User:Mike Peel/Port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife railway

The Port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife had a train line from around mid-1800s until the mid-1900s.

Early trains

Early railroads at the port were animal-drawn on Decauville-style roads, to move limestone from quarry to port. Railways started to be used to transport material around the port in the mid 1880s, with an inauguration on 10 October 1890. They operated with a track gauge of 1219mm (four foot).

The first steam locomotive was "Añaza", an Orenstein & Koppel 0-2-0-T, #3977, with 40CV, manufactured in 1890. It was later joined by two other locomotives by Orenstein & Koppel, "Moret" (50CV) in 1896 and "Tenerife" (100CV) in 1910.

1900s expansion and decline

In 1907 the Board of Works of the Port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Spanish: Junta de Obras del Puerto) was formed, and the railway was subsequently expanded.

In 1921, five Henschel 0-2-0-T locomotives were ordered by Siemens-Bauunion. Each with 160CV, they were manufactured around 1924, and delivered between June 1925 and March 1928. They were used between the La Jurada quarry and the south dock, which was being expanded at the time. The locomotives were later used in other docks of the port. Two diesel locomotives by Ruhrthaler were also used on the 1219mm gauge, as well as one diesel Simplex locomotive on a 600mm auxiliary track on the eastern dock. Añaza was retired around 1931.

Preservation

Henschel and Sohn #30219 on display in Santa Cruz in 2019.

Only one of the Henschel locomotives still exists. Originally constructed in 1924, it now has parts from F5, Henschel 20319 and Henschel 20320, and displays plates with numbers 20319 and 20320. It was located near to the Plaza de España until the late 1990s. It is now on display on the San Andrés motorway, near to the La Jurada quarry.