The armored special train left Havana on December 23, 1958 with two diesel locomotives and 17 four-axle open and closed freight cars as well as personnel carriers of American origin, the side walls of which were reinforced with steel plates.
The train, which was fully loaded with weapons, ammunition and provisions for two months in addition to 373 soldiers, was supposed to bring about a turning point in the fight against the revolution and for the Batista regime in the East.
On December 26, 1958, 18 guerrillas under their commander Ernesto Che Guevara attacked the Tren Blindado on the site of today's national monument. Guevara destroyed 30 meters of track with a bulldozer and caused the armored train to derail. The heat generated by Molotov cocktails finally forced the officers to surrender. After several hours of fighting, the weapons fell into the hands of the guerrillas.
These were the last days of the Cuban Revolution.