A happy meeting in spring: the century-old appointment between Kodiak and Jiayang train

Spring is here, and in the season when all things are growing vigorously, the editor’s heart begins to itch. The editorial department has planned a set of "Spring Outing and Camping" themes. The requirement is that new cars should be representative of family outings, reflect the happy life of car owners, and preferably have some storytelling.

Cars are a good choice, and the newly refurbished Skoda Kodiaq just meets the needs. Compared with SUVs of the same class, Kodiaq is superior in terms of space and can easily accommodate "two bedrooms and one living room".

We finally decided on the spring outing location at Jiayang Train Camp in Leshan City. As a representative work of industrial civilization in the 19th century, Jiayang Train is the only narrow-gauge steam train in normal operation in the world. Its long history coincides with the century-old Skoda brand.

Putting the steam train of the 19th century and the Skoda Kodiaq of 2023 in the same frame, this is not only the intersection of centuries-old history that also originated from Europe, but also the collision of technological civilizations of two different eras.

Therefore, driving the Kodiak to meet the Jiayang train became the reason why we had to go.

The space is big enough to be used as a mobile home

The spring breeze is gentle and it is a good time for spring camping. Brother Xun drives the Cordia It was very uncomfortable to travel all the way.

If you want to have a comfortable and comfortable camping trip for the whole family, it is necessary to drive a car with a large space, and this is the strength of Kodiak. The body size of the new Kodiaq has slightly increased compared to the previous one. The length, width and height of the new car are 4701*1883*1676mm, and the wheelbase is 2791mm. With its excellent body size performance, Kodiaq naturally performs well in terms of space. There is no doubt about it.

Among the many 7-seat SUVs in China, Kodiak is one of the few SUV models that can take into account large space, cost-effectiveness, and high quality. The Skoda brand was founded in 1895 and is one of the four oldest automobile manufacturers in the world. The long history of car manufacturing has given Skoda extremely rich manufacturing experience. After becoming a brand of the Volkswagen Group, the exquisite German car manufacturing technology has given Skoda excellent quality.

Specifically speaking about the Kodiak, you will find that its lines are simple, its appearance is as sharp as a knife and an axe, and its details are extremely eye-catching, such as the taillights, which are crystal clear and like gems. "Simply Clever" is reflected in some unique designs, such as the umbrella slot on the driver's door, the hook on the B-pillar, and the 12V power supply and hook in the trunk. It can be said that "small details have great wisdom."

In terms of driving experience, the top-of-the-line Kodiak is equipped with the third-generation EA888 series 2.0T high-power engine, matched with a 7-speed wet dual-clutch gearbox, which is basically the same as the Audi Q5L. With the support of the powertrain, speed acceleration becomes extremely brisk. The German's solid chassis and delicate steering settings also make the Kodiaq confident and relaxed on high-speed roads.

On the way to look for the Jiayang train, we missed the departure time of the train, so we drove the Kodiak on the rugged mountain roads and tried to "overtake on the mountain road". Diack has changed from a lazy home athlete to a tight-fitting athlete - after shifting into S gear, every slight change of the toes will cause the vehicle to respond accordingly.

As a passenger, the experience is undoubtedly better. Kodiak not only has superior large space performance, but also takes into account the feelings of the family in terms of suspension adjustment, and the overall feeling is more comfortable and soft. Passengers can easily fall into a natural sleep state by leaning back on the wide and thick seats.

Looking for the little train heading towards spring

After about 2 hours of trekking, we finally arrived at the end of the trip: Qianwei, Leshan City County Bajiaogou small train station.

About a hundred years ago, the British accidentally discovered high-quality coal mines here. During the 8-year War of Resistance Against Japan, Jiayang Coal Mine made outstanding historical contributions.

As the supporting facilities of the coal mine, the Jiayang Small Train and the Bashi Railway continue to this day with their non-renewable and distinctive characteristics. They can be called "historical accidents", although they once faced the prospect of abandonment and demolition. Crisis, but finally preserved due to the appeal of people with lofty ideals.

Today’s Jiayang Little Train is known as the “living fossil of the 19th century industrial revolution” and “the original ecological industrial revolution landscape”. It has become a tourist attraction in the hearts of countless tourists, especially when the rapeseed flowers are in full bloom. During the season, there is an endless stream of tourists, just to see the "little train heading towards spring".

Unfortunately, the rapeseed season we are here is coming to an end. But luckily, I heard the first cicada chirp in 2023 here.

Walking from the former site of Fuchang Zhongying Street to Bajiaogou Railway Station is only a few hundred meters, but it seems to have gone through a period of time from the Republic of China to the 1980s and 1990s.

Today's Zhongying Street has lost the bustle of businessmen, foreign experts, and miners of the past, leaving only the silence left after the passing of history. The old people spend their old age here, and they seem to be reminiscing about the glory of the past. The civet cats in the small town are indeed experienced in the world. They seemed unfazed by our arrival and were not shocked by honor or disgrace.

Bajiaogou small train station is built on the mountain, and the end of the small station is a tunnel.

Here, we saw a real and ancient train for the first time. It indeed looked "small", but it ran just fine on a track with a gauge of only 762mm. This kind of "original" train, which uses coal mines as energy and steam expansion as power, can only reach a speed of 20 kilometers per hour. However, our car Kodiak has a top speed of more than 200 kilometers per hour, which makes people lament the rapid changes in technology. .

Let them be in the same frame

It is our long-cherished wish to have the century-old Skoda and the Jiayang train in the same frame, but how to realize it makes us guilty Disaster.

We drove the Kodiak through the narrow mountain passes of the coal mine, trying to find a suitable shooting spot. However, despite the excellent scenery along the way, the abrupt rocks, and the "living fossils" of the same era as the dinosaurs, the eucalyptus tree, came into view from time to time, we were disappointed again and again. The local terrain is difficult, and the train tracks are built along the mountains, and there is always a considerable distance from the highway.

Finally, with the guidance of enthusiastic villagers, we finally found an excellent shooting spot. According to the villagers, this is the only intersection point between the entire train line and the highway. It was a worthwhile trip, and Brother Xun jumped up with joy.

When the small train staggered into the picture, the photographer raised his camera to witness this historic moment: Hi, old friend! After a hundred years, we meet again!