My favorite locomotive...and ng too!

Thanks to John West again for his time this afternoon scanning some of my slides.
While I'm pretty much of a traditionalist when it comes to steam power, I admit that my most favorite steam locomotive is a Krupp-built 2-8-2 of the former IRCA, later FEGUA in Guatemala.
This image of her was taken on 11/29/71, the Monday after Thanksgiving when she was at the head of the mixed local on her way back to the Capital from Zacapa. Location is Jicaro, about halfway between Zacapa and Rancho where a 3.3% grade started, the first of 3 she would encounter that day.
I had fired 174 out of Guatemala City two days prior and again later in the day. Three years later, I got to run her from Agua Caliente to Fiscal when her engineer, Roberto Loyo, decided he wanted to ride in the caboose for awhile. The exciting part of this adventure was going through a tunnel. The fireman squatted down on the floor to escape the acrid fumes but I didn't dare leave my seat. My eyes were watering by the time we emerged from the other end but I wouldn't have traded that afternoon for anything.
Compared to the Baldwin Mikes, the Krupp rode a little stiffer, but she also held the rail well. I really liked her and got to see her run on 3 of my trips down there. She had a 5" flat top 3 chime whistle and it was a good one. Nice machine IMHO.

Tom Moungovan



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/11/2010 06:38PM by John West.