臺灣首座近代工廠：「臺北機廠」的性質與技術紋理（1885-1958）

The Property and Technological Texture of Taiwan's First Modern Industrial Factory, the“Taipei Railway Workshop,”1885-1958.

本文主要探究在近代西方工業技術演進的背景與標準之下，臺灣首座近代工廠及象徵臺灣工業近代化之一的「臺北機廠」，技術實際呈現的類型與演進過程及模式。在方法上主要借用專科醫師對病患進行診療時，常藉由X光片或內視儀器檢視病患體內狀況，來判斷各種病症特徵的「內視」觀點，嘗試將其置入臺北機廠的運作與技術之相關討論。即藉由臺北機廠各個時代遺留的各種形式廠區配置圖、工區圖、軌道及搬運系統的配置等圖像資料，作為窺視臺北機廠整體有機運作的「X光片」，同時透過各工（職）場內部的設備配置圖、作業流程圖、老照片等作為「內視鏡」深入體內後的顯影，並參酌相關檔案文獻，配合廠區實際的現地田野、昔日從業人員的指認與口訪紀錄，探究及檢視過往臺北機廠在因應各時代的技術演進及外部社會需求時，廠區性質的轉變、設備更替、工（職）場增減、工區配置、技術變革等內在變化，藉以理解與究明各個時代「臺北機廠」的實際運作方式與反映的技術紋理，及其在近代臺灣工業技術史上所呈現的歷史意義。

This paper primarily explores the types, evolution process, and patterns of the first modern industrial factory in Taiwan, symbolizing the modernization of Taiwan’s industry, known as the“Taipei Railway Workshop.”Against the backdrop and standards of modern Western industrial technological evolution, the paper employs a medical analogy, specifically the“endoscopy”perspective used by specialists to diagnose patients by examining their internal conditions through X-ray films or endoscopic instruments. It attempts to apply this perspective to discussions related to the operation and technology of the Taipei Railway Workshop.
By using various visual data, including layouts of factory areas, workshop diagrams, tracks, and material handling system configurations left behind by different eras of the Taipei Railway Workshop, these are treated as“X-ray films”that allow insight into the overall organic functioning of the factory. Simultaneously, equipment layout diagrams, workflow diagrams, old photographs, and other internal views serve as an“endoscope”for an in-depth examination of the factory’s inner workings. This examination is complemented by relevant archival documents, on-site fieldwork at the factory, identifications and interviews with former employees, to investigate and scrutinize the changes in the factory’s property, equipment replacement, workforce fluctuations, workshop configurations, and technological innovations in response to evolving technological trends and external societal demands over different periods.
This research aims to comprehend and elucidate the actual operational methods and reflected technological textures of the“Taipei Railway Workshop”in various historical eras, as well as its historical significance in the context of Taiwan's modern industrial technological history.