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Over 40 years ago….
Before last summer’s clean-up of La Plancha, an abandoned steam engine of the U de Y – Unidos de Yucatan line – was readily accessible. The engine is in sorry condition, with many of the removable parts apparently scavenged by metal recyclers and much of the rest deteriorating rapidly to rust.
Engines of this type – narrow gauge 4-4-0 configuration – were built between 1880’s and 1928 or so. UdeY supposedly received some of the last steam engines built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in the USA. Most remained in service until the late 1960s, running lines from Merida to Progreso; Merida to Tixcocob, Motul, Temax, Valladolid; Merida to Acanceh, Hocaba, Sotuta; Merida to Temozon, Yuncu, Muna, Ticul, Peto.
Another line, Ferrocarriles Unidos Surestes, connected Merida to Campeche and from there on to Mexico City. Ferrocarriles Unidos de Yucatan was built by Yucateco entreprenuers and operated isolated from the rest of Mexico for many years.
In the 1930’s, the national government of Mexico decided that Yucatan needed to be connected to the rest of the nation via rail. Attempts had been made since the turn of the century, but this new effort succeeded. The project was completed in 1950 and commemorated with a five-peso coin.
UdeY continued to operate independently until 1975 when it merged with Ferrocarriles Unidos Surestes as one overall company. The system was privatized in 1999, becoming Ferrocarriles Chiapas- Mayab (FCCM), which went out of business in 2007.
In addition to many miles of rail, Yucatan boasted nearly 3000 kilometers of tram lines, serving henequen haciendas as well as connecting the haciendas and rural pueblos to every city small and large.
Five remaining steam engines were sold in 1969 and removed from Yucatan. Today, this may be one of the few remnants of steam travel on the peninsula, quietly rusting away. Long ago, it was parked on a side spur, the timbers of which have rotted away, the rails sunken into the earth beneath the massive weight of the engine and tender.
While Merida is known for having the one of largest remaining colonial Centros outside Mexico City, historic preservation is unfortunately not always the top priority. Time and again, I’ve found a beautiful old home, large or small, torn down and replaced by another parking lot, or another strip commercial center of ugly two-story shops and offices. History is gradually being replaced by cheaper construction or modern conveniences.
It was fun to climb around on the old engine, peek into the firebox, imagine the view of the engineer as he rolled down the tracks across the peninsula.
Standing at the fireman position, where I would have been furiously throwing wood into the firebox to keep up the head of steam.
Heat and smoke from the firebox (here) was drawn up through the many narrow tubes which were encased in the large boiler tank, creating steam.
Front view of the boiler where heat and smoke from the wood-burning firebox was conducted up and out the chimney.
There’s been talk about a “super train” connecting Merida, Chichen Itza and Cancun, but nothing has happened so far. Massive state and federal government financial support would be needed for bullet train construction.
For many years, there’s been talk of an “inter-modal facility” between Progreso and Merida where freight off-loaded in Progreso would be transferred, regrouped and loaded onto trains and trucks or prepared for air freight for shipment across southeast Mexico. If built, this too would reinvigorate rail services, at least for freight. In the meantime, there are a few freight trains, but no passenger service since the 1990s.
The old narrow gauge passenger rail line to Progreso was displaced, torn out and paved over when the highway was widened from 4 to 8 lanes of traffic. A station from that line survives as a little roadside convenience store at San Ignacio.
Merida has an outdoor train museum, located at Calle 43 x 48 y 46 Colonia Industrial, in an open field northeast of La Plancha. About 40 old cars and engines are found there. Some have been restored, while others await the time and money to do so.
This old engine is on its own in a separate location, abandoned and crumbling away.
There is a bright side to this story. Those who visit Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida can see four surviving sisters of this old engine. That’s who bought the last steam engines in service in Mexico from Yucatan, restored them in two years and put them back into service for the amusement park. A fifth was purchased by Disney, but found to be in too poor a condition for use and sold for scrap.
The four better engines were refitted with new boilers and ‘back-dated’ with older equipment — older style lanterns and chimneys — painted bright cheerful colors and given lots of chrome and brass trim.
Here’s a twin of Merida’s sad relic – an example of what Yucatan could have on display (or even put into use!) with quite a bit of work:
The “Roy O. Disney” engine at Mickey’s Toontown Fair station.
To read more on Yucatan’s Tram System, an excellent resource is found at Allen Morrison’s website — The Tramways of Mexico
To see photos from a 1968 trainspotting visit to Yucatan, check The Photography of John Dziobko – Ferrocarriles Unidos de Yucatán (UDEY) Photos
1968 Passenger Service Departing Merida for Progreso
Surviving steam engines of Yucatan in Walt Disney World.
Apparently an official website of the Museo de los Ferrocarriles de Yucatan. (not all links work, but try Roster, Restorations, Collections (stamps) and People).
