Retired electric locomotive reborn as limited-edition keyring

An electric locomotive that crisscrossed the country for more than four decades before being scrapped has been reborn as a limited-edition keyring, reviving memories of a bygone era.

Korea Railroad Corporation (Korail) announced Tuesday it has launched the "Class 8000 Electric Locomotive Upcycling Keyring," crafted from the exterior panels of a decommissioned electric locomotive.

The keyring marks the first release in Korail's upcycled merchandise line. It was made using actual exterior materials salvaged from locomotive No. 8086, which completed its final run in May 2017. The product captures both the traces of time carried by the rolling stock and the value of resource recycling.

Locomotive No. 8086 entered service on May 19, 1977, and made its last run on May 18, 2017, logging a total of 1,484,814.6 kilometers across the country over its 40-year career.

Korail produced a limited run of 602 keyrings to mark the locomotive's official retirement date of June 2, 2017. The keyring combines the red and blue colors that define the Class 8000 series and preserves the distinctive texture of the actual vehicle's exterior panels, adding collectible value for rail enthusiasts and customers who want a tangible piece of the train's long journey. The "Electric Locomotive Upcycling Keyring" is available at TrainMates, a railway merchandise specialty store at Seoul Station.

Won Hyeong-min, head of Korail's New Growth Business Division, said the Class 8000 was "the first electric locomotive introduced in South Korea, a symbolic vehicle that led one pillar of industrialization by hauling large volumes of industrial raw materials such as coal." He added that Korail would "work to protect the environment through resource recycling and realize social value" via its upcycled merchandise.