Tourist Railways in Brazil, 2008

Henry Posner III has sent me a copy of an article by Renata Passos in September 2008's edition of Revista Ferroviaria (http://www.revistaferroviaria.com.br/) from which I made a start on extracting the following summary although much extra web searching has also taken place. It includes some non-steam operations, the state is indicated after the name. 

Key website are:

• ABOTTC - Associação Brasileira das Operadoras de Trens Turísticos Culturais - http://www.abottc.com.br.

• ANPF - Associação Nacional de Preservação Ferroviária - http://www.anpf.com.br/turismo_ferroviario_int.htm  is said to be up-to-date in July 2008 and this supplants an earlier page from 2004 http://www.anpf.com.br/turismo_ferroviario.htm. 

• A set of timetables and more information is available on http://www.fahrplancenter.com/AIFFLABrasilienTurismo.html. 

• A list of railways of Brazil (in Portuguese) http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anexo:Lista_de_ferrovias_do_Brasil 

Other links below were all 'good' as of October 2008 except as noted, experience dictates this will not last long, there are a few December 2009 updates on operation as noted, mostly on lines visited by Tom Schultz in November 2009. Expect them to be in Portuguese unless otherwise indicated.

Major Operations:

Estrada de Ferro Oeste de Minas (MG) http://www.abottc.com.br/trem/?CodTrem=7, I could not raise the link in the RF article http://www.fcasa.com.br/fca_06_novo.htm but the similar http://www.fcasa.com.br/fca_06.asp offers http://www.fcasa.com.br/fca_09.asp as well as a link to Trem da Vale (below).

The famous narrow gauge steam railway between São João del Rei and Tiradentes. Click here for an aerial photograph of the site. This line was reported closed temporarily in October with plans to re-open in January 2010.

Trem da Vale - Ouro Preto - Mariana (MG) http://www.abottc.com.br/trem/?CodTrem=21 and http://www.tremdavale.com.br, also http://www.fcasa.com.br/fca_08.asp 

Steam trains between the historic towns of Ouro Preto and Mariana. Reported by Sergio Martire in December 2009 to be "only diesel loco working - steam train only in January 2010".

Trem da Serra da Mantiqueira (MG) http://www.abottc.com.br/trem/?CodTrem=18 and http://www.abpf.org.br  

Steam trains between Passa Quatro and Coronel Fulgêncio. This is Tom Schultz's picture from 2009 of Baldwin 4-6-2 332:

Trem das Águas (MG) http://www.abottc.com.br/trem/?CodTrem=8, http://www.saolourenco-online.com.br/trem.php and http://www.tremdasaguas.tur.br (the last one is not available in China)

Steam trains between São Lourenço and Soledade de Minas. Click here for an aerial photograph of the site. This is Tom Schultz's picture from 2009 of Beyer Peacock 4-6-2 327:

Trem do Forró (PE) - http://www.abottc.com.br/trem/?CodTrem=17 and http://www.tremdoforro.com.br

Diesel excursions from Marco Zero,  Recife to Cabo de Santo Agostinho

Serra Verde Express (PR) - http://www.abottc.com.br/trem/?CodTrem=12 and http://www.serraverdeexpress.com.br (in English)

A diesel operated spectacular scenic railway inland from Curatiba daily to Morretes and beyond to Paranaguá on Sundays. Their website has pictures of the line in steam days.

Trem do Corcovado (RJ) http://www.abottc.com.br/trem/?CodTrem=1 and http://www.corcovado.com.br or better http://www.corcovado.com.br/ingles.html (English)

The tramway up to the famous 'Christ the Redeemer' statue in Rio de Janeiro

Trem Estrada Real (RJ) - see http://www.abottc.com.br/trem/?CodTrem=5, the site given in the RF article is singularly unhelpful - http://www.paraibanet.com.br.

A 14km ride from Paraíba do Sul on weekends and holidays. Click here for an aerial photograph of the site. Reported closed by Sergio Martire in December 2009.

Bonde de Santa Teresa (RJ) http://www.abottc.com.br/trem/?CodTrem=2 

Historic tram rides based on Estação Carioca in Rio de Janeiro

Maria Fumaça SESC Mineiro Grussaí (RJ) http://www.abottc.com.br/trem/?CodTrem=6, the website given in the RF article http://www.sescmg.com.br/hospedagem/grussai.asp is unhelpful.

Steam trains from Estação Bom Despacho SESC Mineiro Grussaí - this is a tourist camp! Click here for an aerial photograph of the site.

Trem do Vinho (RS) - see http://www.abottc.com.br/trem/?CodTrem=16, http://www.mfumaca.com.br, also the unofficial site http://www.estacoesferroviarias.com.br/trens_rs/bentogonc.htm  

Steam trains between Bento Gonçalves to Carlos Barbosa.

Trem das Termas (SC) http://www.abottc.com.br/trem/?CodTrem=13 (the website given in the RF article http://www.abpfsc.com.br links to the associated ABPF Rio Negrinho operation - see below)

Steam trains between Estação Férrea Piratuba  and Marcelino Ramos Click here for an aerial photograph of the site at MR..

