Steam in Chile

Only two steam locomotives are now in operation in Chile.  No. 714 an Alco 2-8-2 built in 1919 and No. 534 a North British 4-6-0 built in 1908.  No. 714 is now based in Santiago and No. 534 is based in Temuco.  No. 714 pulled a Trains Unlimited, Tours charter from Llay to Santiago on October 19, 1998.  Then No. 534 pulled a TUT charter from Temuco to Collipulli and return on October 20, 1998.  The next day on October 21, 1998, No. 534 pulled the TUT charter from Temuco all the way to Osorno, 165 miles.

All regular passenger services have been cut back to Temuco and the 534 charter on October 21 was the first passenger train to run south of Temuco in many months.   According to the onboard railroad official this line south of Temuco could be closed in the next few months and that the October 21 steam charter may well be the last passenger train ever on this section of the old FC Del Sur mainline to Puerto Montt.   According to the dispatcher the October 21 charter to Osorno was the first train movement in 10 days.  A freight runs down to Osorno once every 10 to 14 days depending on the need.

(Chilean resident Ian Thomson adds: "On Saturday (Dec 5th 1998), I asked a retired railwayman who lives in Temuco about the frequency of freight trains south from that point. The whole line is operating as far as Puerto Montt (from where fishmeal is transported). Timber is the principal product. A contract to carry milk is being negotiated by Fepasa. Every night a freight train leaves Temuco for the south, at around 20.00. If the train is heavy, Fepasa uses back-to-back type D-16000 (in State Railways terminology, renumbered in the 16XX series by Fepasa). These are 1954-57 vintage GE Co-Cos with ALCO 244 (originally) and ALCO 251 (now) motors."

No. 714 and No. 534 will continue to pull special charter trains for the Asociacion Chilena de Conservacion del Patrimoio Ferroviario (RR Club).

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