Chile: Atacama abandoned railways

[John Ashworth]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/recliner/s ... 268232336/

[Mel Turner]

To describe the line from Baquedano north to Iquique as abandoned is a tad optimistic

It may only see loco transfers, but the line is not abandoned. The unused branch to Pintados is still owned by Ferronor

In case Richard Mancilla is not monitoring, here is a link to one of his videos of a loco transfer about 2 years ago, over this line, the loco crew still have to be handy with a shovel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNtJw4QHFPU

Loco 323 went north about mid 2011, if it is still at Iquique probably the last movement

[Kevin Wilson-Smith]

Thanks for the update Mel.

This is a line that has always interested me!

[Mel Turner]

Richard has photos posted here, some look like the same spot
http://fotos2trenesenlaweb.blogspot.com.au/

For those of you with a Facebook sign-on, this is the album that accompanied the video
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set= ... 215&type=3
You will see what I meant by the crew having to be fancy with a shovel

The line to the south of Baquedano to Diego de Almagro (also used for loco transfers) is more open, not unknown to run a grader ahead of the loco to clear sand drifts. We drove along a section of this track in 2010 (in a Yaris from Mr Hertz)

Section between Baquedano and Palastina

This northern section of the old Red Norte (Network North) will probably see increased traffic over the next couple of years. Ferronor has been given back its running rights to Salta in Argentina (via Socompa and Ramal C14), and is preparing to move Argentinean mineral exports to Chilean Pacific coast ports

[Kevin Wilson-Smith]

Thanks for the picture. A great picture - covers the aridness well.

What is the track bed made of?

[Mel Turner]

Lets take the line from Antofagasta to Bolivia as the datum, the Red Norte runs roughly north-south through an elevated arid plateau descending gradually from the Andes towards the coast. At Baquedano where the lines cross the altitude is 1030 meters. The average rainfall below 3000 meters for at least 500 km either side of the Bolivia line is no more than 8mm per annum, lower in some areas.

With precipitation so low, there is no need for ballast. A depressed conventional roadbed is leveled, generally Chilean hardwood sleepers are used, rail spiked, then a grader is used to backfill the line to rail-head level with sand. This region is high in sodium nitrate, so the salts may help to preserve the timber. When it does rain it is often a cloudburst every 10 or 15 years, so the sleepers generally go for at least a decade between soakings. The ground in this area is incredibly hard, I don't know what the road axle load is, but look at these photos of a locos in transit, and heavy loads on road.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid= ... =3&theater
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid= ... =3&theater
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid= ... =3&theater
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid= ... =3&theater

Why spend megabucks on expensive track works when not required? A bonus is that when there are derailments, locos and wagons have a tendency to remain upright, though there have been some big tumbles on embankments. Parts of the Antofagasta-Bolivia line are laid directly up ancient riverbeds, in the Antofagasta area they have averaged better than 20 years between washouts, and the line is generally reopened within 3 days.

[Kevin Wilson-Smith]

Thanks for all the information. And the pictures. The last one is particularly impressive!

Now I know - i never realised though that it was that dry!

[John Ashworth]

From the photographer who posted the pictures on Flickr:

Thanks, John...

I've taken note of one of the comments, and described lines as disused, rather than abandoned, though I don't think I'd want to be on the first train to traverse some of those stretches of track!

[Mel Turner]

To those used to ballasted track standards I can appreciate the above comment

Attached film clip is the Pampa-Prat cut-off, the line up the coastal escarpment which bypasses Antofagasta. originally 2'6" from 1904 until lifted in 1919, It was reinstated in meter gauge 1995/6 when a ban on moving dangerous cargo through Antofagasta was implemented. The summit at Cumbre is a bit over 900 meters. In the early days Kitson-Meyer locos were used for banking this section

In 2011 about 4.5 million tonnes of concentrated sulphuric acid was moved up this line. In the below clip, the bankers are hired Ferronor U9C which were re-powered by Casagrande with EMD 12-645 in the early 90's
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTizWdEy0jc

For those with time on their hands a longer clip, the reservoir at Conchi is on the Rio Loa is at 3000 meters, and catches snow melt off the high Andes. This clip ends with the train entering the passing loop at Cumbre, back on the coastal escarpment. The 2400 class are home-made GT22CU-3, based on GR12 frames and bogies, other units ex Queensland GL26C (SAFLog has 3 similar units stored at Modderfontein)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrhAfj4RbrM

And yes, the company owns a working steam loco. The late chairman's folly, it was re-boilered in 2002/3, basically as built, North British, there is an oil bunker in the cab roof. Just illustrates what can be achieved with an unlimited budget, a diesel shop (probably the best equipped and managed in Latin America - certainly the cleanest), with 80 highly skilled workers (plus a load of dedicated retirees brought back for the project). At its peak in the (2'6") steam days (1910-1920) the line was working well over 200 steam locos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6J6V-wAKM0

[Mel Turner]

For those with 11 minutes to waste over the holiday period, this film clip shot by a Swiss guy on Tanago Tour's April 2012 tour of Chile. Covers both of the Northern meter gauge companies, plus 3"6" SQM, though no shots of SQM's two 33 Class U20C
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MDmBIkGq1A

[Kevin Wilson-Smith]

Thanks Mel. Entertaining viewing...!