Railroads of Puerto Rico / Ferrocarriles de Puerto Rico

Ferrocarril Histórico de Puerto Rico, Fajardo, meter gauge.  Closed / Cerrado

Colección Jorge Wirshing.

It was my first ride on a steam train.  A clown sheriff, dressed as a cowboy, rode on the train with a trunk
full of money (payroll). During the trip indians and
outlaws attacked the train, but we were defeated by the
sheriff.   At the end of the ride the sheriff had a gun duel
with an outlaw and won.  This happened while the locomotive was getting ready for the return trip.  It was a beautiful ride through the countryside and sugar cane fields.

Estafue mi primera experiencia en un tren con locomotora de vapor. Había un sheriff payaso, vestido como vaquero, viajando en el tren con un baúl lleno de dinero (la nómina).  En el viaje el tren era defendido por el sheriff de ataques de indios (americanos) y vaqueros bandidos.  Al final del viaje, el sheriff tuvo un duelo con uno de los vaqueros y ganó.  Esto sucedía mientras la locomotora se cambiaba para el viaje de regreso a la estación.  Era un viaje a través de siembras de caña y campo.   

Fotos:  Colección Dave Deyo

Dave Deyo, 1972

Bayamón Train Park, Bayamón, meter gauge.  Closed / Cerrado

Fotos:  Roger Aponte

Tren del Sur, Arroyo, meter gauge, Closed / Cerrado

It usually operated from Arroyo to Guayama.
It did make a few trips from Arroyo to Ponce.  Its rolling stock came from Bayamón’s  tourist train, Central Aguirre, and Diversilandia.

Operaba entre Arroyo y Guayama.  Hizo varios viajes entre Arroyo y Ponce.  Usó equipo de los trenes de turismo Diversilandia, Bayamón y de la Central Aguirre.

Todas las fotos – Roger Aponte

Ferrocarriles de Puerto Rico
San Juan a Ponce, San Juan a Carolina.
Gauge / Trocha (ancho de vía):  Meter / Metro.

Ferrocarril Francés / French Railroad
American Railroad – Operador / Operator
Compañía Ferroviaria de Circunvalación de Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico Railroad & Transport Co.
San Juan Carolina Railroad? (San Juan to Carolina)

The American Railroad of Porto Rico operated Ferrocarriles de Puerto Rico,  better known as American Railroad.  **In 1920, the above two companies become part of Compañía Ferroviaria de Circunvalación de Puerto Rico.  (226 miles, Dep. of the Interior, letter, 1938).

La American Railroad de Porto Rico operaba Ferrocarriles de Puerto Rico.  En el 1920 las dos compañías se combinan en la Compañía Ferroviaria de Circunvalación de Puerto Rico.

Fotos:  Colección Ricardo Medina

La Compañía Ferroviaria de Circunvalación de Puerto Rico pasó a ser la Puerto Rico Railroad & Transport Co en el 19??.   San Juan Carolina Railroad?  Parte de la American Railroad que operaba entre San Juan a Carolina.

The Compañía Ferroviaria de Circunvalación de Puerto Rico became the Puerto Rico Railroad & Transport Co in 19??.   The San Juan Carolina Railroad (?) was part of American Railroad and operated from San Juan to Carolina.

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Lehman, Tom. Train, Seen from Overpass with Man and Boy (Between 1944 and 1947 / #2097 / H. Clair Amstutz photo). 2007. Flickr. Web. 24 July 2013.  http://www.flickr.com/photos/tlehman/437448584/

[Sector El Túnel de Hormigueros, Carr 114 y 309, Hormigueros, PR.  La locomotora es una diesel, como en la foto anterior,  y los vagones son de los primeros que existieron en Puerto Rico, fabricados en Bélgica.  Área identificada por Efraín Martell.]

