Costa Rica 1947 Airmail- A Non Sense To Me

This stamp was issued for the fiftieth anniversary of the electric railway to the Pacific. It is showing a steam locomotive and that is how it is describe in Scott.

If I understand your comment correctly (sorry if I'm wrong) -

Actually, I think they may be correct. Although it could very possibly be a steam locomotive, the steam powered turbines may have powered an electric generator or motor which propelled the train. Why? I have no idea - maybe something to do with the region or climate or access to wood or coal or something. Again, just a guess.

Besides stamps, I am also nuts about trains. I believe the real reason for this steam loc to be on an electric road is for the picture itself. Steam locomotives make nicer pictures than electric trains. Another thing; I grew up in the Netherlands. The railnet there was electrified long before the last steam locos were taken out of service, as it was in most countries around the world.
If you look at the stamp, one not just wonders about this electric thing. This is an airmail stamp; were they completely mixed up there?
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Yes, I was about to comment on a train on an airmail :)
Unusual.
I'll look up the stamp in my "trains on stamps" catalogue
see what they have to say.


...and they say "35c steam locomotive" That's all :)

What's philately without a little controversy

... and where diesel locomotives are concerned is it not the case that the diesels themselves do not provide the motive power to make the wheels go round but, in fact, drive generators which, in turn, make the wheels go round and round.

True. Diesel engines drive electric generators that in turn drive the wheel motors. But that is not the case in steam engines!

Petert
You must be wright. They just had a steam locomotive for a stamp because it look nicier.