South American Railways in the 1960s Preview

SouthAmericanRailways inthe1960s

SouthAmericanRailways

Argentina:FerrocarrilNacionalGeneralUrquiza

ThecreationoftheUrquizasystemin1948broughttogetherallofArgentina’sstandardgauge(1435 mm)lines,thenabout3,400kms(nowperhaps2,765kms),andthe226kmsoftheFCEconómico Correntino’s600mmlineswhichclosedin1969.TheUrquizalinkedBuenosAireswiththeprovincesof EntreRíos,CorrientesandMisiones,andinternationallywithParaguayand(briefly)Uruguay.Mostof themileagewasinheritedfromtwoBritishcompanieswhichagreedajointadministrationin1915,the ArgentineNorthEasternRailway(ANER,1209kms)andtheEntreRiosRailway(ERR,1044kms).The state-ownedFCEstecontributedafurther798kmstotheUrquiza.AccesstoBuenosAiresfromthese lineswasformerlybytrain-ferryacrosstheParanáriverfromIbicuytoZárate,sincethe1970sbya bridge.AtZáratetheyconnectedwiththeFCCentraldeBuenosAires(CBA,379kms),theonlymajor lineinArgentinatohavebeenprivately-ownedbyanArgentinenational,FedericoLacroze,whogives hisnametotheline’sterminus.FreightservicesontheUrquizasystemwereprivatisedin1993as AméricaLatinaLogística(ALL,aBraziliancompany)andoperatedasFCMesopotámicountilALL’s concessionsinArgentinawerecancelledin2013.Inter-citypassengerservices,largelyabandonedinthe 1990s,nowhavebeenpartiallyrevived.

OppositeTop:TheBritish-ownedrailwaysinArgentinararelylookedbeyondBritainfortheirneeds–perhaps toGermanybeforetheFirstWorldWar,butalmostnevertotheUS.TheERRwasanexception,buying20 locosfromBaldwin,nearlyallin1906and1908.Allwereapparentlystillgoingstrongwhennationalizedin 1948,andthreeofthemwereseeninsteamandreadyforworkatBasavilbasoinJuly1969.ClassI4-6-0 No.205(Baldwin27221/1906)wasfreshlywateredandcoaledanditsdriverhadjustarrivedlooking immaculateinwhiteoveralls.WhydidInotgooverandaskhimwhatjobhewouldbeworking?Chance missed.ThereweresixlocosofclassIinheritedbytheUrquizafromtheERR,joinedbytwomorefromthe CBA,oneofwhich,No.207(Baldwin34077/1910)wasalsothereinsteam. Ref906

OppositeBottom:Thesecondtypeofex-ERRBaldwin4-6-0sincludedonlythreelocos.ClassHNo.253seen hereontheturntablewasw/n32579/1908.TheonlyobviousdifferencebetweenclassesIandHisthatthe sandboxontherunningboardof205hasbeenmovedtotheboilertopunderadomeon253,andathird domeseemstohavebeenadded.ThesunwassettingonNo.253,soIjusthadtimeforachurrascoand MalbecbeforecatchingthenighttraintoBuenosAires. Ref922

Below:Accordingto‘thebook’themostnumerouslocotypetobefoundontheUrquizawastheBritish-built classic,the4-6-0.Ornottobefound.TheERRreceived23ofthemfromNBLin1910-12,ofclassesNandO. InadditiontheCBAacquiredadozenfromitsfavouredbuilderKerrStuartin1914,laterdesignatedZCclass whenhandedover,soin1948theUrquizahad35ten-wheelersfromBritishbuilderscomparedwithjust14 fromBaldwin.DidthoseofBritishoriginhaveahighattritionrate,orwasIjustunlucky?In1969IdidfindNo. 223oftheex-ERRNBLbatch(19209/1910)inadarkshedinBasavilbaso,andfouryearslaterthesameloco wasinsteamandintheshedyardatConcordia.Oneortwomayhavebeensoldovertherivertohelprelieve Paraguay’sperennialshortagebutotherwiseIdrewablank.AlsoatConcordiainMay1973wasHenschel 2-10-0No.3005(28654/1952)arrivinglightengine,and600mm-gaugeHunslet4-6-0No.661(1337/1919) undergoingrestorationfollowingclosurein1969oftheFCEconómicoCorrentino(FCEC). Ref1197

SouthAmericanRailways

Chapter8

Brazil:EstradadeFerroSantosaJundiaí

OneofthemostfamousrailwaylinesintheworldwasthefunicularsectionoftheBritish-owned 1600mm(5ft3in)gaugeSãoPauloRailway(SPR).ThesectionliftedthelinefromPiassaguera(nearthe portofSantos)uptheSerradoMar,800m(2,625ft),toParanapiacaba(akaAltodaSerra)andthuson toSãoPauloandJundiaíandthecoffeeplantations.Thefirstlineopenedin1867butproved inadequateandbuildingasecondnearbybeganin1895andopenedin1901.Itwasanimmense engineeringachievement,veryprofitablefortheSPRuntilthecompanywasnationalizedin1946.In 1970workbeganwithJapanesecapitalandtechnologyonathirdline(leavingthesecondtoclose entirelyin1982)whichfollowstherouteofthefirstbutreplacingthecablewithoverheadelectrification andanAbtrackandadhesionsystem.AfterthedemiseofRFFSAanditshoped-fornationalnetwork, MRSLogísticasecuredtheconcessionfortheex-EFSJin1996,reducedthepassengerservice,andin 2012replacedtheHitachilocomotiveswithgiantsbyStadlerRail.Ironorehaslongsincereplaced coffeeasthemaincargo.Allthephotosweretakenon4August1968.