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This is a most interesting photo for several reasons. It is late in the
history of the American Railroad and one of the diesels financed by
the US Government to assist operations on the ARR at the onset of
World War II is pulling a string of Belgian made ex-Cia. Ferrocarriles
de PR coaches dating to the late 1800s….. But why the old coaches,
when the ARRCo. owned a healthy fleet of more modern ones??
It is hard to identify the locomotive by brand, as both the Davenports
and the General Electric locomotives look quite the same at this
distance and at the poor angle.

The US Government seized the ARRCo. in 1941, but turned it back
to the original parties in 1944 when it was no longer considered
vital to defense or war efforts.

The demise of the American Railroad and the San Juan trolley
system represent several horrible mistakes allowed to happen to
a badly needed set of transportation modes for an overcrowded
Island like Puerto Rico……

Dave Deyo

Edited

More Information / Más información

The Ponce & Guayama RR covers from Ponce to Arroyo.  Passenger service was between Ponce and Guayama.  See map.

El Ponce & Guayama RR daba servicio entre Ponce y Arroyo.  El servicio de pasajeros era entre Ponce y Guayama.  Ver mapa.

Estación de Santa Isabel / Santa Isabel Station

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Estación de Salinas / Salinas Station

Cambija / Water Tower

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Estación de Aguirre / Aguirre Station

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Estación de Guayama / Guayama Station

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Servicio de trenes entre Ponce y Guayama, 1926
Train schedule between Ponce and Guayama, 1926

American Railroad Company of Porto Rico, Manual de Explotación, 1926

The American Railroad Company of Porto Rico operated the passenger and freight trains between Ponce and Guayama.

La American Railroad Company of Porto Rico operaba los trenes de pasajeros y carga entre Ponce y Guayama.

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See / Ver  Ponce & Guayama Railroad

National Atlas of the United States

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Estaciones / Stations

Map prepared and published by the Defense Mapping Agency, Topographic Center, Washington, D. C., Map information as of 1977, Scale 1:50,000

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Más mapas / More maps:  Ponce – Patillas

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Ponce Station of the American Railroad

RODRIGUEZ ARCHIVES (JOSE LUIS AND JOSE ALFREDO RODRIGUEZ) , http://www.archivofotograficodepuertorico.com/

ARCHIVO HISTORICO Y. FOTOGRAFICO DE PUERTO Rico. CPB Set 2 E. H. B. #518 – Santurce and Puerta de Tierra from San Cristobal Castle, Puerto Rico. – Unused. Eku 12-1-1907. N. p., 2009. Flickr. Web. 3 May 2014.   https://www.flickr.com/photos/fredandrebecca/3577621518/in/photostream/.  Used with permission.   [Rodríguez Archives (José Luis and José Alfredo Rodríguez).   Please see:  Archivo Histórico y Fotográfico de Puerto Rico – Colección Rodríguez , and Archivo Histórico Y Fotográfico De Puerto Rico’s photostream .]

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Rector, C.H. The Story of Beautiful Porto Rico. Chicago, Illinois: Laird & Lee, 1898. Print./ Rector, Charles H?:  Internet Archive.” N. p., n.d. Page 19. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.  http://www.archive.org/details/storyofbeautiful00rect

I believe these pictures are of the first station in Old San Juan of the Ferrocarriles de Puerto Rico which would become known as the American Railroad.  The tracks on the left side of the buildings are of the Ubarri steam tram, which later became the electric trolley of San Juan.

Yo creo que esta era la primera estación en el Viejo San Juan de  Ferrocarriles de Puerto Rico que se conocería como la American Railroad.  La vía a la izquierda de  la estructura pertenece al tranvía de Ubarri que más tarde pasó a ser el tranvía eléctrico de San Juan.

