It is said that the well-known Taiwanese folksong "Tiu Tiu Tang" was composed as crowds of enthusiastic onlookers cheered the first train to run on this line. Many people had qualms about riding the new "fire car" --they feared it might explode at any minute.
天梯石棧的巧奪天工，羽轂飆輪的龐然巨物，固然引得大家千里迢迢，好奇觀望，但教他們坐趟試試，卻還真困難。北基鐵路闢建之初，民眾怕火車隨時會爆炸，多半只肯觀望不肯搭乘。