Colin Churcher 2020

  It was hot in Buenos Aires in November and the crew had put up an improvised sun shade. This is the General Roca railway (broad gauge 5' 6")which ran from the Constitution station A worker was resting in the shade The Buenos Aires docks had its own railway system At the Retiro station the General Belgrano Railway was meter gauge. Note the tablet exchange apparatus outside the driver's side window. Several years later I rode in one of these. The tablet exchange while running at speed made a very loud "clang" in the cab - that is until one missed and we had to stop and search for it in a field. The yard at Retiro station My time in Buenos Aires was very limited and it was soon time to return to Canada. However, I took the opportunity to stop off, at my expense, in Lima, Peru to visit Machu Picchu by train from Cusco. Canadian built diesels were much in evidence.

  In November 1984 I was part a Canadian government railway mission to Argentina, as well as Paraguay and Uruguay.  During this visit we did not leave Buenos Aires and there was only time to visit some of the large terminal stations. Our hosts were very kind and I was given this small plate which commemorates La Portena, the first locomotive in Argentina.  I believe it still exists. Built by the British firm E.B. Wilson, it worked the first train on 29 August 1857. This is the Retiro station of the Ferrocarril General Bartolme Mitre railway built to a gauge of 5' 6". Not much attention was paid to weed control Although the locomotives looked North American the signalling was of British origin. There was plenty of room under cover for this preserved locomotive.

  A parrillada on the street in Montevideo where the cuisine is similar to Argentina. I will finish our trip to Uruguay with some non railway scenes, mainly in Montevideo but ending with some more recent railway videos/ There were many cobbled streets Everyone was excited about the upcoming election - the first for many years. There was a frequent trolley (trackless) bus service in the city center This is one of  my favorites. A group of schoolchildren, one in a wheelchair, in the country. There are not many  Uruguay railway videos available on Youtube. Here are a couple. Sayago is on the "main line" towards Florida Switching around Montevideo On my trip in 1984 I returned to Argentina for a few meetings and then returned home with a quick stop off in Peru.

  Walking around Miontevideo I came across this railway spur running into a small park It turned out that this was a convenient way for the railway to dispose of steam locomotive exhibits. 0-6-0ST A 42 Manning Wardle 1887 (in fact, this loco is the "1" of Mercado Central de Frutos del Uruguay, Manning Wardle, 1890, with parts of the real A 42 of 1887). Now plinthed at Peñarol Diesel workshops, Montevideo. This is 1921 Hawthorne Leslie  2-8-0 No S 144 now transferred to Penarol roundhouse I believe these old coaches were also on display in this park No V 158 is a Henschel 2-10-0 of 1950 later moved to Penarol No. 158 is partly hidden by the shrubbery No. A 1 no details For more information on steam locomotive survivors in Uruguay please see https://www.internationalsteam.co.uk/trains/urug00.htm From this it would appear that the park has been emptied to a place where the exhibits can be better protected from the weather.

  Allover the system there seemed to be old steam locomotive tenders but usable, not derelict. Some are seen here at Carnelli. Background At different times the Uruguay Railway had locomotives from, at least, Sweden, USA/Canada, Alsthom, Brazil, Hungary, Germany and Japan.  Many of these were second hand.  A similar situation existed for the coaching stock. This manifest itself in different traction systems, diesel-electric, diesel-hydraulic, diesel-mechanical but also in coupling systems - European and North American. The easiest way to overcome this was to fit a redundant tender with one coupling at one end and a second, different one, at the other end.  On my return from Florida to Montevideo I was treated to a demonstration. I only saw tenders used on passenger equipment but it may have been used on freight as well. On arrival back at Montevideo there was just time to see the GE 44 ton locomotives at the Docks. The docks locomotives were well cared for.

Someone asked how I planned to get from Montevideo to Florida. Fly? It was quite simple - I used the trains. The delegation had one free day and it was suggested that we go to the beach on the River Plata.  But the railway had given us an all stations first class pass which was too good not to use.  At that time the furthest we could go out and back in a day was to Florida in the north. I and another member decided to take a trip north. This is a recent map of the system which has been radically reduced in the last few years. First class was comfortable and uncrowded. We made several stops on the way. This is a freight train at Progresso A Ferrobus No. 164 at Progresso.  At Canelones there was a train of old passenger cars An interlocking on the station platform at Canelones At Canelones a couple of railwaymen were waiting for the train Canelones Trains crossed at 25 de Agosto Some very Brtish looking signals at 25 de Agosto Main street Berrondo Around Berrondo the countr...