Virtual Railfan Tour of Bolivia - Locomotive Grave Yard and Salt Flats

 

The salt flats extend for miles and miles

This is the last part of our trip over the Bolivian altiplano travelling from Uyuni to Avaroa on the border with Chile.  Uyuni is a center for the salt flats. There is even a hotel built entirely of salt.  It is only for tourists so I didn't visit it.

For orientation we start out of the yard at Uyuni

A little way out of town there is this steam locomotive graveyard. There is no iron and steel industry in Bolivia so there is no market for scrap.  When the Bolivian steam locomotives were replaced with diesels most of them were dumped here and allowed to rust away


The salt flats are impressive stretching as far as the eye can see.

In parts the railway is built through salt-infused soil

In other areas all you can see is salt with the line running on a ballast bed.  The sun with its reflection off the salt is very bright indeed and sun glasses are not much help.

We are in a bit of a hurry as we have to clear the main for a freight train headed for Uyuni, Rio Mulatto and Potosi

The midday sun provides plenty of light for pictures.

We continue on along this dead straight, white, railway until finally a settlement can be seen.

As we get closer we are set to take the siding into the station at Avaroa

This is the border with Chile and it contains the customs (aduana) post. This is the end of my journey over the Bolivian altiplano,  Next we will take a look at that part of Bolivian which is much lower and is partially in the Amazon basin










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