Track 10 - South of the Border -
Mexico and Central America

While most of the Official Guide's focus is on the U.S. and Canada, it did for much of its history carry information on the passenger services in Mexico, Central America, and Cuba. I strongly suspect that much of this information is abridged and that a number of smaller stops are missing from the timetables, but there is little that I can do about that at this late date.

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Please take note of the following abbreviations for States and Territories in Central America and the Republic of Mexico as were used in the Official Guide during the streamliner era and which have been used on this website:
Aguascalientes: Ags. Costa Rica: Cos. Ric. Jalisco: Jal. Oaxaca: Oax.Sonora: Son.
Baja California: B. Cfa. Distrito Federal: D.F. Mexico: Mex. Puebla: Pue.Tabasco: Tab.
Campeche: Cam. Durango: Dgo. Michoacan: Micho. Queretaro: Qro.Tamaulipas: Tam.
Canal Zone: C.Z. Guanajuato: Gto. Morelos: Mor. Quintana Roo: Q.R.Tiaxcala: Tiax.
Chiapas: Chis. Guatemala: Guat. Nayarit: Nay. San Luis Potosi: S.L.P.Vera Cruz: Ver. C.
Chihuahua: Chih. Guerrero: Gro. Nicaragua: Nic. Salvador: Salv.Yucatan: Yuc.
Coahuila: Coah. Hidalgo: Hgo. Nuevo Leon: N.L. Sinaloa: Sin.Zacatecas: Zac.
Colima: Colima Honduras: Hond.



The Trains:

The Aztec Eagle

Through service from San Antonio to Mexico City via Laredo and Monterrey, operated in the U.S. by Missouri Pacific and in the Republic of Mexico by N. de M.
Aztec Eagle - December, 1952

Cuban Passenger Trains 1 & 2

Overnight sleeping-car service across the breadth of Cuba between Havana and Santiago de Cuba via Santa Clara and Alto Cedro, with connecting service available to Guantanamo.
Trains 1 & 2 (Cuba) - May, 1957

El Chepe

Promoter Arthur Stilwell's dream of a link between Kansas City and Topolobampo, Sinaloa Mexico (the closest Pacific Ocean port) was finally realized in 1961, 33 years after his death, when the Mexican government completed the Chihuahua Pacific Railway. Better known to many as the "Copper Canyon" route, it continues to carry passenger service to this day.
El Chepe - October, 1962

El Fronterizo

National Railways of Mexico operated this long-distance service from Ciudad Juárez on the northern border at El Paso through the heart of the country to México City.
El Fronterizo - October, 1962


El Tapatio

National Railways of Mexico's overnight, all-Pullman service between Mexico City and Guadalajara.
El Tapatio/Trains 9 & 10/Trains 11 & 12 - October, 1962
El Tapatio/El Costeno/El Mexicali - March 1968

Panama Railroad

The most expensive fifty miles of railroad ever built in terms of both money and lives, it was the first to connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and paved the way for the eventual construction of both the Overland Route and the Panama Canal.
Passenger Service - December, 1948


All comments, original material and page design copyright ©2006-2015 by Eric H. Bowen. Page updated 2015-07-08.