SouthAmericanRailways

Above:Baldwin4-8-2No.75isseenherearrivingatBogotáonthetrackwhichinspiteofthethreetruck-loads ofcoalbehindthelocotakesitintoplatform1atLaSabanastation.Thetrainisamixedpassenger/freight, andthecoalmayinfactbeneededtoreplenishthefuelheapintheyard.(Comparedwiththeelegantwater tower,deliveryofcoalwasanunsophisticatedprocessfromtheenormousdumpviaatractor-typetipperinto thetender.)No.75’sbuilder’splatewasillegiblebecauseoverpainted,butitislistedasw/n72236/1945,ex-FC delPacífico.Atsomestageafter1953itwastransferredtoDivisiónCentrales(DC)whichalreadyhadaNo.75 (Baldwin4-8-073094/1947). Ref76

Below:Similarly,FCdelPacífico’s4-8-0No.85(Baldwin60532/1928)wasrenumberedNo.65-47in1948seen hereatBogotá,beforeworkingonCentralesterritoryalongsideDC’sTubize2-8-2No.65,newin1951and‘65’ itsthirdnumeration.Didthisnumberduplicationnevercauseconfusiontorailwaymanagement?Orwasthe routeavailabilitysuffix(evenwhennotdisplayed)anintegralpartofaColombianloco’sID? Ref71

Peru:SouthernRailwayofPeruandFCCuzco-SantaAna

Chapter16

Peru:SouthernRailwayofPeruandFCCuzco-SantaAna

TheFCSwasnationalizedin1972andhasbeenoperatedbyPeruRailsinceprivatisationin1999.Itstwo mainlinesconvergeonJuliaca(about40kmsfromPunoonLakeTiticaca).Therouteistravellednowby aluxurytouristtrain,the‘BelmondAndeanExplorer’whichisoperatedjointlybyBelmondandPeruRail. FromCuzcothe3ft(914mm)gaugeCuzco-SantaAna(FCCSA)givestheonlyconvenientmeansof accesstotheastonishingIncaruinsofMachuPicchuperchedonamountainridge400mabovethe railwayatAguasCalientes.Aswellasthe‘BelmondHiramBingham’,PeruRailandIncaRailhavecheaper alternativetrainsontherouteforimpecunioustravellers.Cheapertheymaybebutnotcheapenough forlocalpeoplewhoseangryprotestsatthepriceoffaresonwhatistheirlifelinecausedMachuPicchu (thetouristindustry’slifeline)tobeclosedattheendof2020.

InAugust1969theTiticacaferryfromGuaquiinBoliviawasmetatPunobyaservicetrainhauledviaJuliacato CuzcobyDENo.356,anAlcoC-CRSD39,oneofelevensuppliedtotheFCSin1963.Thetrainhaspausedat Sicuaniforthesaleofmementostotourists. Ref1042

Overleaf:SanPedrostationistheFCCSA’sterminusinCuzco.Fromthecountryendoftheplatform,seenhere atfirstlight,theday’sagendaisstillbeingdiscussedinseveralgroupsbuthasalreadystartedfortheloco underthecolumnofexhaust.ThisturnsouttobeNo.123 IngenieroViñas,aBaldwin2-8-2(59205/1926) labouringupfromtheyardbelowthattheFCCSAsharedwiththeFCS.No.123ispushingupanempty carriageand(justvisiblebehindthecarriage)a1962MitsubishiB-BdieselNo.DD2602.Insidetheshedand worksarelocosNo.128(Alco2-8-2,61555/1920),No.124(Baldwin2-8-2,59206/1926),andNo.129(Henschel 2-8-2,26402/1950).BeyondtheshedarethemountainsthattheCSAlinepenetratesonthewaytoMachu Picchu. Ref1043

AlertedthepreviousdayinPasodelosTorostothepossibilityofadouble-headedsteam-dieselmixedtrain runningtoCentral,friendWertherandIwerepreparedforthesightofSclass2-8-0No.144(HL3449/1921) pilotingdieselelectricB-BNo.804(Alsthom1963)astheypassedoveralevelcrossingnearSayagoonthe outskirtsofMontevideoinApril1973.Inthelate1960sIwasencouragedbyawell-knowninternationalrailway journalthatwasshortofnewsfromSouthAmericatosendtothemanynewspaperitemsofrailwayinterest. Onesuchitemsuggestedthatthefailurerateof(new)AlsthomlocosinUruguaywashigherthantherateof (older)GElocos.ThisitemwaspublishedandelicitedafuriousresponsefromAlsthomthatitwasincorrectand inanycasethetrackwasinmuchworseconditionin1963thanithadbeenin1954.Iapologisedtothejournal forbeingtheauthorofthisupsetbutfarfrombeingconcernedtheeditorwasdelighted.Suchisjournalism. Ref1191