Trams keep Dalian on right track

The vehicles still have their original main frames, but other parts, including the controls, have gradually been replaced by domestically made components.

Some parts were replaced because the manufacturers no longer produced them, while others made way for new technology, Cui said.

For instance, the original high-voltage motors, which could generate sparks, were replaced by lower-voltage models.

During the upgrading work, a combination of traditional and modern techniques was used to preserve the original exteriors and interiors.

Wood and copper feature heavily in the tramcar designs. "However, wood ages so fast that it has to be refurbished every 10 years," Cui said.

His father, Cui Changju, also worked for the Dalian Passenger Transport Group Co and was involved in manufacturing China's first domestically produced streamlined trolley car.

When the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949, trams were the only form of public transportation in Dalian.

However, some of the vehicles were in such a poor state of repair that they could not be put into service. Many people also had a negative attitude toward the trams, as they were made by the Japanese.

As a result, China had an urgent need to produce its own tramcars.

Cui Changju said, "The factory we worked for didn't have enough money, so we used our skills to earn more for it, such as by repairing motors for other companies and sharpening kitchen knives for local residents."

The workers also successfully produced China's first streamlined trolley car, despite having no drawings to work from. They lacked molds and spare parts, so they made these themselves.

"In this way, we overcame our difficulties and problems one by one. After a year, on the eve of National Day in 1951, we produced the landmark trolley car," Cui Changju said.

Later, the company produced China's first electric locomotive for use in mines and its first trackless trolley car.