Re: SVRY 250-251

It would be real nice if Tom could find the time to share a few more of his experinces of the IRCA. From what I have read it was an extraordinary railway which made a huge contribution to the development of Guatemala (O.K. and helped make stock holders in United Fruit Co. wealthy)and ran some neat looking locomotives through and around some spectacular mountain scenery. It was also home to what was the most successful class of 3 ft gauge locomtives built in the 20th Century - as judged by numbers built - the 2-8-2's of class 157. In some respect these seem to be a modern version of the K27's - similar dimesions & T.E. 9 of the 50 odd members of this class survive - 2 in good order, the others in various stages of dereliction though I belive that No. 200 is intact in Guatemala City. It would be nice to see one of these locomotives repatriated to the country of it's birth - both as a memorial to a remarkable American Enterprise and because they are good looking engines.
Charles