International Railroad Discussion > Fepasa Chile Alco chase

Today dawned sunny so off I went to chase Fepasa's Los Andes to Saladillo meter gauge line.  This is the remaining part of the Transandine which linked Los Andes, Chile with Mendoza, Argentina.  As hoped, the loco was Alco RSD35 #1812.  This was a wide gauge (5'6") unit until re-gauged to meter gauge recently.  Here are a few images along the 20-mile line.  The line climbs from 2,700 feet at Los Andes to about 5,800 feet at Rio Blanco/Saladillo mine.  These are a few digital I took;  most views awaiting treatment by Dwaynes.

1.  The unit at Rio Blanco

2.  Nearing Vicuya

3.  Backing the empty tubs into the load out at Saladillo.  From Rio Blanco to Saladillo the train traverses a switchback on the side of the mountain to gain needed altitude.  Average altitude up there is 5000-6000 feet.  About 15 miles up the highway is the Portillo ski resort, which is on the border with Argentina.  From a bit north of Rio Blanco the highway begins to climb through a number of switchbacks as well as snowsheds.   In steam days, the railroad featured rack sections near Portillo,  remnants of which are still there.



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 07/22/15 12:04 by masterphots.

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4.  Heading back down to the mainline at Rio Blanco and on to Los Andes.   There., the tubs will be lifted onto wide gauge flatcars for transfer to the smelter on the coast at Ventanas, about 85 miles away.

5.  Deep in the gorge south of Rio Blanco before entering the first of two tunnels before the line straightens out. (see C.P. Huntington's rotation of my photo below)  My file is vertical, TO attached it horizontal for some reason

6.  FCP 1812 when wide gauge.  Santiago   12/30/03



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 07/21/15 11:18 by masterphots.

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Reminds me of the military Alco MRS1's I ran in the Army. 

Wonder how close the design is to the military?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/20/15 16:20 by ATSFlocal73-74.

Hi Alan, fantastic pictures. The RS35 looks like the GE U13C found in Brazil.  This location is it far from Santiago? How can we go there?

I think only you can rotate the picture. Click edit and lok for rotate. 

Pedro Rezende
Vespasiano MG,
https://youtube.com/c/minasgeraisrailways1

ATSFlocal73-74 Wrote:
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> Reminds me of the military Alco MRS1's I ran in
> the Army. 
>
> Wonder how close the design is to the military?

Was a standard export model....sold all over the world.  It could very well be similar to the military units with a smaller loading gauge and all.

Your photos are always great, and these are as well!

Wish I had time to chase trains when I visited Chile, but it was a work trip.

Jim B

Enjoyed your photos. Here is the last image turned upright:

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masterphots Wrote:
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> altitude up there is 5000-6000 feet.  About 15
> miles up the highway is the Portillo ski resort,
> which is on the border with Argentina.  From here
> the highway begins to climb through a number of
> switchbacks as well as snowsheds.   In steam
> days, the railroad featured rack sections near
> Portillo,  remnants of which are still there.

If I remeber right from my late 1990's summer visit.  The highway had something like 20 switch backs before the ski resort and the only thing to keep you from sliding off the switch backs and down the cliff when you hit ice was a yellow line.  If I was a skier, I don't think I would want to ski there because of the road up to it.  The railroad, when it still ran up there, had a station at the ski resort and there was still a turn table there.

sgerken Wrote:
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> masterphots Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
>
> > altitude up there is 5000-6000 feet.  About 15
> > miles up the highway is the Portillo ski
> resort,
> > which is on the border with Argentina.  From
> here
> > the highway begins to climb through a number of
> > switchbacks as well as snowsheds.   In steam
> > days, the railroad featured rack sections near
> > Portillo,  remnants of which are still there.
>
> If I remeber right from my late 1990's summer
> visit.  The highway had something like 20 switch
> backs before the ski resort and the only thing to
> keep you from sliding off the switch backs and
> down the cliff when you hit ice was a yellow
> line.  If I was a skier, I don't think I would
> want to ski there because of the road up to it. 
> The railroad, when it still ran up there, had a
> station at the ski resort and there was still a
> turn table there.

You remember correctly.  Nothing much changed except much better pavement, some guardrails here and there, etc.  Railway remnants still at Portillo.  The biggest hassle is the huge overloaded trucks grinding through the swithbacks on the way to Argentina, at about 5 mph.  Easy to pass though but it can still be a hair-raising trip even when dry.  Then there are all the buses between Santiago and Mendoza.  The altitude at the summit tunnel across the border is about 13,000 feet.   The Portillo ski area is at about 9,500 feet at the base of the ski runs.  Portillo is a summer training area for many national ski teams, especially the USA.   Bodie Miller is one of the all-time favorites of the locals up there.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/21/15 15:58 by masterphots.

Hi Alan,
Your roster shots give us a good view of the loco and I have to say they remind me of the NSWGR 45 class here.  I think it was a 600 class in South Australia.

None of these world export models are exactly the same the world over.  In Australia's case, they were built here in country at Goodwin-Alco.  The only ones fully imported (excluding the Mining private lines) I think, was the NSW 40 class which came from Montreal.

Rick