International Railroad Discussion > FCAB Chile....last March

Jack Swanberg came down to visit last summer to avoid the snowpiles in the northeast, so off we went to Antofagasta to give chase to FCAB.  Here are a few images, mostly the climb up to Ollague (12,008 ft above sea level) on the Bolivian border.

1.  At Union siding 1443W hauling copper anodes meets 1421E led by a former CNR NF210.  The 1443 is an EMD GR12M rebuilt by NRE in 2010.  3/3/15

2.  West of Cumbre NF210 1415W brings copper anodes and sulphuric acid downgrade to the port at Mejillones.  3/6/15

3.  Now for the climb up to Bolivia.  Here the daily eastbound train of empties approaches San Pedro.  This is the daily ore concentrate (non-copper) train that traverses the line from the San Cristobol mine in Bolivia to the port at Mejillones, Chile
       3/4/15.  The lead unit is former Queensland Ry. (Australia) GL26C 2118D.   3/6/15

 



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 08/24/15 16:00 by masterphots.

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4,  It's lonely out here!    The AVIS a few miles north of San Pedro.  The dirt highway is out there someplace.   One thing to remember,  top up the gas tank before leaving Calama, although there lately seems to be a public Petrobras about halfway to Ollague.
     Round trip from Calama to Ollague and back is about 200 miles.

5.  2010E going by the ruins of a station south of Carcote.  3/4/15

6.  Same train coming down the 4%+ along Salar Carcote.  3/4/15   This shot from the newly completed tourist overlook along the now paved highway.  Took all the fun out of the slog on the old dirt/gravel road.

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7.  At the border with Bolivia, altitude 3660 meters/12,008 feet.  The Chilean locos do not enter Bolivia.   The Bolivian Central Andino brings trains into Chile and takes back to Bolivia whatever's come up the mountain.  Here the empty tubs have arrived and 2002W is getting ready to head south with a train of boxcars loaded with  ore concentrate for processing at a plant at Puertozuelo, near Antofagasta.  The days were long enough for us to be able to chase it a bit.  Also arriving was a  cold front that brought torrential rain for a few minutes (rare here).

8.  2002W at Salar Carcote,  at San Martin siding.

9.  Same train at the base of the 4%+ climb shown in photo 6 above.  The previous photo was taken on the causeway across the salt flat which can be seen at the top center of this photo.  With that, we headed back to Calama, about an hour and a half drive if you're not waiting for trains.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/22/15 12:28 by masterphots.

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 This shot from the newly
> completed tourist overlook along the now paved
> highway.  Took all the fun out of the slog on the
> old dirt/gravel road.

Whats to look at??

Uncle Joe,Seffner,Fl.

retcsxcfm Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>  This shot from the newly
> > completed tourist overlook along the now paved
> > highway.  Took all the fun out of the slog on
> the
> > old dirt/gravel road.
>
> Whats to look at??
>
> Uncle Joe,Seffner,Fl.

A photo can't do it justice.  A salt flat 20 miles long, six volcanos, all active, the railroad, etc.

Stunning land and beautiful photos!!   Thanks for posting these MP.  I look forward to seeing more     ...please.

Greg

Wonderfull pictures Alan

I am looking forward to vist these locations in 2016

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

Spectacular set of photos. Many thanks for sharing. Chris uk.

Fantastic phots andstill the photos don't do justice to this amazing high altitude desert.

awesome scenery.  thanks for the pics..........

66

Wow! Somehow I expected to see the Mars Rover.

Great set of pictures!

Very nice set Alan

Very nice photos.

One question I don't see any ties.  What do they use?  Wood, concrete, steel?

cjvrr Wrote:
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> Very nice photos.
>
> One question I don't see any ties.  What do they
> use?  Wood, concrete, steel?

Wood, not that you can ever see them anywhere on the railroad. Don't ask about ballast.....lol   I guess since it never rains in most places, no need for serious drainage.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/28/15 09:40 by masterphots.

Been there, done that, no T-shirts though. I rode on FCA railcar over that route. Also I was with Jack Swanberg in Burma in 2002 with a whole bunch of hardcore fans. 

Dale Brown
Temporally in Lima, Peru this week. 

Fantastic series! Breathtaking, no matter at what altitude these images are viewed!

~ BZ

Great photos Alan.  This area is definitely on my bucket list.  The only down side to your photos is you never mentioned the ex-Western Australian locos in you phots.

This thread clearly indicates there are two types of Railfans; those who should merely go down to the local crossing and wait for the next UP or NS train to go by and there are those who really are interested in seeing what happens in other parts of the world.

Rick

No, a third set of fans, those who you ask are even on this board?

retcsxcfm Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>  This shot from the newly
> > completed tourist overlook along the now paved
> > highway.  Took all the fun out of the slog on
> the
> > old dirt/gravel road.
>
> Whats to look at??
>
> Uncle Joe,Seffner,Fl.

Spoken like a true Floridian.