Re: quiz #2 - answer

The Chiriqui Land Company, owned by United Fruit Company (better known by their later brand name "Chiquita"), had two divisions, one on the Caribbean side aka the Northern or Bocas Division (later called the Bocas Fruit Company, but still United Fruit) and the Southern or Puerto Armuelles Division. The Southern Division was built apparently in the late 1920s, and was substantially dependent on internal combustion locomotives from the beginning, with the exception of 2 or 3 small engines transferred from other United Fruit properties.

#1 and 2 were small gas-electric Davenports built in 1928.
#3 unknown (steam?)
#4-5 Porter 2-6-0
#6-10 40 ton GE boxcabs 1929-1930
#7 used Davenport diesel
#12 & 14 were ALCo HH300 diesel-electrics 1937-1938
#15-17 were Whitcomb 50 tons 50DE-76 using Cooper-Bessemer engines (United Fruit had several orders of these, I would like to know more)
#18-20 were GE 50 tons (like SP #1)
#21+ where some Brookevilles, a BLH/Whitcomb and some newer GE models

At some point (1960s?) United Fruit renumbered their remaining internal combustion locomotives, the Armuelles engines were renumbered into the 700 series, some with totally new numbers, others just by adding 700.

The line functioned primarily to support United Fruits banana plantations and haul them to the port. It did apparently share track with the government owned Chiriqui National which came intot he port from the regional capital of David, apparently only had a few small engines primarily using railcars to haul passengers. The line also had some dual gauge trackage at the Costa Rica border where it connected with United Fruit's 42" FC del Sur, which also relied heavily on Whitcomb 50 tons, GE 70 ton types and early GE U6Bs.

Amazingly most of the early roster survived to be renumbered, and it would appear that the GE boxcabs and ALCos were still in use when United Fruit shut down operations in the area around 1992. Of all the locomotives, the only one I know of that survived was the 20/720 which was moved either overland by truck or through the Canal by freighter to the Northern Division where it was the last GE 50 ton in operation. It was sold in 2007 to Sumpter Valley Railroad.