The Toma del Tren Blindado Monument memorializes the taking of an armored train. See where Dr. Ernesto “Che” Guevara and a handful of youthful revolutionaries won a pivotal victory in the Cuban Revolution that removed Fulgencio Batista from his presidency.
Learn about this famous battle, which helped build the legend of Che as a brilliant tactician, daring military leader and folk hero. In late December 1958, Batista sent more than 370 seasoned and heavily armed government troops on an armored train from Havana toward Santa Clara to combat guerrilla insurgents threatening his rule. Meanwhile Che and 18 young guerrillas prepared to attack the train, which could have been a suicide mission.
On December 29, Che commandeered a bulldozer to push the train tracks aside to derail the train outside Santa Clara. In less than 2 hours, the guerrillas defeated the much larger government forces using homemade firebombs, providing the decisive victory for the revolutionaries. Batista fled the country almost immediately. See the battle’s famous bright yellow Caterpillar bulldozer on a five-pointed star pedestal at the site, now a monument to the revolutionary heroes.
Look for other elements of the monument, including a tall obelisk dedicated to Che that includes a description of the battle. Nearby, a sculpture by Cuban artist José Delarra pays tribute to the actions of Che Guevara and Camilo Cienfuegos. Long concrete shards poke randomly out of the earth depicting explosions.
Step inside the bright red boxcars, which now serve as a museum holding photos of the original destruction, maps and artifacts from both sides of the conflict, including weapons, clothing, survival gear and bottles typical of those used to make Molotov cocktails. Many items have informational plaques in Spanish and English. One car is designated as an art gallery.
To reach the Toma del Tren Blindado Monument, walk less than 10 minutes northeast of Leoncio Vidal Park. There is a fee to enter the boxcar museum. A few more blocks outside the city is an interesting statue of Che holding a child, with many other symbols including his motorcycle and his Bolivian troops.
