Doña Teresa Christina

Porta was contracted by the metre gauge Brazilian Doña Teresa Christina coal railway in the late 1980s to improve its fleet of locomotives. The trademark features of Porta's work - the Gas Producer Combustion System and Lempor exhaust ejector formed the core of the work undertaken. It might not sound like a lot but getting even that far can be something of a challenge at times!

Hugh Odom's website has a page (click here) detailing some of the work undertaken. Eagle eyed readers will notice a number of variations from previous practice as well as some development work, it was rare for Porta to not attempt to push forward with every contract he obtained. One of the alterations not immediately obvious in the photos is the arrangement of the overfire airholes for the Gas Producer Combustion System installation. On all locos prior to these and the Paraguayan 4-6-0 No.286 overfire airholes were provided in the firebox sides, backhead and crown. By the time Porta came to do this work he had dispensed with overfire airholes in the side sheets replacing them with holes in the front of the firebox, all below combustion arch level, whilst keeping those in the backhead and crown. For this reason it is hard from photos to spot a loco with a Gas Producer Combustion System firebox.

The locomotives modified at the Tubarão works were:

Jung 2-8-2 No.4 in 1989
Former Ferrocarril Nacional General Belgrano (FCGB), Argentina 2-10-2s Nos. 203 (1990), 200 (1990), 205 (1990/1) and 210 (1991).

It is interesting to note that the 2-10-2s had moved from service in Argentina to Brazil after the end of steam on the Argentine FCGB system. The 75cm gauge RFIRT 2-10-2s were a scaled down version of the metre gauge machines so these will, in general terms, have been somewhat familiar to Porta!

Following the cessation of steam operations on the coal trains - they were ever so sensibly replaced by diesels - a steam hauled tourist operation has run on the system. I am very grateful to Heinz Bühler for allowing me to use some of his photos to illustrate these tourist operations in 2003 with modified 2-10-2 No.210. Heinz commented that the loco made very little smoke unlike the other loco used during his visit. Further photos on the system along with other excellent railway photos from around the world can be found on Heinz's website here.

2-10-2 No.210 in 2003. To clear the superheater header and get the best performance possible on this loco type the exhaust system is angled forward a little as can be seen in this photo and more clearly in the small photo below. However the top of the diffuser is parallel to the smokebox. The outside lefthand cylinder has a pipe leading from the piston valve end cover - as has been done before this is an exhaust steam take off for the underfire steam used as an integral part of the Gas Producer Combustion System. © Heinz Bühler

2-10-2 No.210 in 2003. To clear the superheater header and get the best performance possible on this loco type the exhaust system is angled forward a little as can be seen in this photo and more clearly in the small photo below. However the top of the diffuser is parallel to the smokebox. The outside lefthand cylinder has a pipe leading from the piston valve end cover - as has been done before this is an exhaust steam take off for the underfire steam used as an integral part of the Gas Producer Combustion System. © Heinz Bühler

2-10-2 No.210 in 2003. To clear the superheater header and get the best performance possible on this loco type the exhaust system is angled forward a little as can be seen in this photo and more clearly in the small photo below. However the top of the diffuser is parallel to the smokebox. The outside lefthand cylinder has a pipe leading from the piston valve end cover - as has been done before this is an exhaust steam take off for the underfire steam used as an integral part of the Gas Producer Combustion System. © Heinz Bühler
A general view of the former Argentine 2-10-2 in the yard at Tubarão. © Heinz Bühler
A general view of the former Argentine 2-10-2 in the yard at Tubarão. © Heinz Bühler
No.210 starts away from Morrogrande station for the assembled photographers exhibiting excellent combustion. © Heinz Bühler
No.210 starts away from Morrogrande station for the assembled photographers exhibiting excellent combustion. © Heinz Bühler
Another photo runpast with No.210 and another text book example of excellent combustion from the GPCS system. © Heinz Bühler
Another photo runpast with No.210 and another text book example of excellent combustion from the GPCS system. © Heinz Bühler
A more typical example of combustion standards on the railway are exhibited by unmodified loco No.153. © Heinz Bühler
A more typical example of combustion standards on the railway are exhibited by unmodified loco No.153. © Heinz Bühler

If you have any photos of the modified locos you would be happy to for me to use please contact me. Thanks.

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