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Steam on the Huancayo & Huancavelica Railroad |
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From time to time (and less and less as time goes by), tourist steam has operated on this 3ft gauge line in the Machu Pichu area. News about it coming to this site is very thin, this summarises it: Steve Pratt writes (11th November 2010): "In October 2010, I travelled on the Railway Touring Company tour of Peru. I can also confirm that the re-gauging of the line from Huancayo-Huancavelica has been completed (bar the buffer stops at the end of the line!); we witnessed a PW train passing along the complete route during our trip. The line from Poroy to Agias Calientes (Machu Piccu) is now fully reopened, but local trains still do not use the link down to Cuzco station. The line is also in use for a short distance from Machu Piccu (to the power plant). Notices refer to increasing the number of seats on local trains from 400 to 1400, but tourists still can't use them." Ralf Mandera writes (17th March 2009): "The planned conversion of the Hyancayo-Huancavelica 3 ft line is under way. #112 will no doubt remain here in Huancayo station on display for ever more now they have pulled up its line."
Ian Dunn (29th June 2007) reports: "Peru's FC Andino's site that work has started on a $22 million project to standard gauge the FC Huancayo Huancavelica - so there goes any hope of steam tours in the future." Ian Thomson reports (9th June 2001) "Mr. Raśl Rosales, who is the General Manager of ENAFER, the State owned railway company, the operations of which are now reduced to the Huancayo - Huancavelica three foot gauge line, hopes to repair Hunslet built 2-8-0 No. 107, for tourist trains." Dale Brown also reported in 2001: "Other steam survivors include 3 foot gauge Huancayo and Huancavelica Baldwin # 112, a 2-6-0 (probably renumbered #102) and Hunslet 2-8-0 #107 at the Huancayo and Huancavelica shops with Luis Lazarte, General Manager ." Previously he said that several individuals have been assessing the condition of the two narrow gauge steamers at Huancayo for operations. They are the Baldwin 2-6-0 #112 at the Huancayo depot and the British built 2-8-0 #107 at the H&H shops. For a photographic trip (a little steam) on the Huancayo & Huancavelica Railroad in February 2001, check out the photo-album on www.heinz-buehler.ch. It has a massive initial frame to download so be patient (added 16th November 2001). Ian Thomson (25th November 1998) stated. "The locomotive which supplied steam in the sleeper plant at Sailla has been taken to el Cuzco for repair, and the plan is to use it on trains for tourists on the line to Machu Picchu, hopefully starting from Urubamba rather than el Cuzco itself (to avoid straining it on the climb out of the latter). I have seen this locomotive from a passing train but have never stopped to get a close look at it. I think it must be the Henschel 2-8-2 No. 0995." |
