Nostalgia & History > mundo: Porter 0-6-0 and Alco PA in Mexico, 1988-89

The following are some images Ed Von Nordeck, TO user mundo, took on charters of former Ferrocarril Occidental de Mexico 0-6-0 No. 2 on former Ferrocarril Del Pacifico rails between Empalme, Sonora, Mexico and Guaymas just across the bay to the west.

When Ed first showed me these slides, there was something oddly familiar about the 2, sitting high on its drivers with air pumps flanking the smokebox. Remove the tender, slap on side tanks and an oil bunker, and it reminded me of Granite Rock No.10, an 0-6-0T that used to toil at a quarry near east (railroad west) of Watsonville Jct., CA and now pulls tourists at the California State Railroad Museum:

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?10,1371994

Turns out the engines are brothers just two serial numbers apart. Porter built them as 0-6-0T's in 1942 for the US Army; the engine that became Granite Rock 10 was s/n 7461 (USA 5001) and FOM 2 was s/n 7463 (USA 5003). The Mexican railroad bought two of these engines, converting them both to tender operation. Both survive on display in Mexico today, and both are numbered 2!

Culiacan: http://steamlocomotive.info/vlocomotive.cfm?Display=3989
Puebla: http://steamlocomotive.info/vlocomotive.cfm?Display=3993

The engine at the museum in Puebla is reportedly the same No.2 as in the photos below, while the engine at Culiacan carried the number 1 while in service for FOM and USA 5000 prior to that.

1. This view obviously wasn't on a charter, and the processing date on the slide mount makes this one the oldest in the set. The engine is at the NdeM shops in Empalme in 1982 and appears to have been gussied up for a film or TV production.

2. A charter at Empalme on the afternoon of May 20, 1988 with the 2 on the west end and an unidentified Alco on the east end.

3. Photo runby crossing the causeway between Empalme and Guaymas.

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4. Another view of the runby on the causeway. Ed says the Mexican crews liked to pose on their engine during runbys.

5. On the Guaymas side of the bay, a photo runby near dusk just before of deep rock cut, which we'll see more of in a bit.

6. The engine draws a curious crowd at Guaymas.

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7. A group photo at the Guaymas station, https://goo.gl/maps/gxPW8f55kTQ2

8. Engine crew. The plaque on the side of the cab reads "Centenario FC Sonora 1880-1980." Ferrocarril de Sonora built the line between Nogales and Guaymas.

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9. November 25, 1989 finds No.2 fired up for another charter at the Empalme shops in this view by Dan Minor.

10. The diesel escort on the other end of the train this time was a known Alco, one of four PA-1's that began life on the Santa Fe, was sold to Delaware & Hudson in 1967, rebuilt by MK in 1974-75 with a 251 prime mover (after which the units were dubbed "PA-4's"), and sold to Mexico in 1978. The DH-19, not surprisingly, was formerly Delaware & Hudson 19, originally Santa Fe 66L. Like its sisters, this engine was a wrecked hulk by the late 1980's. FNM's Empalme Shops resusitated it in 1989.

11. The world's strangest push-pull skirts the Guaymas side of the bay during a photo runby.

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12-13. Photo runby at Cerro Cortado, the "hill cut" mentioned previously. https://goo.gl/maps/DZPbRquMrST2

14. Looking the other way at the same spot, the "honorary steam locomotive" does its diesel best to live up to the moniker in the presence of the genuine article.

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A few other diesel views to close out the thread.

15. Alco RS-11 501 at Empalme on November 25, 1989. This unit was built for Ferrocarril del Pacifico and was active as late as 1999 working for Ferromex (its last active Alco). The unit was finally scrapped around 2005: http://mexlist.com/temp/501/1.jpg . In the photo below, the unit appears to be fitted with a M31R2 airhorn, the twin-chime version of Nathan/Airchime's M-series horns that used a 3-chime manifold with one position blanked.

16. The 501 alongside DH-19 at Empalme on November 26, 1989

17. The DH-19's return to service was brief. It was stuffed into a museum about a year after it was revived...so Empalme grabbed the hulk of DH-17 (ex-ATSF 60L) out of the back lot and brought IT back to life. Bill Farmer took this view of the engine leading a train at Nogales on September 30, 1990 when it was wearing FNM two-tone blue and orange. Not long afterward, the engine was repainted in a facsimile of SP's Daylight scheme, and today both it and the DH-19 are displayed at the museum in Puebla along with FOM No.2.

Thanks as always, Ed, for sharing these fine images from your collection.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/28/17 04:59 by Evan_Werkema.

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nice

Neat stuff. Thanks for sharing.

KG

Photos of No.2 in service in 1969 are in these old threads:

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?10,1205279
https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,724168

The hobby owes a lot to the Von Nordecks!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/28/17 04:59 by railwaybaron.

Image 11 is so unbelievable without this photo! What a lashup!!!
Bob

I was on the 1989 charter. Great trip, well run and a lot of fun. Thank you for posting, They brought back a lot of good memories.

Randy in PHX

One of the most visually stunning single posts on TO, Evan. Thank you, and kudos to mundo.

~ BZ

Like to get the group photo that includes John Plytnick to him.   anyone having  contact  with him that can assist, would be greatly appreciated.

Ed

Want to thank you guys for posting these wonderful photos! I have enjoyed them a lot!