Trem Tubarao at Imbituba and Criciúma (SC) - the site given in the RF article http://www.tubarao.sc.gov.br/secretarias/cultura-esporte-e-turismo/pontos-turisticos is not very helpful

Special steam trains are available over sections of the Ferrovia Tereza Cristina

Trem Rubi from Imbituba - http://www.abottc.com.br/trem/?CodTrem=22 

Trem da Serra do Mar (SC) http://www.abottc.com.br/trem/?CodTrem=14 and http://www.abpfsc.com.br 

Steam trains between Rio Negrinho and Rio Natal

Trem do Contestado (SC) http://www.abottc.com.br/trem/?CodTrem=15 and 

Occasional charter steam trains between Piratuba, Capinzal and Porto União 

Trem dos Imigrantes (SP) - http://www.abottc.com.br/trem/?CodTrem=19 and http://www.abpfsp.com.br 

Short ABPF operation from Estação Memorial dos Imigrantes, São Paulo

Bonde dos Imigrantes (SP) - http://www.abottc.com.br/trem/?CodTrem=20

There is also a tram operation in association with the Immigration Museum, São Paulo

Viação Férrea Campinas Jaguariúna (SP) http://www.abottc.com.br/trem/?CodTrem=10 and http://www.mariafumacacampinas.com.br 

Steam trains between Campinas and Jaguariúna Sergio Martire adds "Turntables in Jaguariua and Carlos Gomes- no tender first on the trains."

Bonde do Parque Portugal, Campinas (SP) http://www.tramz.com/br/cp/pp.html 

Tram rides at weekends.

Trem de Bertioga (SP)  http://www.bertioga.sp.gov.br and http://www.novomilenio.inf.br/bertioga/bh009.htm 

A historic tram system.

Trem dos Ingleses (SP) http://www.abottc.com.br/trem/?CodTrem=23 and http://www.abpfsp.com.br/passeio_trem.htm 

A short ride at the 'Museu Funicular de Paranapiacaba em Santo André', this is the famous former rope operated incline.

Taubaté Municipal Park Railway (SP)

This is a short system with two locomotives from the Usina Serra Grande in the state of Alagoas. I cannot trace a mention of it on the web in English or Portuguese except for a brief mention on the anpf website but the 2008 RTC trip had a charter here. Click here for an aerial photograph of the site.

Bondes Monte Serrat (SP) http://www.abottc.com.br/trem/?CodTrem=11 and http://www.monteserrat.com.br/ 

Historic cable car journey in Santos.

Estrada de Ferro Campos do Jordão (SP) http://www.abottc.com.br/trem/?CodTrem=9, http://www.pindavale.com.br/efcj and http://portaldecampos.uol.com.br/estrada_ferro.php 

Tram/inter-urban rides based on Pindamonhangaba e Campos do Jordão. Click here  Sergio Martire reports (December 2009) "electric trains only from Pinda do Piracuama, and from Campos do Abernessia - full train only in January 2010."

Lesser operations:

Estrada de Ferro Caminho das Águas - Ipatinga (MG) - the site given in the RF article http://www.ipatinga.mg.gov.br is not very helpful

Steam train rides. Click here for an aerial photograph of the site.

Maria Fumaça de Bauru (SP) - the site given in the RF article http://www.bauru.sp.gov.br/prefeitura/site.php is not very helpful, see also http://www.centrinho.usp.br/emfoco/file/foco_35/bauru_az.html. 

A short ride in the yard of the station near the local railway museum. It works no more than once a month.

Maria Fumaça de Atibaia (SP) - the site given in the RF article http://www.atibaia.sp.gov.br is not very helpful, see also http://www.guiadasemana.com.br/detail.asp?ID=12&cd_place=21904

A short (2km) metre gauge steam ride, which runs on Saturday and Sunday. Click here for an aerial photograph of the site.

There is another site in this area, at Mairiporã, a college (Instituo de Ensino Thomaz Cruz) which has 1km of metre gauge track on which one or more steam locomotives works occasionally.

Trem Maceió a Rio Largo (AL) - http://maceio.cbtu.gov.br 

Local train rides 

Trem da Fazenda Guaritá (Rio das Flores - RJ) - the site given in the RF article http://www.riodasflores-artur.com.br/infraturismo.htm is not very helpful

Some kind of short 60cm railway

Trem de Sabaùna a Luiz Carlos (SP) http://www.smdes.pmmc.com.br/sabauna.htm or http://www.smdes.pmmc.com.br/Welcome.htm (English) are neither very helpful

My Portuguese is not up to deciphering what is on offer here.

Trem de Fazenda Carva - Iheira (Vassouras - RJ) http://www.vassouras.rj.gov.br is not viewable in China at least

My Portuguese is not up to deciphering what is on offer here.

I have not included a list of projected tourist railway operations.