Manati Sugar Company 4-6-0 Locomotives in Cuba

Class 51 (Locobase 14440)

Data from DeGolyer, Vol 64, pp. 339. Works numbers were 52376-52377 in September 1919 and 54264 in January 1921.

Once the MSC began standard-gauge operations on an additional 60 km (37 miles) of road connecting Manati Bay with Victoria de las Tunas, the plantation engines they operated had to grow to meet the greater demand for both sugar-related traffic and general freight and passenger movements. The specs required that the locomotives be "readily changed to burn oil."

The main line offered gentle resistance to progress: 1 % grades, 3 degree curves (radii of 1,910 feet/582 metres) and relatively heavy 60 lb/yard (30 kg/metre).

Two of the three locomotives are shown in the specifications as having road number 52 because the first 52 was sold to the Central Tuinucu

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Class 53 (Locobase 14441)

Data from DeGolyer, Vol 64, pp. 343. Works numbers were 53348-53349 in June 1920.

Stocking up on standard-gauge plantation Ten-wheelers, the MSC repeated the 1919 design shown in Locobase 14440 with two differences. One was a shift to oil burning, the other was the addition of two flues to the boiler in a slight alteration of a stock design. A cryptic note accompanied the tube count. Locobase isn't sure what "account shop error" might mean, but noting that the Locomotive Superheater specification also has an inked change to 150, suspects that somehow the boiler shop simply goofed and installed two more tubes.

At the time of their arrival, the four 4-6-0s made up the motive power of the standard-gauge section. Their rolling stock consisted of 80 flat cars.

Much later the 54 was sold to the Central Rio Cauto, which was renamed for Jose N Figuerido after the 1959 Revolution. As 1676, it was still in existence in 1995.