Train of the South
 Mercedita Train, remnant of the Train of the South | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Arroyo, Puerto Rico |
| Locale | Southeastern Puerto Rico |
| Dates of operation | 1984–2005 (Pending restoration) |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 3 ft 3 3⁄8 in (1,000 mm) (metre gauge) |
| Length | 4 mi (6.4 km) |
The Train of the South — or Tren del Sur in Spanish — is a historic 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) narrow gauge heritage railroad operating within the U.S. commonwealth of Puerto Rico in Arroyo.[1][2] It was formed in 1984 to preserve the last surviving sugar cane plantation line still in existence on the entire island, which was part of a large railroad system that operated around Puerto Rico prior to the 1950s.[3][4]
Overview
[edit]The railroad took passengers and sightseers across Arroyo's old sugar cane fields on a fifty-minute long guided tour that explained the industry and other historic aspects of it.[1][3] Most of the original railroad right-of-way is former Ponce & Guayama trackage, which was in regular use up until 1990;[5] a short 4-mile (6.4 km) segment became the Tren del Sur in 1984.[6] Much of the original equipment abandoned on site also served as historic props along the route.
After a temporary shutdown in 1988, former Arroyo's mayor Reinaldo Pirela obtained funds from Puerto Rico's government to refit tracks and the transfer of eight Plymouth locomotives from Central Aguirre's stock to restart successful operations in 1996. In 2005, the railroad was temporarily shutdown pending a major restoration project; although all work has been halted in recent years afterwards for unknown reasons.[2][6] However, the Department of the Interior has plans to re-commission the railroad and extend the system further sometime in the near future.[7][8][9][10] To enforce legal protection of the Tren del Sur, the Puerto Rico Legislative Branch first approved the Law 118-1995[11] and later the Law 212-2014 that superseded the 1995 law, but both laws failed to keep the train running.[12]
Reinaldo Pirela's successor, former Arroyo's mayor Basilio Figueroa (term: 2003-2013), found the Tren del Sur operations too expensive for the Arroyo's municipal budget. As a result of past unaccomplished promises of financial assistance from Puerto Rican Legislative and Executive Branches, mayor Figueroa signed a contract with Progressive Southern Railway Inc. (a local company just incorporated in 2005[13]) to refurbish and manage the Tren del Sur. When Progressive Southern Railway took control of the Tren del Sur assets in November 2005 under the premise that the "rails needed to be refitted", they dismantled nearly all of the tracks along the 4-mile (6.4 km) route to "send to the United States for refurbishment"; after this, the historical train never resumed operations. Progressive Southern Railway Inc. sued the Arroyo Municipality for remaking a complement of accords, because the Land Authority of Puerto Rico never transferred property of right-of-way to the Municipal Government of Arroyo, asking for $2.5 million in compensation. In 2011, the Arroyo Municipality realized that the lawsuit costs were too expensive, and settled paying $100,000 to Progressive Southern Railway Inc.[14] [15]
Rolling stock
[edit]A number of vintage and historic rolling stock equipment exists around the grounds of the Train of the South. Locomotives that once operated the tourist trains until 2005 consist of original plantation-era Plymouth Locomotive Works diesel switcher engines which range from five 18-ton engines to three 40-ton locomotives.[16] The 40-ton Plymouth's are all painted in a direct mirror of the old Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway red and silver Warbonnet scheme, including the yellow Santa Fe "cigar band" logo with the railroad's name painted within it. Engine #18 was the main locomotive used on all tourist runs, it pulled several converted flatcars with custom built interiors to allow for seating of passengers. Along the route, many of the sidings are filled with abandoned sugar cane related freight cars.[1]
Engine Roster
[edit]| External images | |
|---|---|
 Puerto Rico Railroad – Plymouth An image of Tren del Sur's #18 Plymouth. | |
| Puerto Rico Railroad – Rolling Stock Abandoned sugar cane tank cars along the Tren del Sur railroad line. | |
| Flickr – Tren del Sur A former Whitcomb industrial switcher displayed outside the main entrance. |
| Model[16] | Quantity[16] | Built | Numbers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whitcomb 7-ton | 1 | 1939 | TS 1 | This is a former Whitcomb industrial switcher modified with a custom steam-engine carbody; it currently sits on display outside the main entrance. |
| Plymouth 18-ton JCD | 4 | The railroad had a handful of these 18-ton Plymouth switchers, though only three are left on site and in disrepair as of 2009. | ||
| Plymouth 18-ton JCD | 1 | TS 15 | This smaller Plymouth switcher was later moved and put on display outside the Bacardí Distillery in Cataño. It is lettered for the Ponce & Guayama railroad.[17] | |
| Plymouth 40-ton WLD | 2 | TS 16-17 | These are two nearly identical engines to #18, both are in disrepair as of 2009. | |
| Plymouth 40-ton WDT | 1 | 1954 | TS 18 | This was the primary engine used on all of the railroad's tourist runs; it has been inactive since 2005 after the railroad was mothballed. |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]| External images | |
|---|---|
| Travel & Sports Puerto Rico – Tren del Sur Image of the Tren del Sur running a tourist train through the sugar cane fields of Arroyo. | |
| PRFROGUI.com – Arroyo Two trains with Plymouth locomotives sitting at the station. |
- ^ a b c Puerto Rico Railroad Informational site regarding the Tren del Sur.
