Re: Last BLH NG Steam

On a Trains Unlimited trip to Ecuador and Peru in 1997, we rode behind No. 58 between Bucay and Alausi, Ecuador, an amazing stretch of railroad that includes the 5.5% climb over the double switchback at the Nariz del Diablo. On TUT tours to Ecuador you could ride anywhere you wanted--in the cab, on the pilot, standing on top of the tender, sitting on top of the coaches. On our way back to Bucay the next day, No. 58 derailed (driving wheels) at the top switch of the switchback. We had a front-row seat while the crew and track workers re-railed her using nothing more than a frog and a few extra spikes that were lying around. The fact that we had a plane to catch a few hours later made it all the more interesting.
TUT stopped running trips to Ecuador a year or two later because the railroad had fallen into such disrepair. I guess they're still running some railcar trips over part of the line, but it's hard to get any real information.