Vintage Steam Locomotives in Bacolod City - Philippines

One of the most unusual tourist attractions in Negros are the vintage steam locomotives in Bacolod. These are not the things that one usually associates when going sightseeing in the Philippines, but in the City of Smiles, you can always expect the unexpected.

What to See

These classic trains (popularly known as iron dinosaurs), most of which were built in the 1920s by American companies, are now scattered in various sugar plantations and fields in and around Negros. Of the many areas where these are found, the most popular and visited are the ones at the sugar fields in La Carlota. There you can see the humongous trains, some over 15 tons and many of them set in jet black.

These vintage steam locomotives in Bacolod never fail to catch the eye of the visitors thanks to their imposing appearance. One of the trains weighs in at 18 tons. It was built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in the US in the mid 1920s. Although it no longer runs (it was decommissioned in the 1960s), a lot of the other trains there still work and are actually used by the sugarcane companies to pull some of the cane field cars behind it. Although watching them in motion and taking pictures is nice, it gets even better because you can arrange to ride in one of them.

Location and Cost

Most of the vintage steam locomotives in Bacolod are at the city of La Carlota. It is less than an hour away from the capital city. Specifically the iron dinosaurs are in the Central Azucarera de La Carta. Other locomotives can be found at Silay City, where they are being managed and run by the Hawaiian Philippines Company. There are also some at the Victorias Milling Company (VICMICO) right at Victorias City.

The trips are almost always part of a package tour so the expenses will be covered. The tour fees of course, vary, but expect it to be in the range of Php 1,500 to 1,800 per person. A lot of these trips include stopovers at other tourist attractions, food and drinks and also the transportation costs. The ideal time to visit the trains will be from October to April. Most of the time the hotel will take care of the scheduling so you do not have to call the sugar companies yourself.

Not only are they unique attractions but the vintage steam locomotives in Bacolod are also historical landmarks. Looking, and even riding in one of these rumbling machines will take you to another time and place, which makes them truly fascinating.