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Re: [OM] Subject: Re: Steam train - not so OT?

Subject: Re: [OM] Subject: Re: Steam train - not so OT?
From: Mike Lazzari <watershed@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 13 Feb 2009 11:52:17 -0800
One of my earliest memories as a kid was riding in the cab of a steam 
switch engine with my grandfather who was an engineer with the Illinois 
Central. I got to blow the whistle!

I've done many train trips around Latin America including quite a few 
pulled by steam locomotives. Not tourist trains but on normal scheduled 
routes. A memorable one was south along the eastern foothills of the 
Andes to San Juan, Argentina. Also in Chile and Peru. The longest trip 
we did when my daughter was young was all the way across Mexico from 
Mexicali to Merida. All diesel.

In the 1980's my wife and I visited the round house in Zacapa. I also 
have some slides of the Hotel Ferrocarril which I should scan. Zacapa 
featured in Paul Theroux's book "Patagonia Express". I have learned that 
what remained of the hotel recently burned. At the time of our visit the 
train was still running ... just barely. I have never seen such a 
decrepit specimen calling itself a train.
OM content: old crappy scan previously posted. I really must redo some 
of my old slides.
<http://www.interisland.net/watershed/mike/LatinAmerica/MexCentralAm/train1.JPG>

In the 90's the line was purchased by a US company who began a tourist 
train route. I talked to a Guatemalan a few months ago who said the  
remaining engines have been put in a museum in Guatemala City. The round 
house in Zacapa is still there and nominally a museum .
 
Photos from 2001:
<http://www.le-rail.ch/text/projekt32.htm>

As of 2007:
> The old roundhouse at Zacapa (itself now almost derelict) houses 183, 
> 153, 189 (all US built) plus 165 and 168 (Krupp) in near derelict 
> condition.
Mike

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