Alicante Railway Museum

[Neal Ball]

It was announced last week that there will be a new Railway Museum in Alicante, based at the Casa del Mediterranean, which is the former dockside railway station.

 

There are no further details at this stage, so no idea when it will open.

 

 

Edited May 21, 2022 by Neal Ball
photo added back in

[EddieB]

The locomotive 141F-2401 has been "on display" at the former station at Horna-Villarcayo for many years - quite some distance from Alicante. 

[Neal Ball]

On 27/12/2021 at 15:35, EddieB said:

The locomotive 141F-2401 has been "on display" at the former station at Horna-Villarcayo for many years - quite some distance from Alicante. 

Hopefully then it comes under cover and cared for.

 

Presumably the new museum is going to be an off shoot of the main railway museum in Madrid, which could mean some other locos moving to Alicante.

[Enterprisingwestern]

Presumably this is the station which is currently used as an art gallery etc?

 

Mike.

[Neal Ball]

On 28/12/2021 at 16:43, Enterprisingwestern said:

Presumably this is the station which is currently used as an art gallery etc?

 

Mike.

Yes Mike. It used to be connected to the port line up until a few years ago. 
 

There is now a concrete block across the tracks and a general air of decay, shortly after the line diverges into the port. Strangely, just beyond the concrete block the next signal is still live and shows a continuous red!

 

The only trains I have seen here are the ones from Orihuela that reverse at Alicante - San Gabriel station.

 

Looking on Google earth, you can see the concrete block across the tracks and the general air of neglect…. Interestingly there are still tracks into the station.

 

 

Before the building was refurbished, it was in a very derelict state and somewhere I have photos of it as well. It’s a lovely building inside.

[Neal Ball]

In this weekends Costa Blanca news, there is another item about the museum:

 

 

I am afraid I don’t know anything about Spanish railways, but a quick Google search revealed that the picture is not a Mikado loco!

 

The particular loco 131F-2401 was built in 1958 and has been the subject of a couple of other schemes that eventually came to nothing. It is currently at Villarcayo which looks as if it’s an area to the south of Bilbao.

 

http://trenesytiempos.blogspot.com/2020_05_03_archive.html 
 

Let’s hope this scheme gets off the ground.

[Neal Ball]

A quick look on street view shows the terminal station with the warehouse behind.

 

 

 

There is already another museum locally - out towards Alicante airport - I don’t know if this news will have an impact on it: https://museo-del-ferrocarril-torrellano-fcat-vv.negocio.site/?utm_source=gmb&utm_medium=referral

 

 

[jhb171achil]

I wonder if this will be connected with the Barcelona one, which has an extremely impressive loco collection?

 

[Neal Ball]

On 28/05/2022 at 02:04, jhb171achil said:

I wonder if this will be connected with the Barcelona one, which has an extremely impressive loco collection?

 

All of the details I have read are suggesting it will be second to Madrid. 
 

I haven’t been to either Madrid or Barcelona museums yet, so time will tell.

[EddieB]

On 21/05/2022 at 07:30, Neal Ball said:

In this weekends Costa Blanca news, there is another item about the museum:

 

 

I am afraid I don’t know anything about Spanish railways, but a quick Google search revealed that the picture is not a Mikado loco!

Full marks for spotting that the photo isn't of a Mikado!

 

Actually something much more interesting...

 

It was the first of a pair built by John Jones of Liverpool in 1862, for the FC de Tardiente a Huesca.  After a chequered main line career (finishing as Norte no. 1) it was sold into industrial service ending as Cia. Indus. Azucarera SA Aranda de Deuro no. 3.  Whether it started life as a 2-2-2 tender engine, and rebuilt, or was built originally as a 2-2-2T is unclear, but the utility of a single-driver locomotive in industry must be pretty uncommon, to say the least.

 

In 1965 it was chanced upon out of service by a British enthusiast, a Mr Fraser, whose discovery led to its preservation and restoration (primarily the removal of a rather primitive cab with which it had been fitted).

 

Jones is better known as a partner in the firms of Jones, Turner & Evans and Jones & Potts.  Potentially around 50 locos were built on his own account (1852-1863) and this locomotive (currently at Museo del Ferrocarril, Delicias, Madrid) must be one of very few survivors - perhaps the only one.

[Neal Ball]

16 hours ago, EddieB said:

Full marks for spotting that the photo isn't of a Mikado!

 

Actually something much more interesting...

 

It was the first of a pair built by John Jones of Liverpool in 1862, for the FC de Tardiente a Huesca.  After a chequered main line career (finishing as Norte no. 1) it was sold into industrial service ending as Cia. Indus. Azucarera SA Aranda de Deuro no. 3.  Whether it started life as a 2-2-2 tender engine, and rebuilt, or was built originally as a 2-2-2T is unclear, but the utility of a single-driver locomotive in industry must be pretty uncommon, to say the least.

 

In 1965 it was chanced upon out of service by a British enthusiast, a Mr Fraser, whose discovery led to its preservation and restoration (primarily the removal of a rather primitive cab with which it had been fitted).

 

Jones is better known as a partner in the firms of Jones, Turner & Evans and Jones & Potts.  Potentially around 50 locos were built on his own account (1852-1863) and this locomotive (currently at Museo del Ferrocarril, Delicias, Madrid) must be one of very few survivors - perhaps the only one.

 

Interesting Eddie thank you.

 

I take it the railway museum in Madrid is worth going to….

[EddieB]

14 hours ago, Neal Ball said:

I take it the railway museum in Madrid is worth going to….

Most certainly, yes - though a repeat visit for me is long overdue!

 

Quite a lot of preserved steam locos in the Madrid area (including the museum): http://www.locomotoravapor.com/madrid.htm