You are here: Home >> Cuba Steam II

Trains of Cuba – Sugar Steam Part 2 – Narrow Gauge

Visited Sugar Mills
C.A.I. Maltiempo – 762 mm
C.A.I. Espartaco – 762 mm
C.A.I. Pepito Tey – 762 mm
For the transport of sugar cane from the fields to the Mill as well as for shunting, many Cuban »Centrales« to date rely on steam engines. During the »Zafra«, the harvesting season, steam locomotives, built mostly by US manufacturers, such as Baldwin, ALCO, Rogers, Vulcan, Porter and others between 1895 and 1935, can be seen in action.

The sequences for this documentary were filmed between 1996 and 1999 and show steam traction at it's best in and around the »Centrales«. The viewer travels to the towns of Palmira, Cienfuegos and Trinidad on the south coast and he takes a glance at the daily life of the Cubans, the vintage cars of the fifties and the billboards of the revolution.

C.A.I. stands for »complejo agro industrial« the way MINAZ, the ministry of sugar, refers to it's Mills. The huge stationary steam engine at Pepito Tey today is part of history, as it was replaced by a modern steam turbine in 1997.

Video captures

Espartaco: heavy train arriving Espartaco: historical watertanks Espartaco: the engine takes water Espartaco: fireless shunters built by O&K Maltiempo: in front of the shed Maltiempo: shunting in front of watertower Maltiempo: on the gradient leading to the mill Maltiempo: full steam, palm tree and Cuban worker Maltiempo: climbing up the hill Maltiempo: the bridge burning sugar cane field into the night

Information

Buy all 4 films on Cuba for the price of 3!
Running time: approx. 70 mins. (VHS PAL or DVD-R)
Language: English

Price: UK 20 £, Europe 25 €, Overseas 30 US-$
incl. postage and packaging

Send your order to

tikal FILMS
Albert M. Kilchenmann
Lenzburgerstrasse 41
CH – 5503 Schafisheim
Switzerland

E-Mail: info@dampflokvideo.com
Telefax: +41 062 891 79 18

Payment by

Post-account Switzerland: 60-699956-6
or banktransfer to
Zuercher Kantonalbank, CH-8953 Dietikon, account 1109-1061.521
Kilchenmann, IBAN No. CH23 0070 0110 9010 6152 1