TRAVELLING POST OFFICE GUATEMALA PART 2 NORTHERN RAILWAY
Yuri Vladimir Montes February 7, 2022
INTRODUCTION
In Guatemala there were 7 different train lines, which means that each of them had their own ambulantes agents and therefore their own postmarks. Below we detail the name of each of the different lines: 1. Central Railway 2. Northern Railway 3. Occidental Railway 4. Oriental Railway 5. Ocos Railway 6. Verapaz Railway 7. Highland Railway
NORTHERN RAILWAY
The Northern Guatemala Railroad was the railroad that operated between Guatemala City and Puerto Barrios with a total distance of 170 km between 1908 and 1990. It was started by General Justo Rufino Barrios who left it unfinished when he died in 1885 in the Battle of Chalchuapa; his nephew, José María Reina Barrios, as president, resumed the project and managed to get from Puerto Barrios to El Rancho, just 144 km from Guatemala City, following a line parallel to the bed of the Motagua River. The construction was apparently going to be finished happily and based on this, Reina Barrios organized the Central American Exposition for 1897, with the idea of showing potential foreign investors the railroad infrastructure of Guatemala, which - had it been completed - would have competed with an interoceanic canal that it had not yet been built.
Justo Rufino Barrios After the assassination of Reina Barrios, his successor - the lawyer Manuel Estrada Cabrera President between - granted the concession for the construction of the railroad to a North American company, 1873-1885 which concluded it in 1908. Started the Liberal Revolution By then, the railroad was no longer strategic, since the Panama Canal was almost completed from 1871 with Miguel and the Guatemalan government granted its operation in concession to the United Fruit García Granados Company and its subsidiary International Railways of Central America.
.
NORTHERN RAILWAY The Reina Barrios government hired Feliciano García, who from a very young age had shown ability to manage public business and who had been the private secretary of General Justo Rufino Barrios when he was president of Guatemala. An illness forced him to emigrate to Europe to be cured, but when he returned he was unable to participate in the government. After Barrios' defeat and death in 1885 in Chalchuapa, García was accused of treason and ended up in prison; However, after the pertinent investigations, he was released and the new president, General Manuel Lisandro Barillas Bercián, granted him the rent of liquors and tobacco, as reparation for the grievances received. Later, he helped in the campaign of General José María Reina Barrios, in exchange for which he was appointed consul of Guatemala in the United States. .
Silvanus Miller was in charge of the construction of the railway. In Central America he had already collaborated in the construction of the Puerto Limón railway in Costa Rica, and in El Salvador he was in charge of geological studies and mining exploitation; Finally, in Guatemala, General Justo Rufino Barrios entrusted him with the construction of the Northern Railroad.
Feliciano Garcia (Administrator) and Silvanus Miller (Chief Engineer) of the North Railway Company in 1896. Photograph by La Ilustracion Guatemalteca
NORTHERN RAILWAY
Cover sent in 1894 by Silvanus Miller, the constructor of the Northern Railroad, from the main headquarters in Puerto Barrios, Guatemala.
NORTHERN RAILWAY, Commemorative Postmark
Postmark Guatemala City Special postmark commemorating the inauguration of the Inter-Oceanic Railroad in 1908, it was a double postmark, in some the time is observed, the postmark shows the place of use: Guatemala City, Puerto Barrios or the very scarce Zacapa postmark.
NORTHERN RAILWAY, Commemorative Postmark
Special postmark commemorating the inauguration of the Inter-Oceanic Railroad in 1908. The Inter-Oceanic Railroad should be understood as the culmination of the Northern Railroad and its unification with the Central Railroad, connecting both oceans.
NORTHERN RAILWAY, Commemorative Postcard
On June 19, 1908, President Manuel Estrada Cabrera (1898-1920) inaugurated the train line between Guatemala City and Puerto Barrios, the postal authorities issued this postcard in commemoration of this event.
NORTHERN RAILWAY :Line train that w ent from Guatemala City to Puerto Barrios
Puerto Barrios Station 1896
Bridge over the Motagua river
NORTHERN RAILWAY: Viaducto Las Vacas The Puente de las Vacas is a bridge that served as a viaduct for the Northern Railway. It is located between zones 6 and 18 of the capital, parallel to the Belize Bridge. It was built in 1907. Its length is 226.47 meters. Its height in the middle part is 74.37 meters and width 4.27.
It is supported by seven pyramidal iron frame piles on a cement mortar base, in whose construction 8,500 quintals of it were used. It can support the weight of the locomotives of 75 tons each, followed by another of 2,500 pounds per linear inch. Manufactured by the Baltimore Bridge Company and erected by William T. Penney, under the direction of J. H. Pope, Bridge Engineer for the Guatemala Railways Company. (Arriola 2009)
Las Vacas Viaduct in the background Agua Volcano
NORTHERN RAILWAY: Viaducto Las Vacas
The Guatemala Railways Company later became the International Railways of Central America or Ferrocarriles Internacionales de Centro América. Commonly known by the acronym IRCA. The weight of the steel structure is approximately 1,000 tons. It was inaugurated on January 19, 1908 (Arriola, 2009).
