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Sugar Mills in Cuba Part 3 |
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It was a mixed season in Matanzas. Cuba Libre and Jose Smith Comas performed to expectation and on its day Australia was as good as ever. However, many of the other mills had only spasmodic action and it is likely that much of it went unrecorded. A few evening classes in Spanish would work wonders! Arm waving is fine when something is ready to move but it does have its limitations. Diesels appeared in strange places in 1997, dieselised mill 322 was closed for the season which may have accounted for some of it. Visitors disagree as to whether diesels are permanently allocated to mills. Certainly, their movements between mills are far more common than with steam locos. 301 Mexico Index All steam here (n.g. and s.g) is dumped out of use. 302 Reynold Garcia Index This is a mill which gets visitors only in passing, most of whom find locos sitting idle. However, on one visit 1517 worked a set of full hoppers smokebox first to Manguito on the FCC main line. Unfortunately, one of the loaded hoppers was defective and the resulting shunting delayed both the return and a second working. So with patience there should be interesting possibilities. 1594 was here (on loan?) from Victoria de Yaguajay, in early April it was being cleaned, possibly as a prelude to its return. In 1996 it was at 312 Fructuoso Rodriguez so it gets around a bit! There are maps in WS 128, 145 and WS 97/7. 1517, 1518, 1594 in use 303 Australia Index The usual large number of visitors came away with mixed experiences. Certainly diesel 37157 was here for the season and when available it covered one shift (only one crew for it from outside as I understand it) and, of course, this would have seriously reduced steam activity on these occasions. Fortunately, it seemed to spend quite a long time broken down and activity then returned to traditional high steam levels, although the locos appeared in poor condition and a lack of white paint meant that locos carried only smokebox numbers for identification. The mill operates one long line (about 30km) to the NE. Initially as it runs east it is paralleled on its north side (at some distance) by a dirt road - there are a few tracks back to it. After about 8km the line turns north and despite wiggles is then closely followed by dirt roads past LP 1 (La Juanita) to the point where it crosses the Autopista on the level. There is no way of directly following it at this point but just east of the crossing is a dirt road which eventually rejoins the line to the other two LPs (Finca Apodaga and La Güira). Locos work smokebox first on fulls to the mill plus empties to the further LPs. The roadside nature and the Autopista crossing, not to mention the slow progress made by the locos mean that this is a mill where classic Cuban sugar steam photos are quite easily obtained once a train is found on line. Indeed, since the first train of empties may leave at 08.00 it is quite possible to have a whole day of non-stop action here if there are 2 or more locos at work (as happened to me on 5th March). A week earlier only the diesel was working and the mill virtually shut down owing to a power failure..... Some way north of the Autopista there is a connection to the FCC at Calimete, but either no one has seen a working here or a diesel works it! There is a map in CRJ 104 and WS 97/6.. 1513, 1593, 1607, 1716 in use Several reports are at hand for this system, but all agree that steam activity was disappointing with at least one FCC diesel unusually brought in to cover line workings in Mach. The mill appeared to break down regularly and there were days with no working to the LPs at Carlos Rojas or La Rosa in the afternoon, despite many fulls being ready. The loading point at the former is clearly visible from the main road from Jovellanos to Cardenas just north of the town, but Bryan Acford (in February) seems to have been the only person reporting steam on this working. There are maps in WS 127 and 144. 1519, 1713, 1714, 1812 in use 305 Puerto Rico Libre Index Zafra started in mid-February, before that cane was being taken to Cuba Libre by 38222. Both April reports were similar, stating that one steam loco appear to be used daily, on a rotation basis on the patio pilot and working to the LP about 1km to the east of the mill, noted: 5/4, 1527; 7/4, 1901; 8/4 1409. On 5/4 the 38 was noted at the Perseverancia LP some distance from the mill. 1409, 1527, 1901 in use 306 Cuba Libre Index This mill proved very popular with 1997 visitors providing attractive and reliable steam workings in quantity throughout the season. Early in the season there were additional diesel worked cane trains from Puerto Rico Libre. Although the mill shunt is steam and there are LPs just north of the mill in the Jovellanos direction, interest centres on the line running SW from the mill to the FCC at Navajas. This line sees trains of hoppers as required. From Navajas, cane trains run on two lines. The first, the Ramal Murga, runs south from Navajas to Pedroso. Trains for Pedroso LP leave the mill smokebox first, they then reverse a short distance up the FCC line at Navajas before again heading south. . It is owned by FCC and according to the Itinerario has a daily passenger train to Cardenas although this was not seen. There is a triangle at Pedroso (easily reached from the road south from Pedro Betancourt) so that for most of its journey the loco is smokebox first on its return too. The other runs south-west from Navajas to San Miguel and then to Güira de Macurijes. Workings at this mill tend to be predictable because they have to find paths through Navajas which do not interfere with FCC workings. As a result, it is normal to find loaded cane trains arriving at the mill in the late afternoon. 