No less than 13 mill used class TU7E diesels. Apart from some mills concentrated around Cruces, the mills were maily spread along the north coast. This used to be a real narrow gauge heaven, with large railway networks serving sometime several mills. Despite many closures, still 8 TU7E-s were in use in 2004. Mills using TU7E-s were 426, 427, 432, 439 and 441. In 2005 also mill 434 used a 'clase TU7E. By 2012 the number of active TU7E had dropped to only three, working at 426, 427 and CAI 449.
This mill is located 9 km south of Sagua la Grande. It is connected to the FCC network via a 3km long siding running westward. For shunting on this line and at the mill TU7E 34051 was used here in 1997 and 2000. In 2001 this loco was noted at the nearby Hector Rodrigues mill (CAI 442). By 2012 the mill had already been closed and dismantled.
This mill is situated in the hills noth of Santa Clara. It had a T-shaped 762mm gauge system, which was isolated from the FCC's standard gauge network. In the mid-1970s the network was approximately 20 km long. A batch of three TU7E diesels with numbers E34028, E34029 and E34030 worked here from the 1970s until the closure of the mill in the late 1990s. Interstingly, these locos have always kept their original Russian numbers TU7E-0474, 0475 and 0476 as well. These identifies them being from the 1975 production series. In 2004 E34028 was still found dumped at the shed.
This mill is located on the Colon-Santa Clara main line. For shunting on the standard gauge sidings 34048 has been used in 1996 and 2001. By 2004 this engine had already been transferred to mill 202.
In 1996 engine 34060 worked at the mill, which is located straight south of Santa Clara.
At least until the 1970s a large 762mm gauge network existed between the town of Sagua la Grande and the River Sagua la Chica. In this area 5 sugar mills were found: Antonia Finalet, Emilio Córdova, Abel Santamaría, Unidad Proletaria and P.Figueredo. The southern part of the system belonged to the P.Figueredo mill. But by 1994 the narrow gauge had already been abandoned. Instead a standard gauge line connected the mill to the FCC-network at Calabazar de Sagua. In 1994 this 5km long line was operated by TU7E 34032 and the large Russian diesel 38268. Then years later 34032 still worked here. The mill has remained open for sugar and molasses production. TU7E 34032 (0488/1975) was still working here in 2012.
CAI 427 Quintín Banderas
This mill is named after Mr. Banderas, who was born in 1833 in Santiago de Cuba. He was an illiterate mulatta member of the Mambi Cuban fighters against the North Americans.
The mill is connected to Sagua la Grande via a standard gauge (FCC?) line. The cane was however brought to the mill via a narrow gauge network with a total length of 80 km. Lines ran to the coastal village of Carahatas, to Lomita in the east and to El Vesubio and San Pablo in the west. The gauge was 762mm or 914mm.
By 1997 the narrow gauge had been abandoned. Only the 4 km long line running to the El Cedro loading point south of Quintín Banderas had been converted to standard gauge. MINAZ also operated the line from Quíntin Banderas to Corralillio (31km), which has in fact always been standard gauge and existed in the 1970s already.
The diesel fleet included TU7E 34059 and TU7E 34074, both in a red-white livery. These were noted in 1997, 2000 and 2004. However in January 2005 engine 34074 worked at the nearby P.G. Toro mill (but Quintin Banderas was not yet started up by then) and in 2006 at Marcelo Salado. Later TU7E 34074 has returned to Quintín Banderas. In 2012 Anton Mikonov found the locomotive being overhauled (new engine). There was no trace however from 34059.
This mill is located between Caibarien and Remedios, on the north coast. Its is connected to the standard gauge railway network.
After the clusure-wave this mill has been turned into a museum, with just a molasses production left. The molasses tankers have to be moved between the harbour, the mill and sometimes even Remedios station. Approximately two times a week a train with tankers full of molassos runs from the factory. In 2006 these trains were hauled by 34074. It has been transferred to Marcelo Salado from the P.G. Toro mill . On 24 March 2006 the engine was spotted at the nearby town of Remedios (see railpassion.org ).
CAI 429 José R. Riguelme
This mill is situated 27km west of Sagua la Grande. Originally it had a 762mm gauge railway system. Two TU7s worked at the mill. In 1994 34059 was used. This loco has turned up at the 705mm system of the Obdulio Morales (mill CAI 418).
In the late 1990s the network was converted to standard gauge. Another TU7E with MINAZ-number 34023 has been noted working on the standard gauge in 1997 and 2000. This loco probabaly belonged to the nearby CAI 434.
The mill closed not much later (in 2002?) and the TU7 has not been observed anymore. By 2004 all rolling stock had been transported away.
This mill is situated on the eastern outskirts of the town of Sagua la Grande. It processed sugar cane harvested in the area between Sagua la Grande and the River Sagua la Chica. The cane was transported to the mill via the 762mm system also mentioned at CAI 426. The line operated by the Antonia Finalet mill ran eastward with a branch to the Unitad Proletaria mill (CAI 447), situated in the hills south of Sagua la Grande. Another 762mm gauge line connected the mill to the FCC standard gauge station. This line was famous because it ran straight through the urban area of Sagua la Grande.
Over the years the narrow gauge network has shrunken and connections to other mills had been lost. But in the early 1990s still an interesting narrow gauge network existed. The system had been dieselised in the 1980s or so. The locomotive fleet consisted of only three class TU7E diesels. They were numbered 34011, 34022 and 34025.
