Preserved Standard Gauge Steam in Mexico 2012, Part 1

Thomas Kautzor reports on some preserved items recorded during his November 2012 visit. Click here for the index to the other reports which include stationary steam, 'modern traction' and railway cranes.

This report is in three parts, click here for part 2 or click here for part 3 (updated 20th January 2018).

NdeM 0-4-2T 601 (A-1 class, O&K 4339/1910) at the National Railway Museum (open Tu-Su 09.00-17.00) in Puebla, PUE., was built as an 0-4-0T for the Secretaria de Guerra y Marina. In 1930 it was transferred to NdeM, rebuilt and used as works shunter at Nonoalco in Mexico City, originally as N°. 0-A, until 04-1954. It used to be plinthed in front of Buenavista station in Mexico City.

NdeM 0-8-0T 639 “La Mochita” (C-1 class, Baldwin 6767/05-1883) is plinthed inside the gate of the Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores Ferrocarrileros on Calle Flores Magon, north of Buenavista station in Mexico City, DF. It and N°. 640 were rebuilt from 2-8-0s 403 and 402, FC Nacional Mexicano (FNCM) 216 and 215 prior to 1908. Both had been regauged from 3ft gauge FNCM 2-8-0s 45 and 63 by 1905, around the time when most of the FNCM was converted to standard gauge. N°. 639 was used as the Nonalco works shunter in Mexico City until it was withdrawn in 1960. The small “Victor Flores” railway museum is on site (open Mo-Fr 11.00-15.30).

NdeM 2-6-0 650 (E-1 class, Baldwin 10282/09-1889) at the National Railway Museum in Puebla, PUE. It was new to Cia. Agricola S.A. (CASA) as N°. 2 “Motzorango” together with N°. 3 “Josefinas”. In 1930 both were sold to the Vera Cruz y Isthmus (VCI) as N°. 3 and 4, and later transferred to NdeM as 650 and 651. It was withdrawn in 08-1955. From 2005 to 2008 it was under cosmetic restoration at Alstom’s Valle de Mexico Workshops in Tlalnepantla, MEXICO (north of Mexico City).

NdeM 2-8-0 903 (GR-3 class, Baldwin 35723/12-1910) is plinthed next to the station at Acambaro, GUANAJUATO. It was built as a 3-ft gauge for the Vera Cruz Terminal Co. (CTV) as their No. 15 and later sold to the Teziutlan Copper Co. as their No. 4. In c.1945 it was sold to NdeM as N°. 297 (class GR-031) and converted to standard gauge in 08-1950 as N°. 903. It has been plinthed at Acambaro since 1963.

NdeM 2-8-0 907 “Fidelita” (GR-3 class, Acambaro Shop 05-1944) is also plinthed next to the station at Acambaro, GUANAJUATO, carrying its former 3-ft gauge N°. 296. It was built together with N°. 295 at Acambaro workshops from spare boilers and parts furnished by ALCO and was also part of class GR-031. Another five locos of the same class had been supplied by Alco earlier (68740-44/07-1936) as N°. 290-294. The whole class was converted to standard gauge between 1948 and 1952 for branch line service, including No. 296 in 08-1952 as N°. 907. In 1961 it was based at Veracruz, working the trains on the converted Alvarado branch, and in 1963 in Puebla. After being withdrawn it was plinthed at Canitas de Felipe Pescador, ZACATECAS, until it was moved to its birthplace in 1994.

The station building at Acambaro houses the small “José Cardoso Tellez” railway museum (open Tu-Sa 10.00-14.00/16.00-18.00, Su 10.00-14.00), named after the engineer who assembled 295 and 296.
Class GR-20 comprises 55 modern 2-8-0s built by ALCO and Baldwin in 1921 and 1924 (N°. 1137-1191). The entire class was withdrawn in 09-1963 and four examples survive to this day, including those below (The other two survivors are 1140 at Torreon and 1182 at San Luis Potosi):

NdeM 2-8-0 1150 (GR-20 class, ALCO 63119/09-1921, N°. 804 pre-1930) at the National Railway Museum in Puebla, PUE.

NdeM 2-8-0 1170 (GR-20 class, Baldwin 55083/09-1921, N°. 824 pre-1930) is plinthed at the station in Tierra Blanca, VERACRUZ.

NdeM 4-6-2 2520 (MR-6 class, Baldwin 54947/08-1921, N°. 148 pre-1930) has been plinthed in the station garden at Queretaro, QRO, since 1969. It is the only survivor of a class of 24 light Pacifics built by Baldwin in 1921 and 1924 (N°. 2511-2534) for passenger service and withdrawn in 1962. The station is now used as a cultural centre.

NdeM 4-6-4 2708 (NR-1 class, ALCO 69017/12-1937) plinthed at the old station complex, now a park, at Plaza de las Tres Centurias in Aguascalientes, AGS. It is the only survivor of a class of 10 Hudsons (2700-2709), NdeM’s most modern passenger engines. The two last locos of the class, 2703 and 2708, were assigned to the Aguascalientes – Irapuato mixed trains 237 and 238 until replaced by diesels in 1963. The Railroaders’ Museum inside the old station is open Tu-Su 11.00-20.30.

Click here for 'Preserved Standard Gauge Steam in Mexico 2012, Part 2'