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New Station / Estación Nueva – Estación de San Juan / San Juan Station

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Más enlaces / More links from Rodríguez Archives (José Luis and José Alfredo Rodríguez).   Please see:  Archivo Histórico y Fotográfico de Puerto Rico – Colección Rodríguez , and Archivo Histórico Y Fotográfico De Puerto Rico’s photostream :

https://www.flickr.com/photos/fredandrebecca/4570380522/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/fredandrebecca/5417894720/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/fredandrebecca/4677825074
https://www.flickr.com/photos/fredandrebecca/4677206905/

Thanks Dave.

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Emails from Dave Deyo, May 4, 2014:

1)
I agree.  Both photos are of the first San Juan station under CFdePR.  As I commented once before, somewhere in my collection I have a photo taken where this building appears in the background and may have served as an office or freight house for a brief period of time after the new station was built.

2)
….I agree with you on the location of the Ubarri track behind the CFdePR station.  Apparently the SJL&TCo. changed the right of way some there, as in photos it rises up sooner than in the drawing, to follow the street.  When the new station was being built for the ARR, they staged trains out of the old Ubarri yard by the station, as is shown in one of the postcards……

Central Aguirre.

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Observe que la locomotora tiene bielas como en una locomotora de vapor.

A black & white photo album of P&G #12 shortly after arrival at Parque Julia de Burgos in Carolina. I was always attracted to the side rods that some GE and Davenport locomotives had, and this small Davenport had them as only one axle was powered and the rod connected the other set of wheels so they too were powered. The same concept as a steam locomotive. Dave Deyo (Facebook Historia del ferrocarril en Puerto Rico,  17 abril 2014)

Roger: Here’s P&G #12 some months after delivery to the park site. It sat here like this for several years before being taken away to storage. It is hidden somewhere in a building in the municipality of Carolina. This worked at Central Cortada for quite a few years after working at Aguirre, and when Cortada was completely shutdown for good, it returned to Aguirre. It was originally ordered to work the sugar cars out onto the dock, being Aguirre’s lightest locomotive at the time. Dave Deyo (Email Jan. 21, 2007)

—The locomotive is no longer at the park. / La locomotora no está en el parque.

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Just a short essay about the sad fate of a little Davenport I first photographed at Central Cortada back in 1969. When I found this little critter, it was parked inside part of the mill, out of service after the mill shut down for the harvest. I visited the mill the next year and found it moving bulk sugar cars on one trip, and switching loads and empties in and out of the mill. The locomotive was built for the Ponce & Guayama RR as their #12, Davenport serial #2309 built 10/1940, model DM-10 with a Caterpillar D7700 diesel engine. At Aguirre, it’s duty for a long period of its history was to move bulk sugar containers onto and off of the mill’s pier in Jobos bay. When the narrow gauge railroad at Central Cortada was being phased out and Aguirre Sugar began grinding some of its cane at the mill, a meter gauge locomotive was needed to switch the P&G cane cars brought to the mill over the mainline. #12 was painted yellow and with very tiny stenciling lettered Central Cortada #1 on cab sides and rear. When Central Cortada ground its last crop and was closed, #12 was shipped by rail back to Aguirre where it sat out of service for several years. Then through some political maneuvering, it wound up either by sale or donation, at the new Julia de Burgos park along Clemente Avenue in Carolina. Supposedly, the city had planned to put a small railroad within the park, using the Davenport as the power for the train.
Well, it just never seemed to happen. The picture cycle shows the builder photo of #12, then #12 as Cortada #1, then on to Carolina where it looks in good shape. Then the rest is self-explanatory, as it becomes more and more evident that it has been left to decay. I don’t know if there is even enough of it left now to be able to spot it from the road. The last frame shows the locomotive switching at Cortada.  Dave Deyo (Facebook Historia del ferrocarril en Puerto Rico,  16 abril 2014).

