Re: Just returned from S.A.

Taylor,
I responded to your email directly.
For everyone else ...
No luck with getting steam locomotives out of Chile, Peru, or Bolivia. Ian Thomson founded the South American Railroad Preservation Society. In doing so, he has successfully encouraged the governments of Chile, Peru, and Bolivia to register their steam locomotives as National Monuments.
This means that these locomotives will not leave, and will not be scrapped. It also means that the governments of these countries will allocate funds to keeping these locomotives cosmetically restored - at the least. It also means that these 3 countries may allocate government monies to restoring some steamers back to operation.
With locomotives being national monuments, attempting to purchase a locomotive in Peru would be like someone from Peru coming to the states and asking to buy the Statue of Liberty.
So far, Chile, Peru, and Bolivia are the only Latin American countries to register steam locomotives as national monuments.
Ian told me that he last saw SVR 17 over 15 years ago. I'll look thru my notes and find out what town he said it was in. He said that he was contacted by, and responded to Jim Lethlean regarding SVR 17 - a long while back.
Another note - Ian mentioned extensive damage to locomotives in Peru that worked the switch-backs. Changing water level every switchback causes considerable stress to the boilers and is not healthy for crownsheets. But, the Monarch branch locomotives run on C&TS and D&S today.