Steam & Excursion > Brazil Steam Tour on Dona Cristina Lines

Hi all;

From time to time I post steam photos from around the world mostly taken on organized tours. Then after, I get PM's asking about who organized them and wishing they had known about it. At any rate, I just booked onto a FarRail tour to Brazil in July (Summer there). It will feature loaded coal trains pulled by class 2-8-2 locos on the Dona Cristina lines that run out of Tubarao.  I don't work for FarRail and have no interest in promoting it other than we are short of the necessary numbers and have only a week or so to declare it a go or no go. Visit www.farrail.com for details. FarRail is owned and operated by Bernd Seiller who lives in Germany and is currently the steam manager for the Harz Mountain Railway in Wernigerode. They have an excellent track record for tours all over the world and can be trusted with your money. This tour is only for serious photographers who are more interesting in getting the master shot than a sleep in or early dinner. But the results as you can see from their 2013 tour were worth the problems and effort.  You can check their web site under "upcoming tours" for further details.

While it is almost always "summer" in Brazil, Tubarão, in the Brazilian State of Santa Catarina, is located 28º28′00″ S (south of the Equator). Consequently, to the extent that Santa Catarina experiences winter, July will be mid-winter there.

My bad. I meant Winter of course...opposite from here. At least a little cooler for steam affects than say now.

Bruce mentioned a 2-8-2 but there will also be a 2-10-2 which will be the main line loco.  The 2-8-2's were used on the mine branches.  This was a fascinating operation, at one time rostering 4-6-2's, 2-8-2's, 2-10-2's, 2-10-4's and 2-6-6-2's.  Sadly the 2-10-4's are out of service, but some of the Pacific's have been moved to tourist operations in other parts of Brazil and the 2-6-6-2's are preserved.

I've been on a couple of Bernd Seiler's trips and can state categorically that they are worth it.  Bernd goes more than the extra mile to make things authentic.  He gets the engines and cars repainted and/or lettered into the correct period paint schemes and replicates authentic train consists.  He goes for the early and late light shots.  He also speaks excellent English and always gives all announcements in both German and English and doesn't stint on the English announcements.

If I hadn't already done the EFDTC back in the day, I'd be on this trip!

Michael Allen