By Dagmar Reinhard
After 30 years of deterioration, being parked under extremely hot and humid conditions at Palmar Sur, the “Black Machine 84” was restored, becoming once again the beautiful and stunning machine it was during the early, 40s.
This is a “Baldwin” steam locomotive, brought to the country in 1940. The “Locomotive 84,” is located across the Park in Palmar Sur, which is a mandatory stop for tourists. Surely, she witnessed the glory days and the fall of the banana empire in the Southern zone, between 1930 and 1985.
It is known that for over four decades, the railroad was the way the bananas were transported from the farms to the ports, and it was the most important form of communication for the area.
“Locomotive 84” was restored and the work of the community, through the Palmar Sur Association of Integral Development, was the key element for success. About 2.5 million colones were invested in its restoration.
The plan is to set up a place to serve as an information center. “This is included in the second phase of the restoration,” informed Elizabeth Arias, President of the Association for the Integral Development of Palmar Sur to the National Museum.
This link will redirect you to the page “Working World and Banana Vocabulary in South Pacific Costa Rica “
