Hi all, you know the immoderate love I have about laying all day long on the beach and roasting like a sausage. In order to avoid this ugly fate, having spent a few days on a layover at Punta Cana last week, I rent a car and wandered around La Romana's sugar cane railroad network. i don't know any other country sporting such a sugar cane railroad network, except maybe Cuba but there the sugarcane RR are quickly dwindling.... Sorry for your expectations but there's no steam anymore in DR. It looks like there is only one type of loco, this kind of switcher I wasn't able to approach, thus unable to read any builder plate... It looks like it is a customized GE 70-Tonner. As you can see track condition is good although equipped with light rails (~80 lbs rail) laying on concrete ties. Ballast is well compacted and trackgauge is standard, 1.435m. The rolling stock is pretty single brand, and gauge looks like US's. Trucks are various, as the sample below, looking like a mix of Archbar and Roller Bearing... And finally, 2 terrific speeders!:tb-smile: Dom
Nice catch, Dom! At one time there were a lot of sugar cane railroads here in mexico, but I believe most of them are history now. Interesting shot of the arch bar truck. That looks like a roller bearing inside the box. Regards Ed .
I do confirm... Quite nothing about that railroad on the web, neither from the other sugar cane railroad which is 2' 1/2 gauged.... Dom
I guess the railroad you're speaking of is in Maui, which is Lahaina, Kaanapali & Pacific RR. Actually it doesn't run on a former sugar cane RR but its right of way is neighbouring former sugar cane railroads and its rolling stock and motive power ( a pair of Porter 2-4-0 steamers) come from one of these. For those who are interrested I've a few shots of that railroad, when I spent a trip in Hawai'i with my wife in 2005.... Dom
Two days ago I had the opportunity to have a closer look at these switchers that seem to be the mainstay (if not the only type) of Central Romana RR locomotive roster. (that particular one above has a very nice horn sound, exactly the same brand than BNSF C44-9Ws:tb-wink ...... Dom
(A little "grass running" as well, but far not so thrilly than on my favourite Yucatan branchline...) Unfortunately I wasn't able to see any manufacturer's plate on the locomotives. The mystery about their builder remains total.... Maybe a next time, when the locos are at stop... Dom
They look very similar to the GE 50 tonners built for several narrow gauge lines, so I would bet they are probably from the same family.
Unfortunately the railroad was on the newspapers' frontpages a few days ago, when a bus carrying european tourists was struck by a cane train at a grade crossing close to Higuey. At least 3 casualties. Looks like the bus driver disregarded the signal warning motorists of an approaching train. Dom
