Valle de los Ingenios Railway, Cuba

Trinidad, in Cuba, is a world heritage site. There is a railway operation from Trinidad towards the East, terminating at Mayer. There´s a diesel railcar service provided for the locals which I think does a round trip morning and evening. There´s also a steam train for tourists which does a round trip starting at 9.30 in the morning.

Unfortunately, the steam locomotive had failed sometime before I arrived and the steam trip was not running. I found the locomotive in the yard at Trinidad - number 1432, a fairly modern Baldwin ´ten-wheeler´ 4-6-0 oil-burner. I also had a conversation with one of the drivers (if you can call it a conversation when I don´t speak Spanish and he didn´t speak English). So, I didn´t get to see working steam in Cuba, but I was able to look at the Valle de los Ingenious Railway operation.

The ´station´ at Trinidad is a short, low platform provided with a small awning. On the other side of the minor road which runs parallel with the single railway track is a simple building with a waiting room and an office for the booking clerk and railway operator. I presume the line to the West does (or did) connect up with the rest of the network, but I couldn´t confirm that. To the East, the line continues to Meyer where it stops. To the West of the station, there are three parallel loops where the stock is stabled - there is also a reversing ´wye´ or triangle which allows locomotives, railcars or whole trains to be turned. On one road I found a 4-wheel coach, a 4-wheel open wagon converted for use as a coach and a diesel locomotive 34C71. This was next to the steam locomotive with two coaches and a motorised platelayer´s trolley with its own wagon. On the other siding was an open-sided passenger coach, an apparently converted freight car which now has windows down the sides, a fairly big diesel locomotive made in Russia and a 4-wheel trailer passenger car. There was also a lightweight railcar without autocouplers by ´IFA´, numbered 637 apparently based on a bus design. Finally, there was a fairly new open-sided but fenced-off shed provided with a pit and a lifting crane, with a bogie diesel railcar numbered 4021 ´at home´ and giving the impression it did most of the work.

Since 4021 only had a cab at one end, it was obviously intended to run with a trailer car to provide the second cab. The trailer car I´d found looked the right size, but the 4-wheel (as opposed to bogie) construction seemed odd. Also, 4021 had had a tail lamp ostentatiously fitted on one side of the non-driving end. That evening, all would be revealed.

Sunday evening, I travelled in the cab of 4021, as described in my travel blog for Sunday.

Pictures of the railway at Trinidad.

Stop Press (again)

'Again' in that I showed you a few pictures like this in earlier travels. I won't bore you with details, but I can't upload pictures at present in the way I'd want. Here are a few to be going on with (oddly in reverse order, latest first). Updated to show Cuba. There's also a few pictures of cuba on the Travel Photograph site.

Trinidad (above)

Havana viewed from Casa Blanca.

Havana (above)

Jan standing next to the main temple at Chichen Itza. You are, sadly, no longer allowed to climb the pyramid.

This is what Las Vegas is about. A corner of one gaming room at the Wynn when it was very quiet.

This pre-war diesel electric was running the passenger service at the Museum.

One of the genuine Venetian gondolas giving rides outside the famous Venetian casino/hotel in Las Vegas.

The 'River of Kings' in Bangkok always teems with activity. This was the view from my hotel room.

The famous Golden Temple in Yangon.

Round the World Five - Day 19 (Mon, 24 Mar)

Itinerary - Private transfer from Trinidad to Havana via Santa Clara, another interesting town. On arrival in Havana your will be taken to your hotel. One night Santa Isabel Hotel then on 25th March, private transfer from hotel to airport.

I'm afraid today wasn't quite unalloyed joy. The transport was over two hours late and then I managed to lose my purse with some credit cards during a toilet stop. Eventually got to the Santa Isabel and it's rather nice (see pictures). I've managed to get internet in my room so I could upload a lot more but I don't have the energy at present. We're still planning on an early start in the morning to catch the flight to Panama. I'll update you when I can.