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At the pre-Covid school I worked at, I taught Social Studies and Science. My students were very interested in rock samples and geology. To try to keep the lesson interesting on types of rocks and engineering, I talked about digging the Panama Canal. The students were amazed. I brought in some rail sections, tie sections, and postcards I had collected for my students to see. They loved it and decided to build a working museum display. We then found a very interesting newspaper article and they said we had to model one of the French locomotives. While we never fully built that display, our models and artifacts were displayed at several small museums.
Postcard from my collection
ICC locomotive diagram from the Panama Canal Zone Cyber Museum.
Here is the interesting thing about these locomotives: they were not even French. Left is a scale drawing of old Belgium, a locomotive that the Isthmian Canal Commission fixed up for use. Panama Canal Zone Cyber Museum: "Built between 1882 - 1887 by Raismes - St. Leonard - Cockerill to metric system for French Canal Company, Acquired by I.C.C. from French in 1904. Appraised value in 1904, $4,000 each. Type 0-6-0 locomotive, 5'-0 gauge, "Belgium" tractice (tractive) effort, 12,250 and 10,800 lbs at 10 M.P.H. Hauling Capacity, 1515 - 1722 tons on level. Diameter of drivers, 47 1/4" Weight of engine, 56,640 lbs." Retrieved from: Old French Equipment Raised - Panama Canal May 16, 2000 (czimages.com) Scale drawing of old Belgium locomotive that the Isthmian Canal Commission fixed up for use.
These Belgian Locomotives were purchased second-hand by the French to be sent to Panama to build the canal. In 1904, the United States took over from the French. The abandoned French equipment had been just left behind in Panama. Some was purchased by the United States, and some was just given to the United States by France, called "French Aid" at the time. However, without the leftover French equipment in 1904 and 1905, those years would have been wasted time. For those two years, only French locomotives were available to use. According to the Isthmian Canal Commission, as of June 30th, 1906, "106 locomotives in service, only 15 are American built." The rest were the French "leftovers." Even though the American paper-pushers in Washington did call them leftovers, the American engineers operating these locomotives helping to dig the canal liked them. According to the canal commission: "At the present time there are about 100 French locomotives and 200 Decauville dump cars in serviceable condition. These locomotives are the only option currently available. The only problem is with the gauge." The original Panama Railroad from 1850s gauge had been built in 5 ft and most American railroads at that time used 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in. If you are interested in this, I recommend you read "America's Triumph in Panama by Ralph Avery, published in 1913.
Abandoned French locomotives in a postcard from my collection showing the canal diggings after the American purchase.
It was truly amazing the amount of planning and equipment the French had prepared. In an official memo, the canal company wrote "At Gorgona (Formerly known as Bas Matachin by the French) the shops were found sheds filled with old locomotives, cranes, and excavators. One hundred car loads of foundry and machine shop material were removed from this point." The French also had repair shops in Empire, Paraiso, Gatun, Bohio, and Cimito Mulato. Once reclaimed from the jungle, piles of repair and spare parts were also recovered for the locomotives from these places. These Belgian built, formerly French, and now American locomotives were very useful. In fact, many were modified by the American and Panamanian crews with new parts. These locomotives were very useful building the canal. However, as works continued, they were slowly phased out for purpose-built, American-built locomotives. When the Panama Canal was finished, the American locomotives were placed on high ground as they had "monetary value." However, the old French equipment (even equipment that had been rebuilt and re-gauged) had virtually no resale value. In fact, the amount of coal to move them out of the diggings was valued more than the equipment. So, they were just abandoned on the diggings and were drowned when the Panama Canal was flooded.
Right is a postcard from my collection showing Isthmian Canal Commission locomotive 543 after her rebuild. Called "Americanization," these modifications added front and rear headlights, knuckle couplers, air brakes, and many other upgrades. Parts from Porter and many other American manufacturers were added and the crews really loved the rebuilt locomotives.
Online, my class and I read a very cool newspaper article from the Panama Canal Authority's Website. Canal De Panama published photos and wrote an article on the 0-6-0 locomotive and 15 dump cars retrieved from 45 feet beneath Lake Catun. They are now on display to the public. The 4 photos above are from that article.
Ok... No one makes a model of this engine. I could find only a few expensive European made "French, or Belgian" ones for around $500. So, I contacted our Aaron Piotraschke at Apogee Locomotive Works. A short time later, this went up on his website: Panama Canal (I.C.C.) 0-6-0 | Apogee Loco Works. He really helped my class and is a really nice guy. This model is great. It is a rebuilt or "Americanized" version of an ICC French locomotive. It even includes an air tank for the rebuild shell. Now for $45 we had the shell. Please know that I do not receive anything from Aaron or ALW for saying this: The shells and parts are great! They are very good prints, easy to install, paint, and detail. The shells are beautifully boxed and have handy instructions. I really want to get the word out about Apogee Locomotive Works to help others in the hobby. P.S. To my wife, or other modelers, and parents: these make great and easy gifts for age and maturityappropriate modelers.
