On the Guatemalan 3' gauge railways over the years there were a few different owners of the Locomotives and the rollingstock.

After the IRCA took control of everything down there, some of the locomotives were renumbered. Does anyone have a roster list of the Baldwin Mikados numbers prior to the IRCA's taking control and then after the IRCA's taking control and then the renumbering?

I'm hoping to know the number history of all the Baldwin Mikados, and also the specific history of any Baldwin Mikados that are still lying around there in whatever condition they may be.

If you want to find the original number of any of our FIdeCA/FEGUA/FVG/Compania Agricola 2-8-2s, look on the side of the cab or the number plate.

There are still seven Baldwin 2-8-2s in Guatemala:

1) #152, Zacapa, last fired in 1989, collapsed a tube when we got to pounds, stripped and stored outdoors ever since.

2) #177, Guatemala City, Taken out of service for a severe mud burn on the engineer's side of the firebox, stripped, stored outdoors until recently, she's a big pile of junk that hasn't been cut up....

3) #183, Zacapa, same as #152, only we didn't try to fire her up in 1989....

4) #199, Zacapa, stored inside the roundhouse, which doesn't offer much protection because it no longer has a roof. This was the last FEGUA steam overhaul, completed in 1974, she has a new firebox and new tires, but she's been stripped and neglected like the other engines in Zacapa.

5) #200, Guatemala, Last used for standby power in Puerto Barrios, and last fired in 1991 for a Sunday afternoon trip to Puente de Las Vacas, she got us out there and made a couple runbys before collapsing a tube. She was a good candidate for rebuilding, and FEGUA had taken her to Guatemala City for retubing. During the FVG period, #200 had lots of parts removed to keep #204 and #205 running.

6) #204, Last used for standby power in Barrios, she is now the only functioning steam locootive in Guatemala.

7) #205, Pulled out of the Escuintla scrapline in the mid 80s after 2-8-0 #34 failed, this engine got minimal repairs and gave heroic service, pulling passenger specials all over the system until she finally could go no further in 2002. For once they did like I said, and removed nothing from #205 after taking her out of service. Instead, they painted and polished her up real nice and put her on display inside the old trainshed in Guatemala City, as part of today's Museo del Ferrocarril FEGUA.

VIVA VAPOR GUATEMALTECA

Sam,

I didn't know the 34 was in service so late in the game. Always thought she was a cool looking little engine, just a classic narrow gauge locomotive.

Taylor

Taylor,

FEGUA kept the 34 as a pet, and they used her until a crack in the firebox made it impossible to shut the injectors off while thge fire was lit !!! She's in great shape, and it wouldn't take much to get her going again other than welding up this crack. Fortunately she's been stored dry, under cover for the last 25 years.

She of course, WAS renumbered, having started life on the Salvador Central as their first #3.

Y'all work safe up there in SVR country,
Sammy

Well, nuts, Taylor, I guess I spoke too soon about FEGUA #34's "number history". Going through my notes reveals nothing conclusive, but several sources suggest she was built in 1897 and first worked for the Salvador Central. If somebody has more solid information than that, I hope they'll correct my last post....

RDC article;

http://www.rrdc.com/article_2001_gua_st ... b_King.pdf

I would have joined up with your guys, but for life getting in the way. Next time that line opens, if ever, I'm there!

QJ, which loco do you think this was from, one of the consolidations or one of the 40 or so identical 2-8-2s? This was a 1970 photo;

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=186985

Maybe the renumbering that I'm looking for was a result of the move from the old IRCA roster numbers to the new FEGUA roster in the late 60's (?) after the company inventoried the remaining equipment and decided they needed to juggle a few equipment numbers.