Steam in Chile, January 2003

Ian Thomson, Santiago, reports:

This brief note covers operable steam locomotives in Chile, from north to south, as of 1st January, 2003, including those under, or earmarked for, repair.

Baquedano. Metre gauged 2-8-2 No. 3511 (BLW 56479, from 1923) remains just about operational. It belongs to Ferronor, or at least is considered by most relevant parties to do so. It ran just once in 2002, in February, when it performed the leading rôle in an event promoted by the Mayoress of the Municipality of Sierra Gorda as a reminder of Baquedano´s railway heritage. Hauling a set of five carriages, it made one of several trips around the town exclusively under its own power, but was helped by a diesel on the others. This was due partially to poor fuel and in part to insufficient maintenance. (It was last repaired in 1987.) It is kept under lock and key in Ferronor´s locomotive depot. The other steam locomotives kept in the roundhouse are now little better than hulks.

Antofagasta. The FCAB is repairing metre gauged 2-8-4T No. 34 (NB 23563, from 1927), and is making a very thorough job of it. One gets the impression that it has been so long since the Railway´s engineers last repaired a steam locomotive (a sister 2-8-4T in 1978) that they have forgotten that the tolerances required by diesel engines are often an unnecessary luxury with steam. The result is likely to be a steam locomotive which runs like a sewing machine. A new boiler is even being built for it. The Company´s general way of thinking is that to do a job well is better than doing it quickly, and so it is in this case. However, the locomotive should be running by the FCAB´s anniversary in November.

Santiago. The ACCPF still has plans for repairing broad gauged 2-8-2 No. 714 (ALCO 59026, from 1919), just as it has done for the past several years.

San José de Maipo. This is a small town in the Maipo valley, not far from Santiago. The Municipality has started to restore a nearby station (Manzano), once forming part of the El Volcán Military Railway, and plans on having it house an active railway museum. 600mm gauged 0-6-2T (Jung 1306, from 1909) will form part of it, and might be repaired to an operational condition.

San Fernando. The Wine Train Corporation, a non-profit making organization getting together the Colchagua Valley Wine Train, has broad gauged 2-6-0 No. 607 (SMiG, no works number, from 1913) under repair at the Maestranza Chena in Santiago. It is being given a general overhaul and should be ready in January. It is also being converted to oil firing. The Wine Train should start regular operations in September 2003. The basic service will be operated by a Ferrostaal railbus, with steam operation reserved for one or both days each weekend.

Temuco. The Municipality has developed an ambitious, but achievable, plan to transform the locomotive depot into an active museum, using the British museum at York as the model. The plans include repairing a steam locomotive, possibly 4-8-2 No. 820 (BLW 62422, from 1940). Five years ago, the ACCPF sent sister 4-8-2 No. 851 (MHI-R 752, from 1952) from Santiago to Temuco for repair, but left it abandoned in the station yard, where is still lies, nowadays in a deplorable condition.

Valdivia. A local group with no separate legal existence, formally tied to the ACCPF but acting independently, operates 2-6-0 No. 620 (SMiG, no works number, from 1916) on excursions along the branch to Antilhue. The locomotive was repaired by the State Railways in Temuco, in 1998/99.

Osorno. Another group similar to the one in Valdivia, but less dynamic, has in its care 4-6-0 No. 534 (NB 18449, from 1908). However, it has not worked for a couple of years and has never been a reliable performer.