International Railroad Discussion > Chile freight ops summation?

Good day to the list.

A friend is making some trips to Chile (non-railfan related, but he is a fan) and has wondered about what freight operations are like around Chile. Is it possible someone could provide a high-level summation of what freight operations there are in which portions of Chile? This is not a question of where should he be to photograph a specific train in a specific region, but rather a question of where does freight run in the country. It's possible some specific questions may arise after a summation is hopefully provided. Most of his time is around Santiago so anything there is going to be of greater interest.

Any and all information is most appreciated!

Mike Derrick

Very little around Santiago and it mostly runs at night, to avoid the daily metrotrain traffic (all EMUs).  The best bet is to drive up to Los Andes,  about 50 miles north of the city, and chase the meter gauge line from there to Rio Blanco and the copper mine loadout at nearby Saladillo.  About 25 miles of rail and the highway is close all the way.  Many photo locations. There is usually a train or two (one in each direction) with passing sidings.  These are hauling copper concentrate.

You can also drive up to Llay Llay and see if any trains are nearby.  This is the junction with the mainline to Valparaiso and the line to Los Andes.   Early morning is best to check what, if anything is running.

The heavy action is up north on the Atacama Desert,  all mining replated.   As well as south between Temuco and Concepcion where the trains are all related to the timber/cellulose industries.  But here if you get four trains in a day you've done well.  The attraction for loco fans is the Fepasa Alco RSD20s (export alligators) and the nine x-Milwaukee SDL39s.