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I finally found the photo of P&Gs Whitcomb #3, not long after bringing it from Central Machete.  It is almost virgin here, as delivered to Central San Vicente.  This is the same locomotive that is at the Moreau mansion in Moca, after several drastic modifications!  I am glad I got at least one photo of it before they decided to make it into a Plymouth (or so it would appear, because the new body came from one).  The man standing against the front wall of the cab is Marco Amaro, a walking book of knowledge about PR railroads.  He worked at LaFayette and Machete before coming to Aguirre.  He knew the history of Central Columbia in Maunabo and that his father worked there and they did have two little German steamers (we now have the information on them, finally).  He made several trips to Maunabo regarding repairs to their fleet of small Plymouths Fantauzzi bought for there to replace the steamers.  The mill at Maunabo closed in the teens, but sugar was still harvested using the steamers until the Plymouths were purchased and used on the trackwork for the mill.  Cane was loaded onto trucks to be taken to LaFayette to be ground.  The gauge of the railroad was 24″.  The trackwork was fairly extensive, and portable track was also used.  The railroad worked until the late 1940s.
Dave Deyo

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Moca, Palacete de los Moreau.  Beautiful mansión with diesel engine from Central Aguirre exhibit (P&Gs Whitcomb #3). / Mansión con exhibición de locomotora diesel de la Central Aguirre (P&Gs Whitcomb #3).  Fotos Roger Aponte

Dos trenes de caña halados por bueyes llegando a una estación de caña.  La caña es pasada a los vagones más grandes que se ven al fondo.

Two trains pulled by oxen have arrived at a cane station.  Cane is transferred to larger cane cars seen in the background.

Lehman, Tom. 14,646–Load of Sugarcane Being Hoisted.jpg. N. p., 2008. Flickr. Web. 2 May 2014.  [Puerto Rico. Orpha Leatherman photo]  All Rights Reserved.   https://www.flickr.com/photos/telehman/2521820493/

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ARCHIVO HISTORICO Y. FOTOGRAFICO DE PUERTO Rico. SUGAR INDUSTRY – Eight Ox Team Hauling Sugar Cane to Sugar Mill. – Real Photo Post Card Mailed San Juan July 27, 1913. N. p., 2009. Flickr. Web. 2 May 2014.

Photos used with permission / Fotos usadas con permiso.
[Rodríguez Archives (José Luis and José Alfredo Rodríguez).   Please see:  Archivo Histórico y Fotográfico de Puerto Rico – Colección Rodríguez , and Archivo Histórico Y Fotográfico De Puerto Rico’s photostream .]

ARCHIVO HISTORICO Y. FOTOGRAFICO DE PUERTO RICO.   AP 1910 – Sugar Cane Car, Central Aguirre, Jobos, Salinas, Porto Rico. N. p., 2009. Flickr. Web. 2 May 2014.  https://www.flickr.com/photos/fredandrebecca/4170758348/.  Used with permission.

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Ver / See:

Oxen train –  [Lehman, Tom. Oxen Pulling Cars of Cane near Vega Baja. N. p., 2011. Flickr. Web. 2 May 2014.  https://www.flickr.com/photos/tlehman/5966232383/in/photolist-. [Puerto Rico, July 18, 1948 Chester Peckover photo. #28,443]

Hacienda Fortuna de Francisco Oller (Painting / Pintura)

First “Locomotives” of Puerto Rico
Primeras “locomotoras” de Puerto Rico

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Estación de Lajas (Lajas Town Station).  Foto coleccion Sr. Alfredo Velazquez.  La foto fue publicada en la revista Surcando,  junio 2012, año II, volumen 6, página 8 (Alfredo Vargas).   Israel Roman, Presidente, Surcando La Historia, Inc., Lajas P.R.  Foto usada con permiso.

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Recursos:

Belkys Lugo – Artista.  Gracias por permitir el uso de las fotos de la maqueta.

Alfredo Vargas –  Foto y  datos de la estación de Lajas.

Israel Roman, Presidente, Surcando La Historia, Inc., Lajas P.R.  Permitió el uso de la foto de la estación de Lajas.

Ver:  Estaciones de Lajas / Lajas Stations

Ver otras maquetas en Models / Modelos