FC del Pacifico 4-8-0 Locomotives in Colombia

Class 31 (Locobase 15260)

Data from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University, Volume 72, p. 81. For Ferrocarril de Nariño, see the account at Imagen Ferrocarril en la numismatica colombiana (Railroad imagery in Colombian postage stamps) at [], last accessed 22 June 2013. Works numbers were 57855-57856 in July 1924.

New twelve-wheelers were quite uncommon by the 1920s, but building some for the three-foot gauge was an even rarer occurrence. Perhaps the leading bogie allowed for a slightly bigger boiler and more cylinder volume than the tight clearances allowed in a 2-8-2. The front set of drivers did not have flanges, which reduced the rigid wheelbase to 8 ft 3 in (2.51 metres). The cylinders were supplied by 8" (203 mm) piston valves.

See Locobase 15368 for the full story of PC Dewhurst's design, which became standard (allowing for sub-class differences) for Colombian railways.

The pair of engines was later sold to the Ferrocarril de Nariño as their 9 and 10. The FC de N was originally planned to be part of a Panamerican railroad. Years passed and wars intervened before the government of JosT Marfa Bucheli contracted with private parties to build a road from Pasto to the Pacific at Tumaco. The two lay some 175 miles (approx 280 km) apart.

Six years later, after no progress had been made, the project was declared a public utility and a portion of customs duty revenue was dedicated to its construction. The section from Tumaco - Pasto was completed in 1922 and construction began on the Tumaco - Ipiales - Pasto - Popayán segment which headed north out of Pasto. In 1930, the tracks reached El Diviso and twelve years later ended construction at Pasto.

The railway was never a great success and in the 1960s was abandoned and its rails pulled up.

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Class 63 (Locobase 15434)

Data from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University, Volume 79, pp. 150+. See also Jorge Arias de Greiff, Un Momento Estelar de la Ingeniera Mecanica en Colombia: Los Disenos de Locomotoras de PC Dewhurst", Boletin Cultural y Bibliographico, Volumne XXVI, No. 21, 1989, pp.19-29. Works numbers were 60269-60274, 60287-60290 in November 1927 and 60508-60512, 60532-60536 in June 1928.

See Locobase 15367 for a full discussion of PC Dewhurst's thoughts in designing the famed "Docerruedas" (Twelve-wheelers). This was one of the largest single orders for this design. Like the others, the Pacificos used the 9"(229 mm) piston valves to admit superheated steam to the cylinders. Its heating surface details were tweaked slightly with one less small tube and 10 sq ft (0.93 sq m) of arch tubes added to the firebox heating surface area. The last two in the class were delivered with Worthington 1-BL feed water heaters.

Two of the later batches-- 62 and 64--were sold to the Narino as their 11-12. The 86 and 87 were sold to the Girardot Tolima Huila.