Preserved Steam in Argentina (Part 5)

This is turning out to take longer than I’d anticipated. I’ve researched some more locomotives in Argentina, and the following are the changes I’ve come up with. More to come in the future.

• 7-26-2017 La Chaquena Buenos Aires 0-6-0T in Villa Angela, Argentia. Corrected the railroad name. Corrected status and location. Added a Google Street View photo and a satellite image/map.
• 7-26-2017 Minetti 0-4-0WT at Pechos Theme Park. Added a linked photo for this locomotive.
• 7-28-2017 FCGU 2-4-2T No. 28 displayed outside the old railway station in Gualeguay, Argentina. Added satellite image, map, and photo for this locomotive.
• 7-28-2017 FCGU 2-6-0 No. 81 displayed at the railway museum in Gualeguaychu, Argentina. Added satellite image, map and street view photo for this locomotive.
• 7-28-2017 FCGU 4-6-0 No. 658 at the National Railway Museum in Retiro, Argentina. Corrected location, city and status.
• 7-28-2017 Corrected city name to Huinca Renanco for three locomotives listed as being in H. Renanco.
• 7-28-2017 FCGSM 2-8-2 No. 3001 in Huinca Renanco, Argentina. Corrected build date to 1929
• 7-29-2017 Orenstein & Koppel 0-4-0WT C/N 11368 located in Isla del Cerrito, Argentina. Added a link to an article about this locomotive, also added a satellite view and map.
• 7-29-2017 FCGR (BAGS) 0-6-2T No. 583 Displayed at Ferrocentral in La Banda, Argentina. Corrected location, status. Added a satellite image and map. Added a Google Street View of the locomotive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Preserved Steam in Argentina (Part 4)

Further research into preserved steam in Argentina. The following changes have been made to our database and website:

• 7-24-2017 FCGU 0-6-0T+T No. 651 (658) stored in Liniers, Argentina. Corrected status. Corrected a typo in the locomotive number.
• 7-24-2017 CIABASA 0-6-0T+T in Macachin, Argentina. Corrected railroad name to Cia Introductora. Updated status, current location and fuel.
• 7-24-2017 Unknown 0-4-0WT in Neuquen, Argentina. Corrected status. Removed a duplicate entry for this locomotive.
• 7-24-2017 FCGU 0-4-0WT No. A in Once, Argentina. Corrected number, location and status. Linked to a photo of the locomotive.
• 7-24-2017 FCGU 0-8-0WT No. 667 in Parana, Argentina. Corrected location and status.
• 7-24-2017 Antonio Ferro Y Hijos 0-4-0T in Peninsula Valdez, Argentina. Corrected the spelling of the railroad name and gauge. Corrected location to Puerto Piramides. Also removed duplicate of this locomotive.
• 7-25-2017 0-4-0WT displayed in Posadas, Argentina. Corrected gauge, location, rr of origin and status. Linked to a photo, and an information page.
• 7-25-2017 Salinas Babedero 0-6-0T corrected city to Balde, Argentina
• 7-25-2017 FCGB 0-8-0T No. 208 formerly at Valle Hermoso, Argentina hasn’t been reported since the tourist railway closed in 1983. Moved to the “Lost” category
• 7-25-2017 Azucarera Ledesma 0-6-0T No. 14 (erroneously listed as No. 4) Corrected location, wheel arrangement and linked to a photo.
• 7-25-2017 Azucarera Ledesma 0-4-0T No. 11 Linked photo and info page. Corrected current location.

 

Preserved Steam in Argentina (Part 3)

Researched the following locomotives and updated their records as indicated.

• 7-23-2017 FCGR (BAGS) 0-4-0T The photo by I.B. Smith shows this locomotive in a shed consistent with that at the National Railway Museum in Buenos Aires. For an unknown reason, we showed images 640, 800 and 1024 wide. None of these exist, and the data error has been fixed.
• 7-23-2017 A.G. Puertos 0-6-0T No. 8 listed at an unknown location in Comodoro Rivadavia, Argentina. Located a recent photo by “Gonce” of this locomotive on display at Museo Ferroportuario in Comodoro Rivadavia, Argentina. Updated the locomotive’s record and added the aforementioned photo. Also added a satellite image and map showing the locomotive.
• 7-23-2017 Puerto S. Fe 0-6-0T listed as being located in Costanera Santa Fe, Argentina. The railroad name is actually Costanera Santa Fe (Santa Fe Port Authority) and the city is Santa Fe. The locomotive is displayed in a public park in Santa Fe. You can see it here: Information Page
• 7-23-2017 FCGB 0-6-2T No. 1109 listed in Cruz del Eje, Argentina. Not seen during a visit to Cruz del Eje in April of 1996. Also missing in 2007. Moved this one to the “Lost” Category.
• 7-23-2017 Minetti 0-6-0T listed in the possession of Juan Minetti in Dumesnil, Argentina. Relocated to the Pecos Theme Park in Villa Carlos Paz, Argentina. Reported stored at that location.
• 7-23-2017 Minetti 0-4-0WT displayed at the Hotel Bremen, Villa General Belgrano, Argentina. Linked to a photograph and added a link to a website with more information.
• 7-23-2017 Unknown 0-4-0T in Gustavo Heller, Argentina is verified from the internet and found C/N for it. Updated record.
• 7-23-2017 Chaco 0-4-0WT on Isla del Cerrito, Argentina. Verified its existence from internet sources.
• 7-23-2017 Penal Colony 0-4-0T in La Plata, Argentina. Added a linked photo for this locomotive.

