The Insular Lumber Company (ILCO) Train 7 is probably the most famous Iron Dinosaur in Negros. It is known as the Legendary Siete because of stories surrounding it and its significance to the lives of those it once served. The history of Siete crosses path with the lumber and sugar industries, two industries which fueled the economy of Negros and also caused tragedies and crises.
The Insular Lumber Company, considered the world’s largest hardwood mill, established their sawmill in Barangay Fabrica around 1907. The company built a railway line from the mountains down to Fabrica where steam locomotives were used to transport the logs.
Siete was built in 1925 by the American company Baldwin Locomotive Works. It was used extensively in the lumber industry in the United States before it was brought to Fabrica, Sagay City in the 1930’s to be used by ILCO.
During its days with ILCO, Siete hauls thirty-two cars weighing 30 tons with boiler pressure of 280 lbs per square inch and was hailed to be the most powerful steam engine in Negros Island.
Although I could not find a document to confirm it, I heard stories that it was Siete which careened down a mountainside on September 2, 1954, killing 82 workers. It was considered one of the worst train accidents in Philippine history.
Most environmentalists consider ILCO as the reason why Negros lost most of its forests. When there’s no more timber to cut from the forest of Sagay, ILCO vacated the area in 1976 and transferred to Hinoba-an, the southernmost town of Negros Occidental. Much of the land vacated by ILCO was used for sugarcane plantation.
The Lopez Sugar Corporation which has a mill near the ILCO sawmill in Fabrica, connected their railway system to the ILCO line in order to serve the sugarcane fields from the land vacated by ILCO. Disputes between the farmers and the Lopez management later on lead to the eventual removal of the railway connection with the ILCO line.
After decades of service in the lumber and sugar industries, Siete suffered the same fate as most Iron Dinosaurs, it was left as junk at a sugar central’s compound. However, Siete was rescued from a sad fate by Edgar and Sonia Sarrosa who purchased the steam locomotive and donated it to the city government of Sagay in 1997.
Siete is currently on display at the Sagay Public Plaza, attracting tourists who are curious about this legendary steam locomotive and Sagaynons who consider Siete a significant part of their history.
My grandpa is actually the second engineer to drive that train
BEN, MY NAME IS DONALD HARBORT. MY FATHER WORK TOGETHER WITH YOUR DAD. YOUR SISTER VICKY, WAS PLAYMATES IN MINAPASOK WITH ME AND MY SISTER ELIZABETH. I REMEMBER YOU VERY WELL. YOU WERE TALL, AND LINKY AND OLDER THAN ME. I THINK YOU WERE FRIENDS WITH MY OLDER BROTHER HAROLD. I STILL HAVE A PICTURE OF YOU AND YOUR SISTER AND YOUR DAD STANDING BEHIND MAY DAD AND MOM AT A PARTY. I HOPE YOU GET THIS. NICE TO HEAR YOUR HANGING IN THERE.
A little follow up about Old #7 train wreck. The engine did not leave the tracks , only several log cars.
My father,Benjamin F.Grady was the newly assigned loggin engineer assigned in Aug 1954. We resided in Malnapasuc which was the head quarters for the logging operations.Our family lived there from Aug 1954 thru Aug 1957.
In referance to the train reck, it happened on one of the main railroad tressels in route to Fabrica. The account as I remember it. The local Philippinos used the train cars for transportation to and from Fabrica and Malnapasuc. The rail cars were plainly marked, no riders. The event is this. There was a down hill run to the tressel and an up hill incline on the departure end. On the down hill run the log cars became uncoupled about mid way the length of the train length and old 7 was pulling away and crossed the tressel without all the cars.All the passengers began to yell for the engine to stop. The engineer stopped , reversed direction and the seperated cars slamed into each other on the Bridge. Bodies were everywhere , Under and around those giant loggs. As I remember The bridge was over 150 feet from water bottom. As a new employee , my Father was given the job of directing the clean up. For future safety, hooks and strong chains were installed on all cars. These cars didn’t have air brakes , each car had manuel crank brakes with 2 or 3 work men riding to do the brake operation on the cars. Hope this helps.
Please resend it at : arleneinternational@gmail.com
Dear Mrs. Tomulto,
Thank you for your excellent article for the Iron Dinosaurs.
I am a hobbyist of scale model trains (HO, 1:87) and hopefully my next project will be a diorama (layout) of Negros island. (I relocated from Greece to Dumaguete on 2009, living in Talay with my wife and daughter).
I plan to email the “DAYON” magazine about the trains of Negros, so I ask your permission to mention your article in case they would need more info.
With best regards,
Akis Vatikiotis
Hello Akis! Yes, you can mention my article and you may also check out the other article I wrote about the Iron Dinosaurs of Negros. There’s a link there to an excellent site for steam locomotive enthusiasts.
I’m very interested in your diorama. We can feature it here if it’s OK with you.
Hello Glady !
FarRail Tours are great ! I can send you photos of my diorama if you
email me. Here I don’t see any link to download them.
Dear Glady,
I missed to add that whenever you will visit Dumaguete it will be our real pleasure to have lunch or dinner and ..play with the trains !
Akis
Gee thanks! That would be great! Probably next year when I’ve already given birth. I sent you an email. It might have been caught as spam.