Steam Fan 492 Wrote:
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> Hello,
> Thank you for your responses. Mr. West, sorry
> for not being more clear when asking about the
> Krupps. I simply wanted to know when/where they
> were scrapped. Nearly everything about them
> fascinates me. Thankfully we still have two, 165
> and 168, both in Guatemala City at the museum. I
> guess I wished we at least had 169 and one with a
> front end throttle.
> Mr. Moungovan, your post was not "some help",
> it was a great help! I enjoy looking at
> the individual histories of the locomotives and
> what you stated in your post is the exact type of
> information that I enjoy most. I find it amazing
> how long so many of the steam locomotives lasted,
> however, it tears the heart of me how many were
> lost. I was reading some pages translated by
> google a few days ago. Apparently, they are
> planning on a standard gauge route starting from
> Puerto Barros and I think it will meet up with a
> line coming down from Tecum Uman. Would you mind
> sharing more information regarding the steam
> locomotives or really anything about the
> ICRA/FEGUA, Guatemala's little, but not so long
> lost narrow gauge railroads? I'm just curious, but
> how long were the banana trains and where were the
> plantations? How long did it take them to unload
> the box cars?
> Thank you again,
> John

My pleasure to add anything on this subject. It has been one of
my greatest interests since 1971.

You commented on wishing that Krupp 169 and one with a front-end
throttle should have been saved. 169 was a one-of-a kind and actually
did have a front-end throttle. But instead of the throttle rods and bellcrank
laying out ahead of the engineer on the right hand side of the boiler, the linkage
was switched over to the fireman's side in the cab and laid out on the left hand side of the
boiler. Perhaps John West might have a photo to add here. He photographed
the engine at least twice around 1971.

Some more info, the 3 Porters, 154-156, had just a tad more weight on the drivers than
the Krupps or Baldwins and were kept on the Pacific Division and the 3.7% grade of Palin Hill.
I got to run 154 by myself as a helper on the San Jose Turn in late '71. She really needed a
shopping at this time and was a real dog. There was an incredible amount of lost motion in her
throttle linkage and she was pretty noisy underneath. Half the fun was sitting on the spot light
engine for about 20 minutes.on the way back down the hill at Medio Monte to let the drivers cool.

The Krupps had a little bit stiffer springing than the Baldwins who were called "suave" by engine crews,
but the Krupps to me, seemed to hold the rail really well. I had some time both firing and running 174
on early trips and she was easily my favorite engine down there.

In the 60's when the banana business was still booming, 3 engine freights were quite common and were
a high priority on the system. IRCA had tried out 3 or so Shays way back in the 1920's, but quickly found
that the slow speed did not fit in with the railroad well at all. Palin Hill was rated at 200 tons for the Mikes
and 250 tons for the articulateds. Last time that I got to run there was in early 1977 on a Midwest Travel charter
with 204 and a 4 car train at 98 tons. I actually got told to pinch the speed down a little as the engine had a really
easy time of it on the hill.

Pretty much the standard whistle in later years was a 5 inch brass 3 chime. Some of them were exceptional in tone.
Krupp 167 had a cast step top 5 chime, but I never got to hear it. 182 had a 5" Lunkenheimer chime when Dave Sell &
I rode her on the San Jose Turn in April of 1975. That was quite a ride back from the Port that day. There was miles of
tangent and a modest train. The hogger had her wide open, but ran her a couple of notches deeper on the cutoff than I
would have thought. He was battin' the stack pretty hard.and the fireman was grimacing most of the way until we stopped
at Santa Maria for orders.

One thing that I noted and thought a little odd with FEGUA steam was that the rear position on the sanding valve actually
rang the bell instead.