In the late 1990s the remaining lines were converted to standard gauge. As we have seen at other mills, the first step was to convert the tracks to dual gauge by adding a third rail to the existing narrow gauge tracks. Then the regauging was finished by removing the central rail of the dual gauge track. In 2000 dual gauge tracks still existed at the depot, but the line into the fields east of Sagua la Grande had already been converted to standard gauge only. The line from the mill through the town to the FCC station had been abandoned by then. It was never converted to dual gauge and its tracks had been partly covered under asphalt.
When visited in 2000, two TU7s were noted at the depot. These were former narrow gauge locos with reconstructed bogies. The standard gauge has not been used for long, because the mill closed in 2002.
CAI 432 Chiquitico Fabregat
In 1876 the Ferrocaril Caibarién-Placetas opened its 914mm (3 inch) gauge line from the coast into the central part of the Villa Clara province. later it became part of the Cuba Central Railroad. The line was used for public transport but in the first place it served the sugar mills of Heriberto Duquesnem, Hermanos Ameijeiras, Benitio Juárez and Chiquitico Fabregat. The latter is situated on the northern slopes of the Sierra de Bamburanao and is surrounded by pitturesque limestone mountains.
The Chiquitico Fabregat mill had its own railway system, which was connected to the FC Caibarién-Placetas and hence had the same gauge.
After the public railway closed, the mill continued to operate some narrow gauge sidings around the mill. TU7E number 34077 has been noted working on the 914 mm system until at least 1996. It had a green livery.
In 2000 two loading points were in use, both situated about 600 metres east of the mill and connected to the mill by two seperate lines. They were served by TU7E 34024 whilst TU7E 34017 was spotted in the shed. The latter used to work on the 762mm gauge system of CAI 406 Guillermo Moncada. It is unclear if 34017 has been regauged or simply used for spare parts to keep her 914mm gauge sister running. Or has the network been regauged to 762 mm? In 2004 the mill still worked and both TU7Es have been noted again.
By 2012 the mill still worked but cane was being transported by road transport. Inside the shed Anton Mikonov found TU7E 34017 (dumped).
This mill is situated in a lovey countryside southwest of the town of Quemado de Güines. The large and lively mill is connected to the FCC-line from Sagua la Grande. There are also two lines running from the mill to loading points in the cane fields. Nowadays the network is standard gauge.
The loading points have been served by large diesels since many years. But for shunting at the mill alternately a steam engine or a TU7 has been used. The TU7s seem to be borrowed from other mills when necessary. TU7s known to have been shunting at the mill are 34018 (2001), 34023 (1997,2001; from José R. Riguelme) and 34074 (2005; from Quintin Banderas). But by 2012 the mill had been closed and dismantled.
On 28 January 2005 TU7 34074 shunted a number of loaded wagons on the northeastern side of the yard. Seen here at the start of the line connecting the mill to the FCC-network.
A Russian truck loaded with sugar cane overtakes the Russian TU7 near the Panchito Gómez Toro mill. Photographed on 28 January 2005.
CAI 439 El Vaquerito
This is a mill 10km east of Cifuentes, on the sg line. It has no own network. There is only one report of TU7s working here and it is not very recent, from 2004. The mill apparently has contiunued to work for some more years and 34010 and 34027 might have been used for shunting on the narrow gauge sidings of the mill. By 2012 the mill had been closed.
Although operational, the "October 10th" mill has hardly been used in recent years. Normally the cane from its fields is being transported to the nearby FCC-station of Ranchuelo and the the Ifraín Alfonso mill (CAI 440) by rail. But in 1997 the Ifraín Alfonso mill did not work for some reason and instead all cane was milled by Diez de Octobre.
For the intermills heavy class 37000 or class 38000 diesels or even steam engines are used. But also TU7E 34067 is allocated to this mill. It is sometimes used for shunting or for hauling trains to and from the nearby Ranchuelo station. The loco has been spotted here every year between 1997 and 2003. There is also a report of a TU7E working here in 2004, but the number quoted is 34060 (should it be 34067???).
On 3 March 2003 a class 38000 hauled the intermills to Ifraín Alfonso so TU7E 34067 could be photographed waiting beneath the mill. Note the relatively broad 1435mm gauge bogies in comparison to the narrow body of this locomotive.
In 2004 TU7E 34067 was apparently lend to the Ifrain Alfonso mill (CAI 440). Officially, diesel 34067 was the patio pilot there. But 34067 has major defects and was not used. It is unclaer where it will turn up in the 2005-Zafra (CAI 440 or 441?).
Located 7km south of Sagua la Grande, on the FCC line to Santa Clara. It has no own railway lines into the fields but received it's cane via the road and the FCC line. It had some standard gauge sidings. In 2001 TU7E 34051 from the nearby Marjana Grajales mill (CAI 408) was used for shunting. But in 2003 only 3 large class 37000 diesels were spotted here.
The green standard gauge 34077 was noted here in 1997. In 2004 this MINAZ loco acted as the station pilot in the FCC-station of Santa Clara. This is remarkable, because the mill to which it belongs is still open. It had been replaced by 34011, which was noted here in 2000 and 2001.
In 2005 34077 was overhauled and painted blue and white. Along with 4 boxvan coaches its worked the University shuttle from Santa Clara (running irregularly).
An unknown mill, located between Sagua la Grande and Santo Domingo. It was connected to the 762mm gauge network between Sagua la Grande and the Sagua la Chica River (also see mills 426 and 430). There was also a standard gauge line connection the mill to a FCC-station 4 km south of the mill. It is said there was also a standard gauge line to a loading point west of the mill.
The connection to the narrow gauge system was probably abandoned in the 1980s, because in recent years there were only reports of standard gauge operations. Diesel traction was introduced quite early. One of the locos in Unitad Proletaria's fleet was TU7E 34018. It was last spotted here in 1997. A few years later the mill closed.
