International Railroad Discussion > Springtime in Chile

With Spring arriving reluctantly,  late rains have made usually barren areas green and the poppies are blooming.  Here are a few images from around Santiago in the past few weeks.

1.  Newly repainted FCP  Alco 1803 eastbound with copper concentrate empties at San Pedro, Chile.  The train is returning from the smelter on the coast at Ventanas to Los Andes.  Here the pots will be lifted from the wide gauge flatcars to meter gauge flats for the run to the mine loadout at  Saldillo. My chase ended with this shot as a bit later there was an earthqauke and all trains were stoppped until further notice. A train on the meter gauge derailed, thought to be caused by the same temblor. A few pots ended up in the river.  Oct 9, 2015

2.  FCP SD39M-2 2352N with a trash train at Montenegro.   A new ballast pile allows for a bit of elevation for photos.  9/28/15

3.  FCP SD29M-2 2359 with an eastbound empty train of pots at Llay Llay.  Alco 1803 is dead in train being delivered to Los Andes for service on this line (see photo one).  9/28/15



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/24/15 09:23 by masterphots.

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4-6.  The next three are of FCP SD40-2 3303N (former BNSF 6922)  in the short-lived "Art in Motion" program on a trash train from Santiago to the landfill at Vertedero, north of the city.  The first photo is at Til Til, the next two in the canyon between Til Til and Runge.  9/28/15



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/25/15 11:02 by masterphots.

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7.  Uno mas, from the aforementioned ballast pile at Montenegro.  9/28/15

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Great shots. The scenery looks very much like north San Diego / south Riversive County, California.

The delectrified catenary crosspans are depressing......

If the Chilean political class can find the boodle to finance EFE's planned expansion, build a Santiago bypass for freight, and underground the central station, then the country will have an impressive network. The plans however seem to be passenger orientated, and passenger rail is still subsidised, so I guess that it is another pipe dream. The .pdf contains some good schematics. The Santiago freight bypass, and a new direct path path Valparaiso-Santiago, could put a greater volume of containers on rail

http://www.infraestructurapublica.cl/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Jorge-Inostroza-PPT.pdf

 

Why does one need to underground the central station????

chs7-321 Wrote:
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> Why does one need to underground the central
> station????

For much needed space for passengers waiting for trains, especially with the upcoming Rancagua Express, and vastly expanded metro train service to the south.  Also a same-level connection to the subway system.

Sweet!!