Riding and Running a Cuban Steam Cane Train into the fields during its last years-AND on the main! скачать в хорошем качестве

Riding and Running a Cuban Steam Cane Train into the fields during its last years-AND on the main!

“Most people think the Caribbean has no railways left. But in 1990s Cuba, American-built steam locomotives were still running at mainline speeds—and somehow a Yank ended up at the throttle.” Cuba's Last Steam Empire. Ep.3 Marcelo Salado There is a common perception that the Caribbean islands have few railways—perhaps only a handful of obscure sugar lines. Yet a look at a 1990s timetable of Ferrocarriles de Cuba reveals packed pages of trains. Far from being marginal, Cuba’s railway system was extensive and active. By the time of the 1959 Revolution, most of the mainline railroads had been dieselized. What makes Cuba remarkable, however, is that many sugar mills continued operating steam locomotives well into the late twentieth century. These mill-owned steam engines regularly ran over mainline track to reach distant cane fields. As a result, steam could still be seen hauling trains at speed on the national network. There were few turntables or wyes to turn locomotives in Cuba so reverse running was common. Here beautiful American built 1549 hustles a train along the main. We are going to get a treat as the friendly crew invited us along for the ride into the fields. Cuban railway stations themselves are often strikingly handsome and surprisingly well maintained. Outside, it was not uncommon to find horse-drawn carriages waiting alongside aging American automobiles serving as taxis—timeless scenes that made the experience feel less like preservation and more like living history. Marcelo Salado was a major sugar mill located on Cuba’s north coast in the town of Caibarién, in the province of Villa Clara. Unlike many Cuban mills, Marcelo Salado operated on standard gauge (4 ft 8½ in), and it was regarded as one of the largest and most modern sugar complexes in the country. Its railway system was notable not only for its scale, but for its unusually well-maintained trackage, which at times incorporated sections of the local Ferrocarriles de Cuba (FCC) line. In operation, Marcelo Salado felt less like an isolated industrial railway and more like a classic American short line. Large, beautifully maintained American-built steam locomotives ran at mainline speeds over FCC tracks to reach distant cane reloads and collection points. The adjacent highway even allowed for pacing between the mill at Caibarién and outlying branches—an experience that felt remarkably familiar to North American railfans. As is often the case with Cuban railroading there is a problem to solve. These cane slats would not close properly so a little extra help from an American was appreciated. It’s a busy afternoon at Marcelo with a flurry of trains. 1426, then we get a diesel, then our two favorite engines bring home the days harvest making a lot of racket. 1549 has a Yank at the throttle and what a dramatic show with smoke, whistle, and loud exhaust! The mill was justly known for its high standards of locomotive presentation. Engines were kept in impressive condition and were regularly dispatched to copios north of Carolina and west toward Remedios. At Marcelo Salado, steam was not merely surviving—it was operating with confidence, pride, and a sense of permanence that belied the uncertain