high in its single-day attendance with 11 000 visitors, while the HKMoA also broke its single-day attendance record since its reopening in 2019 and recorded over 19 200 in attendance.
Moreover, more than 140 000 members of the public used the LCSD’s fee-charging leisure facilities for free on October 1. ​From September 30 to October 2, over 13 500 people visited the Asian Games Live Zone located at 36 designated sports centres, with a cumulative total of over 35 000 visitors to watch the sports events since the opening of the Asian Games on September 23. read more
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (October 3) investigating an outbreak of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) at a secondary school in Shatin, and appeals to members of the public and staff of institutions to stay alert and maintain strict personal and environmental hygiene.
The outbreak involves 13 male and eight female students aged 12, and two staff members. They developed symptoms since September 25, and five of them sought medical attention. None of them required hospitalisation. All are in stable condition.
The CHP has provided preventive advice against URTI to the secondary school, such as advising the school to arrange cleaning and disinfection, to open windows where appropriate for better ventilation and to separate affected students from other students, etc. The secondary school has been placed under medical surveillance.
The public should maintain good personal and environmental hygiene against influenza and other respiratory illnesses, and note the following: