The evening of July 4th, Tom Gears told me to check YouTube, that they had a video of Georgetown Loop #40 doubleheading with the #111 to celebrate the fourth. Sorry, I can't post the link, but if you'd like to see it, just search "Georgetown Loop 40 & 111".

The whistle used on the #40 was one I picked up in Guatemala, which had been used on the first 2-8-2 delivered to the FIdeCA. It sounds to my ear identical to that used by the D&S last time I was there, a standard Baldwin three chamber flat top design. The whistle on #111 is (I think) from an SP 4-8-2. They sound nice in the canyon.

Makes me proud to be an American !!!

Is that a front end throttle on 111?

Phil Mulligan

I would say so.

The IRCA appears not to have been shy to make changes or to try new things. I think both locomotives were converted to piston valve by the railroad. Also it even took delivery of at least one locomotive with poppet valves.

Thanks - fond memories, apart from hooking up 40 - always a trial. Throw you out of the cab or into the front wall.

Great video, glad you shared it! It did bring a question to mind.

What is the purpose of the round objects that are blocking the wheels and connected to the cylinders? I wanna take a guess that they're counterweights based on how they appear, but that's probably not right.

jettrainfan: I think I know what you're talking about.

From the cylinder comes the piston rod which attaches to the crosshead; from the crosshead comes the main rod; from the main rod come the side rods which are attached to extensions from the wheel hub and the "round objects" are extensions from the wheel hub opposite the side rods and go around with the rods and probably somewhere inside also the wheels go around, right?

You were right: they are the counterweights. The engine is an outside frame engine and the driving wheels are inside, between the frames, but the counterweights are outside the frames, rotating close to the plane of the rods which they counterbalance. Balances better to have them close to the same plane.

Phil Mulligan

FideCA was convinced of the value of the front end throttle/piston valve/superheater retrofit for the heavy 2-8-0s like #111, and "I think" all these engines got these improvements in both El Salvador and Guatemala.

These were standard equipment for the heavy Baldwin 2-8-2s, such as most recently used FEGUA 200, 204, 205.

The poppet valves and Caprotti valve gear was too far out for Guatemala, that was done away with PRONTO.