 

 

 

Preserved Steam in Argentina (Part 2)

Didn’t have a lot of time today to work on this project, but I’ve included the research done today below. One comment: the original source material  listed locomotives owned by the National Railway Museum as being located AT the National Railway Museum in whatever town they were in. This is somewhat inaccurate, and we’re researching this to try to include more accurate locations.

Work done today:

• 7-22-2017 After discussion with a recent visitor to Campana, Argentina, I received the following information: “All six locomotives remaining in Campana are, indeed, owned by the National Railway Museum. They are stored or displayed on the grounds of the Campana Workshops”
• 7-22-2017 FCGU 4-8-2 No. 838 is located at “Tren a las Nubes” in Campo Quijano, Argentina and is displayed near the tourist railway’s trackage. Updated the record for the locomotive to reflect its correct location and status.
• 7-22-2017 An unknown 0-4-0T listed in Centenario, Argentina is actually located in Contralmirante Cordero, Argentina. The railroad of origin is Rio Negro Dam Project. Updated the locomotive’s record to reflect this.
• 7-22-2017 FCGR (BAGS) 0-6-2T No. 593 Corrected location and status for this locomotive. Added a satellite image and map for it. Also added a Google Street View photo of the locomotive.
• 7-22-2017 FGSM 0-6-0ST No. 2529 is located at the Railway Station in Chacabuco, Argentina. Corrected location and status. Added a satellite image and map for this locomotive. Added a Google Street View photo.
• 7-22-2017 FCGU 4-8-0 Nos. 514. 515 and 516 are reported to be on the property of Emepa SA in Chascomus, Argentina. The company has approximately 40 railway passenger cars, some street cars, numerous railway trucks and other related equipment on site. A recent visitor reported that these locomotives are stored inside one of the large buildings. I’ve added a satellite image and map showing the location, and corrected the status in the locomotives’ records.

 

 

The Accuracy Project

There is no doubt that a significant number of entries in the steamlocomotive.info database are based upon old, old data which may or may not be correct. In the past I’ve relied upon site visitors to notice, and communicate corrections to us, and will continue to do this.

I have, however, decided to begin a methodical research project to revisit, verify and/or correct the information for each and every locomotive in our database. This will be done, mostly, through research on the internet, and it is my intention to report what I’ve discovered here. I have begun with the country of Argenina. Here’s what I have done so far:

