Hi Olaf,
I suspect the difference between what I observed in 1991 and you observed in 2004 was I was there when there was regular service between Jacobacci and Esquel. Thirteen years later, service trains were long gone and operation consisted of an occasional tourist train from Esquel to Nahuel Pan and maybe one extensive system charter every couple of years. Crew training appears to have suffered as you noted with the fireman's performance.
I was surprised at the speed but there were several long straights before Norquinco and the track bed was still well maintained at that point. The passenger cars rode smoothly. The Baldwins were definitely smoother riding than the Henschel's. The Baldwins were mostly used between Jacobacci and El Maiten, with the Henschel's used between El Maiten and Esquel. Of course this did not necessarily apply to charter train operation.
Michael Allen