Engine photos from Ferrocarriles Unidos de Yucatan. This engine is very similar to the one rusting north of the station:
Look at the size of the wood being loaded for this engine’s tender — not exactly from large trees is it? Keeping these engines going must have required vast amounts of small diameter branches and trees cut from all over the countryside.
An early photo of Engine 351 at Acanceh Alameda (Alamesa?) rail stop:
Spanish account of trains in Yucatan: Breve reseña de la evolución
del tren en el mundo y en Yucatán
Twenty-two page PDF Spanish history of trains in Mexico, including Yucatan
Hola Yucatan’s English translation of their History of Yucatan Rail. (this site plays a video advertisement automatically. Turn your sound off or down, then be prepared to stop the video in the upper right edge of the screen) Lots of local dates, names and facts found here.
Dispatches from Merida 
From The Railroads of Mexico, by Fred Wilbur Powell, The Stratford Company, publishers, 1921:
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The Yucatan system itself is a group of small railroads designed to put the sisal plantations in touch with the coast.
The oldest line is that which connects Merida, the state capital, with the port of Progreso. It was built in 1881 under a concession dated April 22, 1874, and reconstructed in 1903. It was extended inland from Merida to Zagmal in 1890 under a concession granted on May 15, 1884. It is of standard gauge.
The other Yucatan lines are of narrow gauge. Of these, the Merida and Valladolid was authorized December 15, 1880 and completed in 1906. This line also has a branch from Merida to Progreso (note: running through Chicxulub Pueblo and Chicxulub Puerto to Progreso).
The peninsula line, connecting Merida with the port of Campeche, is based upon two concessions granted December 20, 1880 and February 23, 1881 and consolidated in 1889. It was completed in 1898.
In 1902, the United Railways of Yucatan (Ferrocarriles de Yucatan), a Mexican corporation, was organized to take over these three lines, together with two pier companies at Progreso. This company in 1908 absorbed the Merida and Peto line which had been built under a concession dated March 27, 1878.
Under consolidated management, service was greatly extended and improved, new equipment installed and much of the roadway reconstructed. It was only after the consolidation that seperate trains were run for passengers and passenger cars equipped with air brakes. The system was largely built by Mexicans (Yucatecos) and it is owned by Mexicans, though foreign investors are largely interested in its securities.
= = = = =
Because of its isolation, Yucatan was able to exercise a considerable degree of independence of the central (Mexican) government under Huerta. In 1914 the state government in conjunction with the Compania de Fomento del Sureste assumed direct operation of the United Railways of Yucatan, which became known as the “Constitutionalist Railways Yucatan.”
= = = = =
The railways in Yucatan remained under the indirect control of the Comision Reguladora subject to the final liquidation of that institution. The trackage and equipment received reasonable maintenance, considerable new equipment was added, a storage-battery electric car service was established between Progreso and Merida, but no extensions were planned or made…
= = = = =
Between Tehuantepec line and the Yucatan system of railroads a connection has yet to be made (1921), though there have been several attempts to launch such an undertaking.
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Is there any sign of the museum opening again or a possibility of a preserved line in Yucatan?
It doesn’t appear rail history is a huge priority of the various governments to me.
There was a lot of talk about a “bullet train” linking Merida, Chichen Itza and maybe Cancun (although Yucatan’s concern is linking Merida and Chichen Itza only). There have been no solid announcements on that project for some years now. (Huge amounts of money are needed.)
Although steeped in history, there’s a definite tendency to favor flashy “new” projects to demonstrate modernity these days.
Merida would be the perfect location for light rail passenger service to supplement the diesel buses ubiquitous around town. There are many former rail lines already in place with only one route in service, connecting Valladolid, Merida, Campeche and south from Campeche to the rest of the country. Those rail beds could be refurbished for light rail and relieve some of the heavy traffic in the city center. No sign of that being a proposed project either, except maybe in my mind.
I´m an exchange student in Merida taking classes at UADY this semester. For my final project in one of my classes, I am working on a history of the railroads of Yucatan and focussing on the railroad workers´ union in the 1930s. I came across your website while doing research and it was super helpful, especially all the links at the end. Do know anything about where to find more information on the railroad workers´ union? (Sources in English or Spanish.) Thanks very much!
I’m sorry, but I personally don’t know any more about the workers union. Maybe someone reading this will see it and respond. I’ll ask around and see if anyone I know has an idea. You may want to try contacting the library at UADY. They’ve been very kind and helpful to me in the past when looking up information about the history of the city and state.
Julia, I can refer you to MEXLIST–The Group For Mexican Railway Information at mexlist.com .
My wife is the granddaughter of the railroad union leader. You should talk to her. I will forward this to her.
uuyumil say: is not “alamesa” is the station of ACANCEH . about the pic, a friend give me this pic,,sorry. any way i like this information…
An update on the Yucatan Railroad Museum was recently done by Yucatan Living.