Weng himself started as an apprentice, becoming an assistant driver, and then a driver proper. In his father's day, says Weng, there were no patrol cars, and so to look after the safety of the rail line, patrolmen had to walk the line from Chiayi to Zhushan, setting out at 2 a.m. and inspecting each part of the track carefully for obstructions.
翁幸昭說，在父親的年代，還沒有巡道車，當年為了確保鐵路全線安全無虞，巡路工得徒步巡道，半夜二點前就要出發，一路從嘉義走到祝山，一步步仔細檢查、撿拾鐵軌上的障礙物。