Nice to meet you in spring: the centenary contract between Kodiak and Jiayang train

Spring has come, and Bian Xiao's heart begins to itch in the prosperous season. The editorial department has planned a group of themes of "spring outing and camping". The requirement is that the new car travels on behalf of the whole family, reflecting the happy life of the owner, and it is best to have some stories.

The car is easy to choose, and the new Skoda Kodiak just meets the demand. Compared with the SUV of the same class, Kodiak is superior in space and can easily fit "two rooms and one living room".

We finally decided to stay at Jiayang small train camp in Leshan city. As a masterpiece of industrial civilization in the19th century, Jiayang Small Train is the only narrow gauge steam train that operates normally in the world at present, and its long history coincides with Skoda's brand tonality for a century.

Let19th century steam train and Skoda Kodiak in 2023 be fixed together, which is not only the intersection of a hundred years of history, but also the collision of scientific and technological civilizations in two different eras.

Therefore, driving Kodiak to Jiayang, a small train, became the reason why we had to go.

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There is enough space for mobile homes.

The spring breeze is calm, which is a good time for camping in spring. Brother Xun drove Kodiak all the way, which was very uncomfortable.

If the whole family wants to camp comfortably enough, the space for driving is the premise, which is Kodiak's strength. The body size of the new Kodiak is slightly larger than before. The length, width and height of the new car are 4701*1.883 *1.676 mm respectively, and the wheelbase is 2791mm. With its excellent body size performance, Kodiak's performance in space is naturally beyond doubt.

Among many 7-seat SUVs in China, Kodiak is one of the few SUV models that can give consideration to large space, cost performance and high quality. Skoda brand, founded in 1895, is one of the four oldest automobile manufacturers in the world. The long history of building cars has given Skoda extremely rich manufacturing experience. After becoming a brand of Audi AG, Germany's exquisite car-making technology has given Skoda excellent quality.

Specific to Kodiak, you will find its simple lines, angular appearance, well-defined details such as knives and taillights are extremely eye-catching and crystal clear as gems. Simplicity and ingenuity are embodied in some unique designs, such as the umbrella slot on the driver's door, the hook on the B-pillar, the 12V power supply and hook in the trunk, which can be said to be "great wisdom in small details".

As far as driving experience is concerned, the top Kodiak is equipped with the third-generation EA888 series 2.0T high-power engine and matched with the 7-speed wet dual-clutch gearbox. With the support of this powertrain, which is basically the same as the Audi Q5L, the speed increase becomes extremely brisk. German solid chassis and delicate steering settings also make Kodiak look confident and relaxed on the highway.

On the way to visit Jiayang small train, because we missed the departure time of the small train, we drove Kodiak to try to "overtake" on the rugged mountain road. On the way, we also showed Kodiak's quality of changing from a lazy family player to a nervous athlete. After cutting into S gear, every slight change of toe will make the vehicle react accordingly.

As a passenger, the experience is undoubtedly better. Kodiak not only performed well in space, but also considered the feelings of his family in suspension adjustment, making him feel comfortable and soft as a whole. Passengers can easily fall into a natural sleep state by leaning on the wide and thick seats.

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Looking for a small train for spring.

After about 2 hours' trek, we finally came to the end of this trip: Bajiaogou Small Railway Station in Qianwei County, Leshan City.

About a hundred years ago, the British accidentally discovered high-quality coal mines here. Jiayang Coal Mine has made outstanding historical contributions in the bonfire years of the eight-year anti-Japanese war.

As supporting facilities of coal mine, Jiayang small train and Bashi railway have been continued to this day with their non-renewable and distinctive characteristics, which can be called "historical accidents". Although it once faced the crisis of abandoned demolition, it was finally preserved under the appeal of people with lofty ideals.

Today, the Jiayang small train is known as "the living fossil of the industrial revolution in the19th century" and "the original ecological industrial revolution landscape", which has become the heart of countless tourists, especially in the season when rape flowers are in full bloom, tourists come in an endless stream just to watch the "small train heading for spring".

Unfortunately, the season we came here is over. But fortunately, I heard the first cicada singing in 2023 here.

From the former site of Zhongying Street in Fuchang to Bajiaogou Small Railway Station, it is only a few hundred meters along the way, but it seems to have gone through the years from the Republic of China to the 1980s and 1990s.

Nowadays, Zhongying Street has lost the noise of businessmen, foreign experts and miners, leaving only the silence left by the passage of history. Living here, the old people seem to be recalling the glory of that year. The civet cats in the town are worthy of seeing the world. In the face of our arrival, they seem to have no waves, and they are not surprised by honor or disgrace.

Bajiaogou small railway station is built on the mountain, and the tunnel is at the end of the station. Here, we saw the real and ancient train for the first time. It looks really "pocket", but it is just right to run on the track with a gauge of only 762 mm. The speed of this "primitive" train powered by coal mine and steam expansion can only reach 20 km/h, while the speed of our car Kodiak exceeds 200 km/h, which makes people feel that technology is changing with each passing day.

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Let them be in the same box

It is our long-cherished wish to train Skoda and Jiayang in the same frame for 100 years, but how to realize it makes us struggle.

We drove Kodiak through the narrow mountain road of the coal mine, trying to find a suitable scenic spot. However, despite the excellent scenery, abrupt rocks and the "living fossil" Alsophila spinulosa trees contemporary with dinosaurs, they were disappointed again and again. The local terrain is dangerous, and the tracks of small trains are all built on the mountains, which is always a short distance from the expressway.

Finally, under the guidance of enthusiastic villagers, we finally found an excellent scenic spot. According to the villagers, this is the only intersection of the whole train line and the highway. It's really glad you came. Brother Xun jumped for joy.

When the small train in the picture wobbled, the photographer raised his camera to witness this historic moment: Hi, old friend! A hundred years later, we meet again!

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This article comes from Che Xun, the author of Easy Car Number, and the copyright belongs to the author. Please contact the author for any form of reprint. The content only represents the author's point of view and has nothing to do with the car reform.