Manila Railway Cabanatuan class
No. 777Cabanatuan, the only survivor of the class.
Type and origin Power type Steam Builder Kerr, Stuart and Company Serial number 777-778 Build date 1905 Total produced 2
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 0-6-0T  • UIC Ct Gauge 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Valve gear Stephenson Couplers Buffers and chain coupler Janney coupler
Performance figures Maximum speed 21 mph (34 km/h)
Career Operators Manila Railway Company Manila Railroad Company Number in class 2 Locale North Main Line Batangas branch Delivered 1905 First run 1905 Last run 1956 Retired 1956 Preserved 1 Scrapped c. 1945 (Batangas) Disposition No. 777Cabanatuan survived, No. 778Batangas scrapped
References:

TheManila Railway V class are a class of two0-6-0side tank locomotives built in 1905 byKerr, Stuart and Company. They were operated by the Manila Railway and the Manila Railroad Companies until 1956. One locomotive survives today on display in front ofTutuban station inTondo,Manila.

The names of the two locomotives suggest the opening of the two branch lines of the Manila Railway Company in 1905. These were the 58 km (36 mi) Batangas line and the Cabanatuan line. The Cabanatuan line, namesake of No. 777Cabanatuan, was a branch of the North Main Line that led toCabanatuan in theCentral Luzon province ofNueva Ecija. It would branch off the North Main Line nearBigaa in Bulacan. Cabanatuan is 120 kilometers (75 mi) from Manila and therefore would require lighter-duty rolling stock than the mainline. The Batangas line, namesake of No. 778Batangas, was the longest branch of the South Main Line. The line would branch off inCalamba, Laguna and would head towardsBatangas City.^[1]

The Cabanatuan class was the first of three locomotive classes with the0-6-0 wheel arrangement. The succeeding Cavite class would also be built in the same arrangement and was also built by Kerr Stuart. The last class wasMirador which was a single cog locomotive built bySwiss Locomotive and Machine Works in 1914.

There was no documentation on which services were the two locomotives were used. However, No. 777Cabanatuan managed to surviveWorld War II and was retired in 1956 with all the steam locomotives from mainline service. Afterwards, it has been on static display in front ofTutuban station in Manila. The Batangas line continued to operate without steam locomotives, but was eventually closed due to the preference of the government to build highways. The Cabanatuan line was also closed in the 1980s for the same reason.^[2]

Cabanatuan's center chain mechanism as part of its buffers and chain coupler was replaced by a Janney coupler sometime during its service life.

• Steam locomotives of the Philippines
• 0-6-0T locomotives
• C steam locomotives
• Railway locomotives introduced in 1905
• 3 ft 6 in gauge locomotives
• Kerr Stuart locomotives