International Railroad Discussion > Fepasa Chile recent photos

Here is the last of my updates, so to speak, of Chile railroad operations.  This will cover Fepasa,  the freight operation over the southern wide gauge (5 ft 6in) system.

1.  SW1200M 1301 hauling caustic soda tank cars at the port ot Coronel.  2/19/25
2.  SDL39 2342 southbound at Santa Clara,  2/4/25.   The unit is x-MILW/WC 587,   All nine SDL39s are in service on Fepasa since 2003/04.
3.  SD39M-2 2355 on the westbound Limache vintage train leaving Til Til.  2/23/25   When the GE shovel noses are busy on the weekend Temuco trains,  EFE rents a Fepasa or Transap unit for the day.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/05/25 17:29 by masterphots.

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4.  SD39M-2 2355 arrving at the station stop at Til Til,  2/23/25
5-6.  SD39M-2 2354 northbound along the beach at Con Con,  2/22/25     This train is a once a year excursion from Limache to the beach at Ritoque.  

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Fepasa has a 20-mile meter gauge line from Los Andes to the Codelco Andino copper mine.  Here are three views along the line on 2/12/25.   Power is their latest acquistion,  U13C 1822.  Former SQM No. 3.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/09/25 09:41 by masterphots.

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Thanks for this great series.  Gerry

Oh man, Chilean RRing is so cool!
SR

Thanks for posting these interesting shots.

More cool images.

Hi Alan,
Whatever happened with all the SQM electrics after the storm damage closed the operations?

John

M-636 Wrote:
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> Hi Alan,
> Whatever happened with all the SQM electrics after
> the storm damage closed the operations?
>
> John

Far as I know all the old and new Barriles to Tocopilla motors are still sitting in the shops at Tocopilla.  The Pedro de Valdivia electrics that were used in the yard probably still there,  other than nos. 72/75 that were in a deadline at Maria Elena when I was last there in April 2022.  Perhaps saved for a museum that they want to make of the closed Maria Elena plant complex.
 

I was in both places last Fall. I didn’t see anything in Maria Elena, and there didn’t seem to be anywhere to hide a deadline of locomotives.
The plant in Tocopilla is well fenced and could have locomotives hidden inside, but it looked to me that what had been the shop area (using Google Earth as a reference) has been cleared and is now a truck transfer. I talked to a couple guards at the security gate (their English was marginal and my Spanish is worse!). They were very friendly and they conveyed they missed the trains, but said it’s all gone now. I just couldn’t quite bridge the point: Did they meant the operation was all gone (obviously) or that the locomotives themselves were also gone (a finer point).
I would say they’re probably gone- but I’m still not 100% convinced…
SR

Thanks Alan and SR for the updates.

Is anything electric running in Chile currently?
TAH

90mac Wrote:
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> Is anything electric running in Chile currently?
> TAH

Metro trains Santiago to San Fernando.  Metro trains in greater Concepcion.  Long distance trains Santiago to Chillan.   100%  EMU.   No locomotive hauled trains,  other than the occasional vintage pax train Santiago to Chillan,  which runs totally after dark