600-611 C-B-C wheelbase Alco-GE of International Railways of Central America / Guatemala

[teletougos]

There were two orders of these things, arriving from 1950. 3 foot gauge. 

 

I don't know if the centre 'B' axle is powered, even. 

 

Anyone know anything about them?  Is there a diagram?  Wheelbases of trucks or distance between truck centres or anything? 

 

Personally I think they look amazing. 

[Moxy]

I don't know anything about them, but I would like know more.  I have an interest in narrow gauge diesels, and I had never heard of these Alco-GEs.

 

I have managed to find a little bit about Guatemala  and the United Fruit Co involvement

 

https://chasingtrains.smugmug.com/International/South-of-the-border/Guatemala/Ferrocarriles-de-Guatemala/

 

and more here

 

https://chasingtrains.smugmug.com/International/South-of-the-border/Guatemala/International-Railways-of-Cent/A-short-history-of-the-IRCA

 

I agree, they look amazing.

[ellocoloco]

I've had a look around the web - much like you guys - and the closest I found was an Indonesian ALCo GE Class UM106T powered by a 12-244 and classed as a C2C. Apart from the centre truck it looks like a WP&Y ALco-GE shovenose CoCo. These IRCA locos look like a hood unit version of that type potentially putting them around 1953-55. The centre truck would be unpowered if similar to the UM106T type.

[ellocoloco]

To add to the above.

I've just read through the links provided by @Moxy above and the second traces the GEs to a 1950 order  of six units 600-605 and a follow on order, 606-611 in 1956. The first link has pictures of 611 in use in 1970.

 

A bit more digging and they are classed under the GE Shovelnose series. 120 ton, off centre cab C-2-C. 

https://www.thedieselshop.us/GE_Shovelnose.HTML

This link shows the two batches as having been built in 1956, but I suspect the 1950 of the link above more likely.

 

An interesting diversion.

[Nick_Burman]

The IRCA locos were C+B+C, i.e., all axles powered. The attached file has some info about them.

 

Cheers NB

GE Pre-Universal Exports Issue 3 20220224.pdf

[ellocoloco]

Very interesting article, thanks for posting. So all axles powered unlike the Indonesian versions.  

[teletougos]

On 25/09/2023 at 20:58, Nick_Burman said:

The IRCA locos were C+B+C, i.e., all axles powered. The attached file has some info about them.

 

Cheers NB

GE Pre-Universal Exports Issue 3 20220224.pdf 1.94 MB · 8 downloads

Wow. That is really helpful. Thank you. A goldmine of information.

 

Didn't ever think I'd see a shot of the Guatemala and Queensland locos together.

Edited September 27, 2023 by teletougos