Traveling Post Office Guatemala Part. 4 Occidental Railway

TRAVELING POST OFFICE GUATEMALA PART

OCCIDENTALRAILWAY

Yuri Vladimir Montes

train that went

the border city of Ayutla known today as Ciudad Tecun Uman and with an initial section that began between the Port of Champerico and Retalhuleu

In 1882 the first part of the Occidental Railway began, we refer to the line that went from the Port of Champerico to Retalhuleu, this was the second line under construction after the Central Railway whose line was from Puerto de San José to Guatemala City ; In the literature and texts, the Line from Champerico to Retalhuleu is called the Occidental Railway, it must be taken into account that this stretch is only part of it.

In July 1884, the 67 km (42 miles) line between Champerico and Retalhuleu was concluded.

Abranch was built towards San Felipe in the coffee zone.

The Occidental Railway emerged as a need to transport coffee from the Retalhuleu area, in addition to being the epicenter of agriculture in the area, later this was joined to the Central Railroad. In 1915 the line managed to joinAyutla (Today Tecum Uman City) and connect with the Ocos Railway

The first postal mark dates from 1890 and this is from Escuintla and Santa Lucia Cotzumalguapa.

Occidental Railway Markings, Type D

Guatemala Type D 1890 Retalhuleu y Champerico

Construction of this 67Km (42 miles) Retalhuleu and Champerico Line as part of the Occidental Railway began in 1882 and was completed on July 1, 1884.

This mark is 32mm in diameter and from 1890 and is similar to Type F, it is characterized by having the date in a line and the words "BETWEEN" and "Y" Very scarce brand.

The archives have left no documentation on the date of the establishment of the ambulante plaza, but surely the postal conductors used the train before the line was finished.

Occidental Railway Markings, Type H

Guatemala Type H 1893-1898 Entre Champerico y San Felipe

This oval mark has been seen on few envelopes, it measures 46X26 mm, it was originally dated from ca 1893 to 1895, it appears undated between 1896 to 1898.

The construction of the Retalhuleu to San Felipe section, which was part of the itinerary of this Ambulante, was completed in 1892, but the line was put into public service until 1894, after slight corrections had been made to the bridges and technical facilities to improve the user safety. This mark confirms that the postal services used the lines before their official inauguration

Guatemala Type Ia 1904

AMBULANTE DE SAN FELIPEACHAMPERICO

Ia

This Type Ia is 31mm in diameter and is from 1904.

It differs from Type I due to its larger size, Type I measures 29mm in diameter and Type Ia also has ornaments in the legend:

AMBULANTE DE SAN FELIPE *ACHAMPERICO

This mark is also known with the legend:

AMBULANTE DE SAN FELIPE *ARETALHULEU

Cover placed in the Port of Champerico on July 31, 1923 and addressed to California, has a transit postmark of Guatemala City datedAugust 2, 1923

A CHAMPERICO Guatemala Type N 1923

This Retalhuleu-Champerico is only known circulated in 1923.

The Type N circulated between 1923-1926 Diameter between 30-31mm

Occidental

Guatemala Type R 1927-1946

Type R marks were used from 1927 to 1946.

Its general characteristics are the following:

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:

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)

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 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)

Occidental

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

Variant 1: NUM for No. (16 and 17 18X18mm block of letters)

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 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.

INUEVE

In August 1960, some marks of the type Z were still in use but with new changes in the line names, this is known as a subtype or group 2 with a diameter of 28mm

Champerico Train

It is 37mm in diameter and is known as Type G4

This Type G4 is assigned for the line

STALUCIACOTZUMALGUAPANo 4 Santa Lucia Cotzumalguapa is an area where a large amount of sugar was produced at that time.

This is the rarest of Type G

Exquisite piece from February 1902 with theAMBULANTE ESCUINTLAACOCALES that later passed to theAMBULANTE GUATEAESCUINTLANo 1, to finally be received in Guatemala

Exquisite piece from March 1902 with theAMBULANTE ESCUINTLAACOCALES that later passed to theAMBULANTE GUATEAESCUINTLANo 1, to finally be received in Guatemala City

Markings,

Guatemala Type (3) F.C. CENTRAL 1908-1918

This mark is 30mm in diameter, with 6 bars of 20X17mm was used between 1908-1918

The most known with (1) is so widely used that it cannot be verified if the lower text is the same. Exist with (1) and (3)

This mark is between 23-24mm in diameter. It was used between 1925-1927. The name Muluá is the abbreviation of Santa Cruz Muluá

Santa Cruz de Muluá is a town located 11 km from Retalhuleu.

San Felipe is a town that is 17 km from Retalhuleu.

This was a branch of the Occidental Railway that would later connect with the LosAltos Railway

Occidental Railway Markings, TYPE

Guatemala Type R 1927-1946

Its general characteristics are the following:

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:

Subtype 1: Date stamp letters 2mm,spaces small, most without dashes between words. Use ca 1929-1936

Type R marks were used from 1927 to 1946.

Subtype 1a: Botton 2 lines and the postmark in Roman letters (# 14 and # 15)

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 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)

Train crossing in the exuberant municipality of Santa Cruz Muluá, municipality of the department of Retalhuleu

Occidental

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

Variant 1: NUM for No. (16 and 17 18X18mm block of letters)

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 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.

These types of ambulantes were used from

the numbered cancellers correspond to the assignments before March

most of the daters are without numbers.

of

were used from

the numbered cancellers correspond to the

before March

most of the daters are without numbers.

Guatemala Tipo Z 1952

This mark 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

George Kenneth Clough

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.