Northern Railw ay postmark, TYPE K
Guatemala Type K 1913-1914
This double marking was used between 1913-1914, it may have been widely distributed with various numbers on the main lines, 28 mm in diameter and 8 bars. Uppercase and lowercase lines have been noticed.
Motagua Valley in the background Sierras de Las Minas
Northern Railw ay postmark, TYPE L
Guatemala Type L 1919
It is 21.5mm in diameter Ca. 1919, undated, with a thick, sparse outer circle
El Rancho station, it was the third station from Guatemala City to Puerto Barrios of the 7 existing stations, taking Guatemala City as the first location.
Northern Railw ay postmark, TYPE M
Guatemala Type M, 1925-1927
Frame with a diameter between 2324mm. The marks J, K, L, M and N have been found between 1902-1926, in fragmentary form on envelopes or stamps
Tunnel between Guatemala City and Sanarate
Northern Railw ay postmark, TYPE Y ( It is a Subtype N )
Guatemala Type Y 1924-1927
Postmark between 30-31mm in diameter With 4 double bars Circle between 1924-1927
Northern Railw ay postmark, TYPE Y ( It is a Subtype N )
Guatemala Type Y 1924-1927
Postmark between 30-31mm in diameter With 4 double bars Circle between 1924-1927
Northern Railw ay Markings, TYPE R Its general characteristics are the following:
Guatemala Type R 1927-1946
U N O
A. Diameter 24-28mm date stamp B. Without the abbreviation "No." used for the word number in the first line of the text. C. Text in 4 lines, ca 27-20mm This Type R has 4 known Subtypes:
PTO BARRIOS
Type R marks were used from 1927 to 1946. They are the first date stamps with a single sequence of numbers. Each line was assigned from one to three numbers depending on the importance of each of them.
Subtype 1: Date stamp letters 2mm,spaces small, most without dashes between words. Use ca 1929-1936 Subtype 1a: Botton 2 lines and the postmark in Roman letters (# 14 and # 15) Subtype 2: Date stamp letters 1 ¾ mm, large spaces with dashes between words, use ca 1939 onwards.
Subtype 3: Date stamp with a diameter 26mm with heavy circle, large spaces with crosses (# 16 of 1933)
Northern Railw ay postmark, TYPE R
Line Name
Line Numbe r
Year
Subtype 1
Subtype 1a
Subtype 2
GUATEMALA-PTO BARRIOS
1
1932
X
GUATEMALA-PTO BARRIOS
2
1932
X
GUATEMALA-PTO BARRIOS
3
1932
X
U N O
PTO BARRIOS
Subtype 3
Northern Railw ay postmark, TYPE R
Ciudad de Guatemala
Northern Railway Stations Guatemala-Puerto Barrios Type R , Line 3 , Subtype 3
Northern Railw ay Postmark, TYPE R (AMBULANTE/LINEA/GUATEM ALA/ZACAPA)
Guatemala Type R,, Subtype 2 1929-1945
This TYPE R is known as: AMBULANTE LINEA GUATEMALA ZACAPA
Bridge between Panajax and Guatemala City
Northern Railw ay Markings, TYPE S
Guatemala Type S 1934-1952
This Type S has 4 known Groups with their respective subtypes:
GROUP 1 (1934): It has Subtype 1 and 2, ca 1934-1937 GROUP 2 (March 1946): Each line has its own series of numbers, diameter ca 23mm, subtype 2 ,with dashes block of letters, 21mm high GROUP 3 (January 1949): 22mm diameter, subtype 2 with dashes, block letters 23-25X 20mm, within this there are
The Type S was the second postmark that was used for a long time, not only does it have the same Subtypes 1 and 2 of the Type R.
The numbers were reassigned again.
Variant 1: NUM for No. (16 and 17 18X18mm block of letters) Variant 2: NUMERO for No. (18 and 19) block of letters 19X20mm GROUP 4 :( November 1951) There is a new numbering, all numbers even from 16 to 19 are spelled out.
