Guatemala - last movement

Two Krupp steam locomotives preserved by Ferrovias Guatemala


November 26, 2007


(Photo caption: Ferrovias Ferrovias Guatemala Nos. 165 and 168 arrive in Guatemala City. (Henry Posner III/Railroad Development Corp.)


GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala - Two steam locomotives built by Krupp in Germany have been moved to a railroad museum in Guatemala City for preservation thanks to the efforts of Ferrovias Guatemala Railroad. On Nov. 13, the railroad completed the movement of Krupp 2-8-2 No. 168 from Zacapa to Guatemala City; Krupp No. 165 had been moved the previous week. The move of the two locomotives to the museum was done at the request of railfan organization Fundación de Amigos del Ferrocarril. Costs were shared between FAF, the German Embassy, and the railroad.


The Krupp locomotives are among the few of German origin to survive in Latin America. The movement was made at the behest of Henry Posner III, chairman of Railroad Development Corp., which owns Ferrovias. Posner said he felt it was important to move the two locomotives from Zacapa to Guatemala City because the ability to move them in the future would likely disappear due to the rampant theft and violation of the right-of-way that has occurred since August 2006. That month the Guatemalan government declared that FVG's concession to reopen and operate the country's abandoned 3-foot gauge railway system was "lesivo" (against the interests of the country); the case is now in binding arbitration under the Central American Free Trade Agreement. The railroad was forced to suspend commercial operations in September 2007.


The movement of the two steam locomotives was the last operation of a train in Guatemala. Operations will now be limited to patrolling the main line using motor cars to the extent physically possible.




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/26/2007 07:10PM by Stephen Peck.