Virtual Railfan Tour of the Azores - 2008 Locomotives at last

 

First thing next morning I went into the offices of the Ponta Delgada Harbor Authority. My English didn't work neither did my French. I tried my faltering Spanish on the friendly lady manning the front desk but still no luck. She then signed for me to wait and disappeared behind a door into the general offices and returned with another lady who had some French. I explained that I wanted to see the railway locomotives.  She understood and told me to take a seat and wait. Some 20 minutes later she returned with Américo Paulo Martins Correia of the Administração dos Portos das Ilhas de S.Miguel e S. Maria, Sa.  (the Port Authority of  the Açores).  Américo, who spoke excellent English, gave up his time to show me the locomotives and to explain much of their background. We went outside into the yard, he produced a key and we entered the shed where the two surviving locomotives were kept.

The light was not very good and they were not easily photographed.

However, I was given free reign to take as many photos as I wanted. Americo was very polite and did not press me for time although he was very busy.

Builders plate. Falcon Locomotive Works No. 185, Loughborough 1888

No. 186 also of 1888

OPA is the initials of the Harbor Authority.

Presumably the brake shoes/blocks were wooden.

One was "sort of" complete while the second had been partially dismantled and the parts stored.

What is the situation today? I believe they are still there. A few years ago asbestos was discovered in them and they were sealed off and it is now no longer possible to view them.

Do they have any historical relevance? The Great Western Railway was well known for its broad gauge beginnings but these are contractors locomotives build for construction projects. They are of the same gauge but not for use as a passenger carrying railway. The two survivors were built in 1888, only four years before the GWR converted to standard gauge and ceased to run broad gauge trains. The condition of the Azores locomotives is extremely poor, having been exposed to a warm, salt laden climate and it is unlikely that much could be saved in any kind of restoration. The Great Western Society at Didcot has a couple of broad gauge recent new build locomotives.

However, when it eliminated the broad gauge the GWR cut up all of the broad gauge locomotives so these survivors in the Azores are likely the only original broad gauge locomotives left in the world.