International Railroad Discussion > EFE Chile vintage paint

EFE Chile has painted Italian E30 No. 3020 in the as-delivered livery of 1962.   It's used on special trains such as the weekend excursions between Santiago and Concepcion.  When on this train,  it hauls it to the end of electrification at Chillan,  where diesels take over from there to Concepcion.  It then lays over in Chillan all day Saturday/Sunday as was the case here last Sunday,  January 21.  Given the schedule,  it's pulling these trains totally in darkness.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/26/23 03:06 by masterphots.

---

---

---

On weekdays and on weekends, how many passenger trains are scheduled each way between Santiago and Chillan?

What is the special train that runs between Santiago and Concepcion on weekends?

 

Looks splendid Alan

Looks like they took their design cues from the Baldwin "Babyface" units they built for the CNJ.

GN1969 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> On weekdays and on weekends, how many passenger
> trains are scheduled each way between Santiago and
> Chillan?
>
> What is the special train that runs between
> Santiago and Concepcion on weekends?
>
At present, three round trips daily,  seven days a week.  When the new Alstom trainsets arrive later this year,  there will be 5 or 6 roundtrips. The Concepcion trains are  summer only  which offer a weekend in Concepcion.  They leave Santiago Friday night at 9:30 and arrive Concepcion at dawn Saturday.   The return leaves Concepcion Sunday night at 9:30 and arrive Santiago dawn Monday.  The train uses the former Spanish trainsets that were used from Ssntiago to Temuco for ten years beginning around 2002.  That train had sleepers but the current operation is all chair cars, a diner, and an auto carrier.  Here's a photo of the train laying over at Concepcion last Sunday.  There were two diesels,  the other a French road switcher which was used to switch the auto carrier.  These were parked behind the train in the photo.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 01/28/23 13:08 by masterphots.

---

is the white car the auto carrier?

dan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> is the white car the auto carrier?

That's an HEP generator car.  The auto carrier and the French diesel were parked behind the train.   Here's a photo of a similar auto carrier/French diesel taken at Temuco  in 2003. 



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 01/26/23 08:55 by masterphots.

---

Masterphots,
Thank you for your reply to my two questions. A couple more if I may. 
I read that electric traction is only used to Chillan.Yet there are wires in Concepcion but the train is diesel hauled from Chillan. Is that catenary not energized?
Do Concepcion bound passengers on the Chillan trains finish their journey by bus? Looking at maps it seems there is a direct highway while the railway is very circuitous via San Rosendo.
The railway line from San Rosendo to Concepcion follows a river the entire way. It must be very scenic.
Thank you.
 

Today there is no electrification between Chillan and Concepcion.  The mainline between Valparaiso to Santiago (via La Calera) and all the way south to Temuco was under wire.  After the February 27, 2010 8.8 earthquake (almost 13 years ago),  as well as dwindling passenger counts they pulled the plug (pun intended) and removed the wire on the mainline south of Chillan and west to Concepcion.  There are electrified sections from Concepcion south to Coronel and east to Laja as these support increasingly busy EMU commuter service.  The same is true from Valparaiso to Limache and that service is slated to be extended a few miles further east.  Hope this makes sense but having a map,  you can see where I'm writing about.

The railroad offers no service from Santiago  to Concepcion.  Most people drive (about 4-5 hours from Santiago,  all on toll highways).   Between Chillan and Concepction.the Autopista Itata (named for the river it follows) is about a one hour drive.  Tolls are US$6 each way.  There are numerous low cost bus and air services between Santiago and Concepcion.

The line along the Bio Bio  River west of San Rosendo is beautiful.  Heavily wooded and small hamlets the EMU  train to Laja  passes through.  But the trains from Santiago always passed all this in the dark, as do the weekend specials offered today.   I've  ridden the line a couple of times on freight train cab rides and it's a pretty ride.

Hope this helps answer your queries.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/27/23 16:48 by masterphots.

Great coverage and images... thanks for sharing.

Thank you Masterphots for providing such detailed background.

By way of nostalgia, in late 1979, my wife and I had been scheduled to ride the sleeper from Santiago to Puerto Montt. Illness required a change in our plans and that segment of our trip was forfeited. I went down to the Santiago station to see the train. The sleeping car was a magnificent antique heavyweight 12-wheel car with beautiful wood paneling. What a ride that would have been!

Forgot to mention that on the 1979 trip we did ride the EMU from Santiago to Valparaiso.

Did not know about the Concepcion suburban EMU services you mentioned.
I see that Laja is the first station south of San Rosendo, the junction up to Chillan.
Maybe one day that gap will again be electrified.
I read in RGI recently that EMU service will be developed from Concepcion northeast to Penco and Lirquen.
Also extended south from Coronel. 

Here is the Santiago to Valparaiso EMU in Vina Del Mar that I rode in late October 1979.

---

Great shot.  That segment of the railroad is now underground.  No clue that there was once a station at Vina.  But passenger traffic is far busier today than ever before.  Container trains to/from the port of Valparaiso traverse the line in the early morning hours when there are no passenger trains scheduled.

GN1969 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The sleeping car was a
> magnificent antique heavyweight 12-wheel car with
> beautiful wood paneling. What a ride that would
> have been!
One of these I suspect, built by Linke Hofmann Werke in Breslau, Germany today Wroclaw, Poland.

---

---

---