A public outcry from railfans has led Portugal’s rail operator, Comboios de Portugal, to scrap a plan to scrap three steam engines from early in the 20th century, but they’ll still need a new home.
The locomotives, long retired and parked at Régua and Tua stations for many years, are in poor repair, and would need major renovation. They were built by German manufacturer Henchell between 1913 and 1923. Another locomotive from that group is seen above, in tourist service in Spain’s Basque area.
CP now says it will not move immediately, and will give the National Railway Museum another opportunity to assess the engines; it’s also willing to seel them to any ‘credible entity’ that would ensure their preservation.
Photos: Top, Nils Oberg/Wikimedia, Bottom, Trains du Portugal/Wikimedia
