NAME OF COMPANY: Filipino National Railway
GAUGE: 3 ft 6 in (Luzon); 3 ft 3 3⁄8 in (Mindanao); 2ft (Mindoro and Bohol); 3 ft (Cebu and Negros)
PERIOD OPERATIONAL: 1923-present
HISTORY / DESCRIPTION: After the Spanish-American War of 1898, the Philippines felt screwed over when the US ultimately settled on Cuba to include as a territory, and let Spain keep the island chain. For this reason, the Filipinos were further subjugated as Spain also decided to join the Central Powers in the Great War. This of course bit Spain in the bum when Japan invaded Luzon, and received the support of many enthusiastic Filipinos. The commoners of the island chained felt happier when they learned that The Treaty of Singapore, which gave Japan the islands, forbade Tokyo from subjugating them in a similar matter to what they once had been doing in Korea.
Nonetheless, Japan chose to make the most of what they could use. Prime Minister Katō Takaaki, knowing what might happen if such was the case, ordered the mass expulsion of as many reactionaries in the Japanese army as he could. He and the new colonial administration in Manila agreed that in order to make the Philippines a sufficiently valuable asset, there had to be a transportation network of sorts.
The island of Luzon already had a 3ft 6in gauge network that had begun in the Spanish colonial period. Stretching from San Fernando to Legaspi via Manila. As such, it was decided that this new network should run on the 1,067 mm gauge popularized in both Japan and Southern Africa. The main reason for this was so that it would be easier to acquire rolling stock, as not only did Japan use the 3ft 6in gauge as well, but several engines from the Japanese network were heading to scrap at the time. In addition, there were still several 2-6-0 tank engines from the time of the British owners that ran the line until Spain seized it in 1893.
After a series of track tests, the first train operated under the FNR banner ran from San Fernando to Legaspi on March 2, 1923. It was a mixed train carry both passengers and freight with the former's coach cars at the back fo the train. Motive power for the trip was JGR Class 8200 Mogul that was initially due for scrapping before the FNR's formation. Soon after, the American-built Moguls that came in droves from service in Japan would define the FNR's Luzon operations in its early days.
In Manila, the colonial administration who was in charge of the railways found that the use of secondhand engines allowed for another advantage. There were more funds to extend the FNR to other islands in the nation. Almost immediately it was decided to extend the pre-existing network across Luzon with targeted cities being Laoag, Tuguegaro, Santa Cruz, and Santa Ana. Through the use of relatively cheap native labor, secondhand rolling stock, and building along the coast where possible, these lines were mostly completed by the end of the decade.
Like those of Luzon, the railways of Panay Island were 3ft 6in gauge. So the Japanese colonial administration simply took lighter engines from JNR's early days that were still existing. Then, the engines were shipped down to Panay as it extended to serve places beyond Iloilo - Roxas route. Eventually creating a circuit via Kalibo, the western coast, and San Jose.
Further south, the island of Mindanao would have its network shaped by different circumstances. Most of their early rolling stock came secondhand from British Malaya due to it being closer than Japan. As such, the Mindanao region would adapt the meter gauge, and with it a wide variety of acquisitions from railways across the British Commonwealth, as well as other meter gauge systems in Asia. Ranging from engines originally used in the aforementioned Malaya, to Garratts from East Africa, to older engines of the once vast meter gauge system in India, and even at least one 4-6-0 from French Indochina. The final system was the most ambitious in the FNR's construction. Especially with a mainline serving Zamboanga to Surigao via Pagadian, Cotabato, Korondal, Davao, and Butuan. Another route from Cagayan to Butuan ran via Marawi and Cagayan de Oro.
On the islands of Cebu and Negros, the pre-existing rail lines were almost entirely those of American-owned sugar plantations. Consequently, the island's railroad was built to the 3ft gauge lines that these industrial lines used. Primarily as a means of letting the mainlines of these two island transfer cargo more easily. Likewise, the FNR on these two islands cut corners by having rolling stock based of the Rio Grande's famous narrow gauge lines in Colorado. Mindoro and Bohol both ran on 2 ft gauge lines. Again, with the locomotives and rolling stock being based on US exports to Latin America. This time however, there would be several 2-6-2 tank engines built by Mitsubishi for use on these islands. Especially since most people preferred more frequent buses as passenger transport. Leaving most of the railway services on the two islands to freight duties aside from a daily passenger train in each direction.
Naturally, the FNR was soon to become the delight of rail enthusiasts around the world. From the Indian old-timers still running on the Mindanao system, to the sugar cane trains behind American products, to the JNR hand me downs on Luzon, there was a little something for everyone. In fact, the JNR C63 Class 2-6-2, unwanted in her native nation due to the start of dieselization, got her chance at life as a freight engine on the network in Luzon. Even so, all good things must come to an end, and most steam on all the systems has since been replaced largely by diesels. However, many museums managed to pop up in the islands, and there are talks of one big museum in San Fernando. So that in addition to the steamers already running on excursion trains, there may one day be one big celebration of the Filipino Railway.
