F units South of the border.

Tom F · **Joined:** Mon Jul 02, 2018 8:04 pm **Posts:** 314

I was recently looking at a photo of a train in Mexico led by F units. As you already know, Mexico much like America, had a roster of F units used for both freight and passenger service. Yet I can not find a single photo or video taken in the last 30 years. What is the deal with Mexico? Are they still running there either as a excursion locomotive or in freight service. Anyone know of any photos?

Alan Walker · **Posted:** Tue Oct 01, 2019 12:02 pm

That would be a good question for the folks at the National Railway Museum in Puebla.

John T · **Joined:** Sun Sep 14, 2014 5:05 pm **Posts:** 1270

Good luck. I have had no results on my attempts to get information on Mexico.

NS 3322 · **Posted:** Tue Oct 01, 2019 6:54 pm

Alan Walker wrote:

That would be a good question for the folks at the National Railway Museum in Puebla.

They own an A-B set.
Photo by Jonathan Rodriguez.

Tom F · **Joined:** Mon Jul 02, 2018 8:04 pm **Posts:** 314

I do like the way those are painted.

New773 · **Joined:** Sat Jul 27, 2019 10:53 pm **Posts:** 35

Aren't there also at least an A-B set of ex-NP FT’s there as well?

Ddatrainman · **Joined:** Fri Jun 19, 2015 4:08 pm **Posts:** 45

New773 wrote:

Aren't there also at least an A-B set of ex-NP FT’s there as well?

FFCC Sonora Baja California EMD FT 2203 is said to be Blue carded and as shown here operational. ( Ex-NP 6010D/5410D)

They also have the 2201 (F7) undergoing restoration.

(video is from 2015, but a recent video from the Alco Locomotive group of the D&H 19 lead to a more recent video of 2203 running i'll have to go look for it again)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCyOYcgVYNg

VinylRailfan · **Posted:** Tue Oct 01, 2019 10:14 pm

The B-Unit companion to 2203 (2203B, ex-NP 6006C), is supposedly still around at the closed shops in Benjamin Hill, Sonora. The most recent photo I found of it was shot in 2008, so who knows if it is still there.

SB-C 2201 is at the museum in Merida, Yucatan, and is under restoration.

And supposedly F9A 7009 also exists.

Tom F · **Joined:** Mon Jul 02, 2018 8:04 pm **Posts:** 314

While checking out some videos related to that museum, I came across another video that shows a old GE box cab at another museum. Did some more digging and found another website with photos of some other GE box cab survivors in Mexico. Quite surprised to see those down there! Link to the website http://internationalsteam.co.uk/tales/mexicotales01.htm

Alan Walker · **Posted:** Thu Oct 03, 2019 7:41 pm

A lot of railroad equipment gets sold to Mexico and several major US railroads had operations in Mexico in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Southern Pacific routinely swapped equipment with the Sud Pacifico de Mexico. The Mexicans also have a lot of mining operations that require heavy motors.