(International Steam Festival 2001)  In November of 2001 Michael Clayton of Pentrex Media Group was invited to join a small group that traveled to Cuba to explore the possibilities of sharing the steam heritage of Cuba with those interested in railroad history in the United States.The seven-day trip began with a direct flight from Los Angeles to Havana. The first few days were spent exploring Havana and taking a train ride to the nearby Hershey Railroad. The group was granted access to all parts of the shops and railroad equipment. The group then traveled by bus to the city of Cienfuegos. Outside of town is the sugar mill of Mal Tiempo. Gathered were about 25 various steam locomotive from across the island to participate in Festival Internacional del Vapor (International Steam Festival). The locomotives were all built in the U.S. between about 1880 and 1925. Both standard and narrow gauges were represented.  A large festival was held in celebration of the harvest season that was about to begin. All the locomotives and their crews were on hand for the party! It was a three-day affair and the first day was kicked off by a special train entering the grounds with two brides in their wedding gowns on board and the grooms on the stage ready to exchange vows.Later a grand parade of steam took place with each steam locomotive strutting its stuff for the hundreds of spectators in the crowd. The parade was repeated each morning for three days; on the final day prizes were awarded in the various categories. Afternoons were spent with visitors at the throttles of the various locomotives, riding excursions, and enjoying the festival grounds. It was a fantastic event to witness. Nowhere else can you experience the thrill of operating several different steam locomotives each day! To learn more about visiting Cuba, visit www.globalhumanitas.org. This is a fully licensed non-profit organization that sponsors cultural exchanges between the two countries. It is one of the few companies that can officially offer a hassle-free journey to Cuba with direct flights to Havana. Please contact them for complete information regarding this unique experience. Their email address is globalhumanitas@aol.com. Or you can find out more from Pentrex: pentrex@pentrex.com. Also enjoy the Pentrex video entitled Cuba Steam, produced in 1996, to witness American steam locomotives at work in the sugar cane fields of Cuba. Click on a photo to view it full size.
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