Steam in Bolivia

The Ferroviaria Oriental based out of Santa Cruz is the new name for the metre gauge line running east to Brazil and south to Argentina.  Under Bolivian control it was called the FC Santa Cruz & Corumba.  Because of an extreme power shortage this railroad decided in 1995 to rebuild three ex-Belgrano steam locomotives.

No. 796 (and maybe 544 too) were used for limited yard duties around Santa Cruz in 1995 and 1996 before the railroad could put some more diesels into service.

In August 1997, Trains Unlimited, Tours chartered No. 544 out onto the remote Yapacani line north of Santa Cruz.  Then on November 2, 1998,  No. 796 was used for a special mixed consist between Chochia and Ipias on the east-west mainlne to Brazil.   The railroad runs through the rugged Serrania Santiago mountain range in the extreme southern edge of the Amazon Jungle basin and this is where 8 photo run-bys were made.  About one week before this event the Oriental Railroad ran No. 796 with a short freight Santa Cruz to Robore (250 miles) where the special waited for the tour group. Early on the morning of November 2, No. 796 left Robore for the 25 mile run to Chochis at the base of the mountain range, while the tour group departed from Quijarro on the border with Brazil in one of the German built railcars.  At Chochis the group transferred to the mixed steam pulled train while the railcar ran ahead to Ipias.   After the group spent several hours on the steam special they transferred back onto the railcar at Ipias for the run to Santa Cruz. The special steam train also departed Ipias behind the railcar for the long 207 mile run to Santa Cruz.  According to railroad officials this was the first steam on this section of railroad in over 25 years.

No. 544 and 796 will be kept at the workshops in Santa Cruz for future charter work and stand-by just in case they find themselves short of diesels.  No. 712 never did run.

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