This model already has details like rivets, number plate, dome tops, even a coal wall above the bunker. It is a great model. Aaron said: "ALW will be a hub for the creativity and craftsmanship of model railroading!" I agree and this is kit bashing made easy. With the new shell, and Bachmann porter locomotive with its shell removed, it was now time for the super-detailing. I looked into my spare parts box and found 2 crew figures. Interior gauges were added out of pieces of scrap styrene. The pipe is plastic model sprues I saved instead of throwing them out from completed models. Now, they are pipes for the air brake and sand pipe. An odd little piece of plastic I saved from something was cut up to make the marker flag holders. The flags are cut and painted napkins from a take-out dinner. The coal load is coal I picked up from somewhere. The whistle and valve are unused plastic parts from another model I had already built. All these upgrades cost $0. I spray-painted Testors flat black from a rattle can, then used folk art black and white paint mixed to make grey colors for weathering before sealing it in with Testors spray-lacquer. The paint probably cost about $2-4. The decals were unused from another completed model so, again, $0
So, how does this great little locomotive fit into the Pocomtuc Creek? Well, the Pocomtuc Creek Railroad would have been one of those many railroads in the United States that purchased secondhand trains. This was actually a very big business turn of the last century. Only the big, or very well financed, railroads could purchase or build their own equipment. Many railroads had to purchase second, or even third-hand locomotives, and rolling stock.
The story for the Pocomtuc Creek of number 645 is a simple one. Built in Belgium in 1882 for the French Panama Canal Company, she was rebuilt by the American Isthmian Canal Commission in 1904 for continuing work on the Panama Canal. After the canal was finished in 1914, the old French equipment was gifted back to the country of Panama to increase Pan-Am relations by the United States. Some think it was really because they simply wanted to get rid of the old (now deemed useless) equipment for free. The Panamanian Government did not want the equipment, either, and when a small company approached them for the purchase of some of the equipment for new mines opening in Mexico north east of Puebla, Panama quickly agreed to sell them cheaply, and were thankful the equipment was disposed of. Loaded onto a steamship, 645 made its way to the port city of Veracruz. Unfortunately, by the time the ship had made it to port in late 1914, the mining company (La mina del Corazón Perdido incorperada ) had already gone bankrupt, and was no longer in business. Its company officials being severely indebted to unknown investors, they quickly vanished, leaving completely vacant offices. Files have since been found in the archives of the U.S. State Department alleging General Pancho Villa was the man responsible for the company officials' disappearance. Of interest and note, it should be recorded that this same company reappeared in 1917 in connection with the infamous Zimmerman Telegram. Panama's Government was shocked, and no one wanted to buy the very outdated surplus railroad equipment. The Panamanian Government was just about to simply roll the equipment over the side into Veracruz Harbor just to get rid of it, just like a cask of salt beef gone off in the hold. However, at that time, the relations between Panama and the United States Government were beginning to sour. The Panamanians believed they declared their independence from Colombia to become an autonomous nation in 1903 and that the United States administering the newly created Canal Zone had ended the honeymoon. Now hoping to trade the United States Empire for the British Empire in 1915, these locomotives were gifted to the Government of Canada for war work. Canada had a plan for building a new railroad in Nova Scotia for fish canning. This plan to provide food that would be used to create millions of military rations was only still in the designing stages. This gift idea from Panama did not work, as the United States Government and British Empire were all too happy to do business for equipment and ammunition for WW1. The Canadians were still very happy and excited when they were told of the gift. When the locomotives and equipment did arrive a month later, the Canadian Government had realized why they were free gifts. They were deemed quite useless and most were immediately scrapped, being turned into war material. It is rumored that some of these locomotives became shrapnel bombs that were loaded onto the ill- fated British passenger liner Lusitania that was sunk by a German U-boat in mid-1915. A few pieces of equipment including 645 were purchased for a pittance by a newly-created company called United Steel, which was really just another shell company for war profiteering probably owned by J.P. Morgan. Many companies in the United States made huge fortunes, like DuPont selling war equipment or explosives. Locomotive number 645 was sent to the Indian Princess Mine in Blackwood's Crossing on the Pocomtuc Creek. There, she shuttles around coal cars to and from their coal tipples and shoots. I don't know about you... But, I think this crazy story sounds plausible.
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