Seven-foot Gauge Survivors

[Firelock76]

Hello all!  I've got a question, and possibly our British friends can answer this one.

I was re-reading one of my Colin Garrett  "World O' Steam"  books, and Mr. Garrett tells of  (with photographs!)  of finding two seven-foot  gauge steam locomotives on the island of Sao Miguel in the Azores back in 1981.  Two 0-4-0's built in the 1880's and used in breakwater contruction as late as 1973.  As I read it there was quite a bit of excitement over this as seven-foot gauge engines were thought to be extinct.

My question is, does anyone know the rest of the story?  Were these engines ever recovered and brought home to Britain?  Were they restored and are they running today?  I'd really like to know. 

It's not every day two old dinosaurs are discovered!

[JamesP]

Very interesting, indeed.  I found the following quote at:  http://www.sinfin.net/railways/world/portugal.html

"After their retirement, three steam locomotives were stored in the open, where their condition deteriorated badly until the 1990s, when two were taken under cover in the workshops of APSM (Administração dos Portos das Ilhas São Miguel e Santa Maria) - the third was considered beyond recovery, and was scrapped. These two locomotives are now carefully stored pending possible future restoration. They are not generally on view to the public, but can sometimes be seen by special arrangement."

At least they have been preserved... maybe a picture will show up one of these days!

 - James

[JamesP]

I just didn't dig deep enough!  Here is a site on the "Broad Gauge Railway Relics": 

http://www.railways.incanada.net/Azores/Azores.html

Slide show of the engines:

http://www.flickr.com//photos/colinchurcher/sets/72157607179082133/show/

 - James

[Firelock76]

Thanks for the information and links JamesP!  Yep, them's the ones!   Quite a bit nastier looking than when Colin Garrett took the pictures in the '80's, but at least they're still around!

Thanks again!