FC Nacional de Santa Barbara de Vigia 2-4-4 Locomotives in Venezuela

Class Tachira (Locobase 15381)

Data from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University Volume 78, p. 186. See also Eudes J Blanco P, "Impacto del ferrocarril en la aldea 1892 o 1919? (Diario de El Viglia. Ano 3 N 1126. Domingo, 30 de noviembre de 2008. Regional. Pag. 4) at [], last accessed 29 August 2013. Works numbers were 58942-58943 in January 1926 and 62066 in May 1937.

The town is in the Estado Merida at the place where the Rio Chama emerges from the Cordillera of the Andes just south of Lake Maracaibo. The railway ran for about 55 km (34 miles) southeast from Santa Barbara de Zulia to El Viglia. This railway had several inaugural dates. 1892 was the year in which it first opened. The last few km were problematical, however, as the 1890s project was unable to beat the Rio Chama's propensity for flooding, leaving the railway to stop at Los Ca'itos.

So 29 November 1919 was the first day in 25 years that a train had reached El Vigia, finally completing the railway. These little tanks were bought to travel on the 37 1/2 lb/yard (18.75 kg/metre) rail. The light rail, combined with a turntable length of 19 feet 8 inches (6.00 metres), limited the railway's options as did 2% grades and curve radii as tight as 100 metres (328 feet). Nine years after the first pair arrived, the third engine duplicated the design except for the conversion to oil firing and the provision of 200 US gallon (757 litre) oil storage in the bunker. By that time, the new engine's specifications included the requirement that the "cab be made as open as possible. Particular attention to be given to making cab convenient and comfortable for engineer and fireman. All controls to be arranged so that engineer can reach them from his seat and without turning toward rear of the engine."

Blanco argues that the persistent gap between the end of track and El Vigia meant that the railway's construction had little practical impact on the town. It would take construction of a highway to open up the town to the larger world. In any case, the SB de Vigia never met with much success and the preferential development of highways led to its closing in 1952.