1410, 1610, 1611, 1612 in use 307 Jaime Lopez Index This mill is totally dieselised 308 Humberto Alvarez Index Permanently closed as far as the Zafra is concerned (the cane fields are being worked with loads being put into lorries). However, it appears to be scheduled - sometime - to become a working heritage museum. It is intended to run tourist trains to Camarioca and, to that end, one of the old diesels was known to have been out on track repair duties. 1242 would seem to be the steam loco nearest to being in working order; the other two previously working steam 1315 and 1356 are still also in the shed in varying states of repair. The old mill stationery steam engine is still in situ. A makers plate from a stationery engine by Fawcett Preston of Liverpool is preserved in a stone monument in a garden at the mill. 310 España Republica Index Mill totally dieselised. The old steam shed here is a very substantial building, now sadly empty. 1521 and 1911 remain derelict beside the lineside. 311 Estaban Hernandez Index No steam activity 2, 1522, 1523, 1616 dumped Mill not working this year, some signs of hurricane damage. No cane cars on site and cane being loaded into lorries at the LPs. This mill has LPs at Limonar and behind (east of) the mill. The final roadside approach to the mill is very steep. In 1996 workings from the latter were coming in tender first and proceeding down the hill some way. The loco then charged in at top speed to clear the bank. 1216 serviceable 313 Seis De Agosto Index In February a visitor was told that the mill not working in 1997, but in April another was told by the shed staff the Zafra had been completed, but a 37 was seen on a train of loaded cane cars in the patio. There is a map in WS 128 and 145 1412, 1608, 1617 derelict 314 Jesus Rabi Index Lots of visitors but most spend about 5 minutes here checking out the slow progress of centenarian 1413 on its major overhaul. However, a couple of visitors found 1529 hauling a cane train on the line to the north-east of the mill (LP at Cespedes). There is a map in WS 128 and WS 97/7. 1414, 1529, 1810 in use 315 Jose Smith Comas Index This mill has become famous for its well turned out steam locos. It is also very accessible from the tourist resort of Varadero. Over the years operation has been well documented so although it seems to have had the usual number of satisfied customers there are no detailed reports. Trains leave the mill (the traffic office is beside Progresso FCC station) and uses the FCC south past the first LP to Contreras station. The mill line then branches south east to the next LP. Dirt roads follow the line to this point but rapidly deteriorate thereafter. The line eventually turns east and then north-east, passing a wye for turning the locos en route to the far LP at Delirio. There is (lengthy) access to this LP from the Cardenas to Máximo Gómez road some way before the first level crossing. (Near Delirio there is a connection to mill 321 but this in the bad road section.) There tends to be an early morning (08.00/09.00) smokebox first working to Delirio with a further later working to the nearer LPs. The afternoons usually see a further working to Delirio. Unfortunately, apart from the photogenic station at Contreras the scenery does not do justice to this attractive fleet. Diminutive 1122 is the mill pilot with 1530 and 1531 preferred to 1415 for line work. There is a map in WS 137. 1122, 1415, 1530, 1531 in use, all very smart 316 Puerto Libre Index Formerly Central Puerto. 318 Victoria de Yaguajay Index Victoria was not working again this season, all loading points were worked by the Granma locos. 1811, 1813 dead (repairs?) 319 Rene Fraga Index This mill had at least 3 diesels (from mill 322 Sergio Gonzáles) doing most of the line work in February/March. Traditionally steam works to Guareiras the FCC junction with its classic signal box and on to a LP to the east and north of there. This year, it seems unlikely that the steam locos spent much time outside the mill yard, 1820 being seen working a cane train from the nearest LP on 9/4. There is a map in WS 145 and WS 97/7 1313 (ex mill 312) for repairs (?) 320 Juan Avila Index Visits in early February saw little movement. Later visitors were luckier although there was much diesel activity. The line to the south from the mill to Union de Reyes is out of use. Another line runs to the west to Juan Gualberto Gómez FCC station. From there Juan Avila trains run to Carmen Hermandex LP to the west and over the FCC line to the north to Cidra before using mill trackage again to Porvenir (lines used also by Mill 312 in the past) in the West. It would appear that the trains over FCC have been dieselised with steam noted on the other workings. 1807 was seen on a short working in the early morning of 7/4. The next day, the same loco was noted in the afternoon working from the copio at Pinola, which is about halfway to J.G.G. On 5/4 a 37 was noted on a cane train further north at Cidra FCC station. There is only a small headshunt here, so trains are often worked from the nearest LP just outside the mill in several sections. There is a map in WS 98. 1534, 1720, 1721, 1807 in use 321 J.Reyes Cairo Index This mill has firmly adopted the dollar culture and having sold off all its loco works plates is looking to other sources of income, which naturally makes it unpopular. Many visitors were unlucky like me this year finding 34082 on pilot and 37167 on line working, both from mill 322. A few found steam locos working but no one seems to have spent long enough here to find out what exactly they were doing. 1124, 1614, 1619 in use 322 Sergio Gonzalez Index The MINAZ provincial diesel workshop for Matanzas is part of the mill complex. In
addition to the locos allocated to the mill two Tu7Es, three 37s and two 38s were noted in
the workshop. 323 Horacio Rodríguez Index The IRS book reports Railway System Closed. Click here to return to the Cuba Sugar Mill Index Page |
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Rob Dickinson
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