The reason that so many retired mechanics have been asked back to help is that the TRA began phasing out the old steam engines in the 1970s, and then took them entirely out of service after Taiwan's West Coast Line was electrified in 1978.
原因在於民國六十年代蒸汽火車就開始淡出台鐵的陣容，並於民國六十七年西部幹線電氣化之後，全面停駛。