Unspecified 0-4-0 Locomotives in Cuba

Class unknown (Locobase 4911)

These were four of the first eight locomotives to be delivered to Cuba. According to the [] website account "El ferrocarril espanol de Cub, el primero del mundo hispano", planning for a Cuban railroad to facilitate exports of tobacco, sugar, and coffee began in 1830 , Construction began on 18 November 1835. The first segment connected Havana with the Almendares River (7 1/4 miles) -- later work extended the line to Rincon (7 1/2 miles), Buenaventura (7 3/4 miles), Guara (7 1/2 miles), a point halfway to Guines (7 3/4 miles), and the last piece to Guines (7 1/2 miles).

Four of the locomotives came from Braithwaite. The Reanis locomotives arrived in Havana on 23 February 1838. Their names were Herrera, Escovedo, Villa Urrutia, and Crueger. When they reached Guines, according to the author, cost of transporting goods fell by 70 percent.

But as in the United States, British engines proved incompatible with railway demands in Cuba. They couldn't tolerate the poor-quality coal, they proved delicate, and they frequently derailed. As a result, they were soon replaced by Baldwin 4-2-0s.

The board took the decision to disassemble the British engines and ship them back to England, but it wasn't until 1843 that the orphans were sold for a paltry 300 pounds.