Northern Railw ay postmark, Type S Line Name
Line Number
Year
Group 1 SG1
Group 2 SG2
GUATEMALA-PTO BARRIOS
2
1934-1937
X Subtype 1
GUATEMALA-PTO BARRIOS
3
1934-1937
X Subtype 1
GUATEMALA-PTO.BARRIOS
1
1946
X
GUATEMALA-PTO.BARRIOS
2
1946
X
GUATEMALA-PTO.BARRIOS
3
1946
X
GUATEMALA-PTO.BARRIOS
1-2-3
1949
GUATEMALA-PTO.BARRIOS
1-2-3-4
1951
Group 3 SG3
Group 4 SG4
X X
Type S Group1 Line 3
S-G1L3
Northern Railw ay postmark,TYPE S
Guatemala Type S, Group 1,Line 3 S-G1L3 1938
Guatemala Type S, Group 1, Line 3 S-G1L3 1936
Northern Railw ay postmark,TYPE S
Guatemala Type S,Group 1, Line 3 S-G1L3 1936
Guatemala Type S, Group 2, Line 1 S-G2L1 1948
Northern Railw ay postmark,TYPE S
Guatemala Type S,Group 2, Line 2 S-G2L2 1947
Guatemala Type S,Groupo3, Line 1 S-G3L1 1949
Northern Railw ay postmark,TYPE S
Guatemala Type S,Group 3, Line 2 S-G3L2 1951
Guatemala Type S,Group 3, Line 3 S-G3L3 1949
Northern Railroad postmark,TYPE S
Guatemala Type S, Group 3, Line 3 S-G3L3 1949
Guatemala Type S,Group 3, Line 3 S-G3L3 1951
Northern Railw ay postmark,TYPE S
Guatemala Type S, Group 4, Line 1 S-G4L1 1951
Guatemala Tipe S,Group 4, Line 4 S-G4L4 1951
Northern Railw ay postmark,TYPE T
Guatemala Type T
This postmark does not have a line number is its main characteristic. La Barranquilla Viaduct
Northern Railw ay postmark,TYPE V
Guatemala Type V
This postmark is 24 mm in diameter and is subtype 1, 2mm letters with the ambulant number, narrow space with dashes
Railroad between El Rancho and Gualán
Northern Railw ay postmark,TYPE Z
Guatemala Type Z 1952 This postmark is 22.5mm in diameter and was authorized on March 1, 1952 But copies have been circulated a few days before. Some lines received different numbers.
AMBULANTE on the 24X27mm block For the GUATEMALA-PTO, BARRIOS line were assigned the numbers 1-2-3-4
Northern Railw ay postmark,TYPE Z
Line Name
Line Number
Year
Subtipo 3
GUATEMALA-PTO BARRIOS
1
1952
X
GUATEMALA-PTO BARRIOS
2
1952
X
GUATEMALA-PTO BARRIOS
3
1952
X
GUATEMALA-PTO BARRIOS
4
1952
Northern Railw ay postmark,TYPE Z
Guatemala Type Z, Line 1 ZL1 1952
Guatemala Type Z, Line 3 ZL3 1954
Northern Railw ay postmark,TYPE Z
Guatemala Type Z, Line 3 ZL3 1958
Guatemala Type Z, Line 4 ZL4 1953
Northern Railw ay postmark,TYPE Z
Guatemala Type Z, Line 4 ZL4 1952
Northern Railw ay postmark,TYPE Z
Guatemala Type Z, Line 4 ZL4 1952
El Rancho Station
Northern Railw ay postmark,TYPE CC
Guatemala Type CC
It is not known if this type of mark was used in other lines, the block of letters is identical in size and type to the Type S
Circulated cover with Type CC 1943
Northern Railw ay postmark,TYPE EE, FF
Guatemala Type EE 1958-1962
This postmark is 23mm in diameter. The block of letters omits the word LINE reducing it to 3 lines, the inscription of the date stamp was simplified to AMBULANTE POSTAL, separated by hyphens.
GUATEMALA-PTO BARRIOS # 3 and # 4
Guatemala Type FF
This postmark has a diameter of 23.5mm, the word LINE is reinserted but the layout of the text is different. Dater similar to R and S types. AMBULANTE in roman letters
Northern Railw ay postmark,TYPE Puerto Barrios 1971 -1973 and TYPE Gualan 1980
Guatemala Type 1971-1973
This incomplete duplex was used in 19711973, as fot the previous series,there is no indication of line. The letter is origined from Puerto Barrios. It is 32mm in diameter
Guatemala Type Ca 1980
It is 30mm in diameter, this postmark is known on a stamp issued in 1979, and many other dated uses of the style of postmark appeared in the early 1980, layout indicates that it must also have been numbered initialy.
The letter originated in Gualan
Northern Railw ay postmark, New postmark found in August 2021
104 years later it is registered
The postmark is Duplex, diameter 30mm and written in capital letters: PRIMER AGENTE POSTAL AMBULANTE - GUATEMALA AND P.BARRIOS with 5 hollow bars and 10 points, from the hollow bar to both points there is a distance of 20mm. Dated March 14, 1917, This mark had not been listed(*) (*) We refer to the work Guatemala and its postal marks by Cécile-Gruson 2004-2007
Northern Railw ay Markings, BIBLIOGRAPHY
George Kenneth Clough Articles in the El Quetzal Magazine numbers 127 and 128 published in January and February 1961
Northern Railw ay Markings, BIBLIOGRAPHY
The Postal Markings Of Guatemala, Section 21.1-21.3 by Cécile-Gruson 2004-2007
Northern Railw ay Markings, BIBLIOGRAPHY, AND PHILATELIC MATERIAL
Thanks to the International Society of Guatemala Collectors for their openness and dissemination of knowledge.
Many thanks to Michael Bloom and David Reitsema for the philatelic material and illustrations. Many thanks to David Lindwall for his explanations and patience.
Questions? THANK YOU email: yvmontesr@yahoo.com yurivladimirmontes@gmail.com
Quiriguá Station