• 7-21-2017 FCGM 2-6-2T No. 2803 at Campana, Argentina is owned by the National Railway Museum and stored at the Campana Workshops
  as of March, 1997. Record corrected to reflect the location. Been told in an email, that the Campana locomotives reported in 1997 by Preserved Argentinian Steam were still in place as of 2012.
• 7-21-2017 FCGM 0-4-0 at Campana, Argentina. The locomotive is listed as being at the National Railway Museum in Campana, Argentina. It is actually an 0-4-0WT. The locomotive carries the name “Cordova” and is actually displayed at the track shop in Campana. Locomotive’s record updated to reflect this information. An excellent reference for preserved Argentinian steam is Preserved Argentinian Steam. Information from the web page cited was said to be from 1997. With reference to this locomotive we have confirmation via an email in 2012.
• 7-21-2017 FCGDFS 2-6-2T No. 829 (825) 2-6-2T This locomotive is owned by Club FCO in Caballito, Argentina. FCO is Club Ferrocarril Oeste, and is, apparently something like a health club. According to a 2005 newspaper clipping, the club does own this locomotive and it was at that point stored. Status changed to reflect this.
• 7-20-2017 FCGU 2-10-0 No. 3014 was listed as being located in C.d. Uruguay, Argentina. Some research revealed that the city name is Concepcion del Uruguay, Argentina. Changed the locomotive’s record to indicate this, and changed the status to ‘Stored’ as a result of information on the museum’s webpage.
• 7-20-2017 Naval Base 0-6-0T No. 3 in Belgrano, Argentina. Researched this one, and could find no online presence for the locomotive. No change to status, pending further research.
• 7-20-2017 FCBG 4-6-2 No. 4664 in Balnearia, Argentina. Record showed a note had been posted for the locomotive but the note was missing. Fixed this.
• 7-19-2017 FC Pacifico 0-4-0T previously located at the Aguara Railway Station in General Daniel Cerri, Argentina hasn’t been seen since shortly after the railway station was abandoned in 2011. No information has been found regarding its current location, condition or disposition. Moved to the “Lost” category.
• 7-19-2017 FCGU (FCCBA) 4-6-2 No. 92 (52) was reportedly located at the Argentine National Railway Museum in Astarzas, Argentina. The museum is actually located in Retiro, Argentina, which is a district of Buenos Aires. The locomotive is confirmed to be there, but I’ve been unable to locate a photo of it.
• 7-19-2017 Unknown 0-4-0WT No. 8 listed in Alte. Cordoba, Argentina may or may not exist. It isn’t contained in the comprehensive list of preserved O&K locomotives (Preserved O&K Steam Locomotives) and the only reference we’ve been able to find to it was in James Hefner’s Surviving World Steam CD. Moved to the “Lost” category pending further research.
• 7-19-2017 FCGB 2-6-2 No. 4612 is listed in Arroyito, Argentina, and we were able to verify it’s current location and status.
• 7-19-2017 FCGR (BAGS) 2-6-2T No. 3351 is still displayed outside the Regional Museum in Ayacucho, Argentina. More information about it is available at Steam Locomotive Blog and I’ve added a link to that site to the record for this locomotive.
• 7-19-2017 FCGR (BAGS) 4-6-0 No. 3814 is owned by the Raltren Club of Bahia Blanca, Argentina and is still at its last reported location. Added a link to the Raltren Club’s official website (Raltren Club of Bahia Blanca)

 

 

 

 

 

A Memorial to the Heroes of Kruty

In 2006, the citizens of Kiev and surrounding areas dedicated a memorial, near Kruty station to the Heroes of Kruty. Before we discuss these heroes, please note the nice photo of the memorial:

Photo Copyright © parovoz.com

That is a Soviet-era 0-10-0 built in 1954. Bear that in mind as we learn about the Heroes of Kruty.

The Battle of Kruty took place on January 29 or 30, 1918, near Kruty railway station, about 130 kilometres northeast of Kiev, Ukraine, which at the time was part of Nezhinsky Uyezd of Chernigov Governorate. 400 Ukrainian cadets opposed at Bolshevik force of about 4000 men. Armored trains were a part of the battle on both sides.

The result of the battle? Strategic Ukrainian People’s Republic victory, capture of Kiev delayed and enabled the Ukrainian government to conclude the Peace Treaty of Brest-Litovsk.

The organizers of the memorial had wanted to include a period locomotive at the head of an armored train typical of the period. Such a locomotive was not available and Ukrainian Railways kindly provided Er799-13 as a stand in. The irony of using a Soviet-era locomotive to commemorate a Bolshevik setback at the end of the Civil War is simply delicious.

 

Roundhouses and Turntables (Minnesota)

I would very much like to create a comprehensive guide to roundhouses and turntables in the United States (and perhaps elsewhere). So this will be the beginning of a series of blog posts discussing this topic. We begin with roundhouses in the state of Minnesota. If I hear of, or discover other roundhouses/turntables in the state, I’ll edit this post to show them.

Jackson Street Roundhouse, St. Paul, MN

Shoreham Yard, Minneapolis, MN

Proctor, MN – Remains of DM&IR Roundhouse

Proctor, MN – Canadian National Roundhouse

Rollag, MN – Western Minnesota Steam Threshers Reunion

Currie, MN – End O’ Line Railroad Park

 

The Peculiarities of Locomotive Numbers

Below, you’ll see a perfectly nice photograph of SZD 0-10-0 No. Er766-41 performing switching duties at the Museum of Railway Transport in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Image Source on Dmitri Zinoviev’s parovoz.com
But, “Wait!” I hear the eagle-eyed among you say. “That’s Er786-19, it says so clearly on the tender.” And therein lies the nuisance. Unlike practices in other parts of the world, in Russia, tenders are usually lettered prominently for the locomotive with which they were constructed. So this is, indeed Er766-41 dragging around the tender from Er766-19.

In times past, I fell into the trap of placing a photo with the record for the number on the tender (usually when I couldn’t see the number on the locomotive). After getting verbally thrashed over this a couple of times, I’m much more careful now. And I also thought a small explanation would be useful. And I liked the photo we’ve linked to here.