Chasing narrow gauge steam in Argentina - February 1977
| February 27, 2024 11:24PM |
In January - February 1977 I joined the "South American Steam Highlights" tour organized by John West and George Werner to explore steam in Brazil, Argentina, and Chile. The tour group included 12 members as well as George and John as guides. This was a soft core railfan trip, and included various opportunities for exploring some of the spectacular scenery in these countries in addition to the railroad action. Three wives came along and enjoyed this excellent adventure.
The first part of the trip focused on Brazil, and highlighted the narrow gauge Carioca trams in Rio de Janeiro and the incredible VFCO 2'6" gauge steam operation centered on Sao Joa del Rei. I posted photos from the Brazil adventure four years ago.
The next part of the trip was to Argentina. We flew from Rio to Buenos Aires in the evening of Tuesday, February 1. The next day we went on a bus tour of Buenos Aires, and visited two of the remaining steam centers. By this time most of the steam operations in Argentina were remote from the capital. Our first stop was at the Tapiales shed of the Belgrano Railway that operated some 25 meter gauge 4-6-2s. The large roundhouse was nearly empty with only two engines in the facility, but engines were returning from their morning runs for sevicing before their next assignment.
OK, so my wife Helen caught me in this photo, but I am mainly including it for the ALCO class 12A pacific in color as I was taking B&W negatives and S8 sound movies)
At left is another class 12A 4-6-2, one of 30 delivered by ALCO 1919/1921. At right is a 4-6-2 built by Nydqvist & Holm (NOHA
in Sweden in 1924
The first part of the trip focused on Brazil, and highlighted the narrow gauge Carioca trams in Rio de Janeiro and the incredible VFCO 2'6" gauge steam operation centered on Sao Joa del Rei. I posted photos from the Brazil adventure four years ago.
The next part of the trip was to Argentina. We flew from Rio to Buenos Aires in the evening of Tuesday, February 1. The next day we went on a bus tour of Buenos Aires, and visited two of the remaining steam centers. By this time most of the steam operations in Argentina were remote from the capital. Our first stop was at the Tapiales shed of the Belgrano Railway that operated some 25 meter gauge 4-6-2s. The large roundhouse was nearly empty with only two engines in the facility, but engines were returning from their morning runs for sevicing before their next assignment.
OK, so my wife Helen caught me in this photo, but I am mainly including it for the ALCO class 12A pacific in color as I was taking B&W negatives and S8 sound movies)
At left is another class 12A 4-6-2, one of 30 delivered by ALCO 1919/1921. At right is a 4-6-2 built by Nydqvist & Holm (NOHA
in Sweden in 1924
Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.
488 stops for water at Los Pinos tank on closing day Oct. 1979. Photo courtesy Don Richter
The NGDF was started by Don Richter and is currently operated in his memory by Nathan Holmes and others. Others who have contributed to the upkeep of this board are (in no particular order): Charles McCandless, Everett Lueck, Ted Wilton, Cole Adams, James Bane, John Moellmer, Jon Bentz, Linn Moedinger, lloyd lehrer, Rod Jensen, John Craft, Steven Forney, Herb Kelsey, Bill Ramaley, Russ Sperry (El Russo Loco), Josh McNeal, John West, Jim Armstrong, Bob Bergstrom, Greg Scholl, Blake Forbes Doug van Veelen and Mark Fuller.