Map taken from the 1978 Atlas de Cuba showing the 705mm gauge network.
Only nine mills were established in this province and only four used TU7E-s. These three are all situated along the north coast and their networks all have the exotic gauge of 705 mm. This was due to the fact that they were connected to the Ferrocaril Caibarién - Morón, who's line also had a gauge of 2 feet 3˝ inch (= 705 mm). The TU7E-s in this province have the most narrow gauge of all 3200 members of the TU7-family in the world! A large fleet of 705mm gauge TU7Es is still availble at CAI 418 and CAI 448 and at least two of them are used. Also a standard gauge TU7E works at mill 444.
There is a report of 34073 having been used at this mill. It has a standard gauge siding which connects it to the FCC Placetas - Ciego de Avila main line.
The FC Caibarién-Morón operated the approximately 90km-long line Caibarién-Obdulio Morales-Yaguajay-Mayajugua-Chambas. The railway ran along the feet of the Alturas del Norte (Northern Mountains). It opened up the cane fields between the Alturas del Norte and the coast and connected them to the Obdulio Morales Mill (CAI 418; originally called Central Narcisa) as well as to the standard gauge network. Until the 1960s Brill railcars provided a passenger service, but then this public narrow gauge system was closed.
Parts of the line were taken over by the Obdulio Morales mill. This applies at least to the 27km-long section between a loding point near Seibabo in the west and loading points near Mayajigua in the east. In Mayagigua the network of CAI 421 started, so all three mills remained connected to eachother.
Map taken from the 1978 Atlas de Cuba showing the 705mm gauge network.
The mill used steam locos on its field lines until the mid-1990s. Though TU7E-s arrived here much earlier, presumably in the late 1970s already. But they were mainly used for shunting. Only after steam had been abandoned the class TU7E could be seen regularly on the line to the loading points east of Centero.
Six TU7E-s with numbers 34014, 34043, 34046, 34059, 34069 and 34079 are allocated to the shed of the Obdulio Morales mill. Apart from Obdulio Morales' own TU7E-fleet also TU7E-s from the nearby Simon Bolivár mill could be observed with intermills in Obdulio Morales (noted were 34047 and 34072).
The mill is still operational and worked during the Zafra of 2004. But the line westwards is closed beyond Jucaro LP. In 2004 regular trains were hauled by 34014 or 34072. Also steam engine 1334 is in use, but only for the tourist trains which meanwhile also run here.
The third mill in this region is situated 18 km east of the twin mills mentioned above. It was connected to the CF Caibarién-Morón via a 705mm gauge line leading to Mayajigua station. Another line ran from the mill to the north, ending near the coast at El Estero Real. The mill's network had a length of ± 15 km (1978). This figure excluded the part of the FC C-M between Mayajigua and Obdulo Morales, which has remained open for the sugar mills in the region.
Further very little is known about this mill. However it is known that several class TU7E diesels were present here, most have remained unidentified except 34047 which worked here in 1996.
The mill has been closed after the 2002-season.
This unusaual mill not only produced crude sugar but also refined sugar. It is located near the town of Fomento and connected to the Placetas-Fomento-Trinad standard gauge line. In 2004 34073 was used here.
CAI 444 F.N.T.A.
This is the last active mill in the so-called sugar valley east of the lively historic town of Trinidad. The mill is situated on the FCC-line to Trinidad. On this line daily tourist trains are run, hauled by steam locos from the F.N.T.A. mill.
In 2003 the mill was working. Wagons were spotted at a loading point on the FCC line near Izniga (this is the town with the famous tower overlooking the sugar valley).
The FNTA mill has used 34068 duriung the 1996 and 2004 Zafras. In 1999 and 2003 TU7E number 34071 was noted shunting near the mill. It had the standard Kambarka livery (orange/gray).
In the 2005-season the mill did not work. The cane is transferred by road to Melanio Hernandez.
34 071 shunting at the FNTA mill in March 2003.
Photo: Bernd Seiler/FARRAIL.
This mill is situated on walking distance from the Obdulio Morales mill mentioend above. Originally it was named Central Vitoria.
Long ago the mill operated it's own (public?) railway: the FC Yaguajay. In started at the Vitoria Mill and ran straight to the south. At Centero it crossed the FC C-M and continued its way into the hills of the Altitudas del Norte. After 25 km it reached Iguara station on the Santa Clara - Moron main line. In the hills two lines branched off to Jobo Rosado and Colorado. The FC Yaguajay had a total length of approximately 35 km.
Following the revolution the mill and it's railway were of course nationalised. Later the southern section through the hills to Iguara station was abandoned. Also the branch to Colorado has been closed. In the 1990s only the Simon Bolivár - Centero - Jabo Rosado section was still in use. Between Centero and Jabo Rosado the line features a steem climb, requiring both full and empty trains to be split and worked in two sections. The Jabo Rosado line was last used during the 1998-harvest.
Because the Simon Bolivar and the Obdulio Morales mills are situated so close to eachother, it was possible to operate only one of the mills in years with a small harvest. In that case the Obdulio Morales mill also processed the cane from the fields belonging to the Simon Bolivár mill. Only when the harvest exceeded CAI Obdulio Morales' milling capacity, the Simon Bolivár mill was used. The last time when this happened was in 1997.
Normally so-called intermills could be observed, which transported the cane from Simon Bolivár to Obdulio Morales. Very typical are the trains with 4-axle tank wagons containing molasses (mieles) which also ran between the mills.
In the 1990s an attempt was made to convert the narrow gauge system to standard gauge. The work started with the intermill line, which was first converted to dual gauge. Eventually the project did not move beyond this stage and thus remained operated using narrow gauge rolling stock.
In the last years the following diesels were allocated to the shed at the Simon Bolivár mill: 34013, 34034, 34042 and 34047. The latter two have also been noted with intermills at CAI Obdulio Morales. However in 2002 steam loco 1360 was regularly used for the intermill molasses trains. In 1997, 1999, 2000, 2003 and 2004 also 34 072 has been noted at Simon Bolivár and in 1995 TU7E 34070.
In the last years the following diesels were allocated to the shed at the Simon Bolivár mill: 34013, 34034, 34042 and 34047. The latter two have also been noted with intermills at CAI Obdulio Morales. However in 2002 steam loco 1360 was regularly used for the intermill molasses trains. But in 2003 at least 34 042 was operational as well. There was no trace of the orther 3 TU7Es.
