Virtual Railfan Tour of Argentina 1994 - Buenos Aires to Mar del Plata

 

Essential equipment required before one travels in the locomotive in Argentina

On the second day of my first weekend we rode the head end of a passenger train between Buenos Aires and Mar del Plata on the Atlantic coast

This is the inspector who accompanied me on my travels each weekend

Train crews told me they would not take a locomotive with a non-functional stove to heat the water for mate.  It was the second man's job to keep the water hot and circulating for mate. There is a very formal procedure to be followed. This was my introduction into the mate ceremony.

We did not stop at many stations on the way. This shows an open-air interlocking. The automatic tablet exchange apparatus is set out from the locomotive and the platform staff is out of sight standing well clear.

This shows the tablet exchange apparatus deployed on the locomotive.  The exchange was made at speed and it made a fearful CLANG as the sound reverberated throughout the metal cab. Crews tended to slow down to ensure the apparatus functioned properly.  The catcher on the locomotive occasionally failed and the tablet would fall into the field which would require an emergency stop and a thorough search in tall grass.

We only made one stop on the way down at Sevigne where there was just time to get out of the cab for a photo.
After this trip I spent the week in the office talking railway safety. The second weekend was taken up with a ride into the Pampa on a freight train.




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