Steam Survivors in Panama, 2009

We visited Panama in March/April 2009.

In addition to the plinthed loco at Miraflores Lock there are survivors at Cana, in the Darien region about 20km from the border with Columbia. A British Company built a 700/750mm line from a port in Columbia to the site of pre-Columbian and Spanish gold mines around 1900. The site was abandoned in 1907 !!! and two locos were left behind, plus various steam pumping engines-one manufactured in Erith, Kent by Fraser and Chalmers. One locomotive is in bad shape, the other looks almost intact apart from loss of fittings. Much better than the Welsh slate quarry locos (like Wendy) looked in the 60s!

You can only reach this site by a charter flight but birders are regular visitors to the area and ANCON runs trips. See for example http://www.ecotourismpanama.com/national-parks/darien.htm and http://www.watermanbirdclub.org/NewsArticles2003/N2003_03Panama.htm.