- ^ a b Travel & Sports: Puerto Rico Tren del Sur de Arroyo
- ^ a b PuertoRico.com Article Arroyo tourism details and information about the Tren del Sur.
- ^ Railroads of Puerto Rico (a list)
- ^ Aponte, Roger. "Ponce & Guayama Railroad". Railroads of Puerto Rico / Ferrocarriles de Puerto Rico. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
- ^ a b PRFROGUI.com – Arroyo El Tren del Sur (in Spanish)
- ^ Plan Estatal de Conservación Histórica del Gobierno de Puerto Rico, 2006-2010 Government of Puerto Rico's State Historic Conservation Plan, 2006-2010 pp. 18-19 ("Between the achievements of our Office during the term of the 2001-2005 State Plan, the following achievements stand out: [...] Goal C: Encourage the conservation of historic properties: [...] b. We discussed legislative projects such as [...] the reuse of the Train of the South for the transport of agricultural products, among others.")(in Spanish)
- ^ Segundo Informe Parcial sobre la Resolución de la Cámara 917 Second Partial Note about HRR 2014-917, Puerto Rico House of Representatives, October 9, 2014 (in Spanish)
- ^ Cuarto Informe Parcial sobre la Resolución de la Cámara 917 Fourth Partial Note about HRR 2014-917, Puerto Rico House of Representatives, November 9, 2014 (in Spanish)
- ^ Quinto Informe Parcial sobre la Resolución de la Cámara 917 Fifth Partial Note about HRR 2014-917, Puerto Rico House of Representatives, June 20, 2015 (in Spanish)
- ^ (P. de la C. 1109); Ley 118 del 9 de agosto de 1995 - Ley de Comité interagencial para la Proteccion y el Desarrollo del Tren de Arroyo. Law 118-1995: To establish an Interagency Committee for Arroyo's Train Protection and Development. Approved on August 9, 1995 (in Spanish)
- ^ (P. de la C. 1634); Ley 212 del 16 de diciembre de 2014 - Ley de Desarrollo y Preservación del Tren de Arroyo. Law 212-2014: To Develop and Protect Arroyo's Train. Approved on December 16, 2014 (in Spanish)
- ^ PROGRESIVE SOUTHERN RAILWAY INC. incorporation information, Puerto Rico State Department, March 1, 2005. (in Spanish) Retrieved February 18, 2021.
- ^ Alto precio pone fin a pleito por el Tren del Sur High Costs shut Lawsuit for the Train of the South by Alex David; El Regional de Guayama Newspaper, August 10, 2011; Year 11, Edition #619, p.3 (in Spanish)
- ^ Se buscan alcaldes para rescatar el Tren del Sur Mayors wanted to rescuing the Train of the South by Alex David; El Regional de Guayama Newspaper, March 3, 2010; Year 10, Edition #544, p.3 (in Spanish)
- ^ a b c Jay Reed's Preserved Critters Train of the South switchers listed under Plymouth and Whitcomb sections.
- ^ Flickr: Ponce & Guayama Rail Road Co. Preserved Plymouth 18-ton JCD locomotive from the Tren del Sur.
External links
[edit]- Puerto Rico Railroad – Brief information & photographs about the Tren del Sur.
- Travel & Sports: Puerto Rico – "Tren del Sur" Attraction Profile
- Puerto Rico Travel: A Family Adventure Aboard the Tren Del Sur in Arroyo – Tourist article regarding Arroyo and its Tren del Sur.
- El Ultimo Maquinista de Humacao (The Last Machinist of Humacao) Interview with Mr. Wilfredo Molina by Víctor Díaz. From minute 45:05 Mr. Molina tell the history of how the Whitcomb industrial switcher reached to the Tren del Sur. (Amigos del Tren de Isabela / Isabela's Friends of the Train YouTube Channel) (in Spanish) Retrieved February 17, 2021.
- Tren del Sur, Arroyo, Puerto Rico railroad train 1999 A 19-minute video with a full trip on the Tren del Sur in operation at March 7,1999. Retrieved February 17, 2021.