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About 2 years ago, I took 3 months unpaid leave to go traveling in South America. One of the highlights of the trip was the 300km Ferrocarril Central Andino (Central Andean Railway). Most railways in South America have fallen into disrepair and ruin, as roads are better suited to the rough terrain, but this one is kept open by extensive mining in the mountains. The line starts on the coast in Lima, ascends to 4000m and finishes in Huancelavica. A passenger service runs only twice a month for tourists (it's quicker and cheaper by road) which, for us, terminated in Huancayo as the rest of the line was being converted to standard gauge at the time.
We started at Lima Desamparados station on a damp and misty day. The surrounding track and mouldering rolling stock all in various states of decay.
It didn't take long to make it above the mist. Shortly afterwards, the line arrived at St. Bartolome sidings, where the loco had to be turned and run back to the other end of the coaches (which had so far been travelling back to front). The turntable was pushed round by hand.
We were then set to make the real climb into the mountains. The track is full of hairpins, tunnels and bridges as it snakes its way up the side of the valleys. The scenery was fantastic.
In places, there is not enough space for a hairpin, so a switchback arrangement is used. As the loco approached the points, a man jumped off to operate them. The whole train went past, then he switched to the uphill set of tracks. The train reversed and headed up the other track, picking up the operator as it went.
The line went higher and higher into the mountains, which are spectacularly multicoloured due to the wealth of minerals found in them.
We passed a restored steam loco, which is only available for private charter
This is the view from the halt at Galera, altitude 4700m and the highest passenger station in the Western hemisphere (only the new Chinese railway to Tibet is higher). The rapid ascent into thin air made me dizzy and rather wobbly on my feet. The train staff handed round bags of coca leaves, which taste disgusting to chew but do a good job of relieving the symptoms.
Herds of llama grazed by the tracks
The line then descended gently alongside the Mantaro river, which is where the major mining and mineral processing operations are. Lots of heavy industry and the lifeblood of the railway.
Finally, we leveled out onto the plateau, surrounded by farmland...
...and pulled into Huancayo as the sun was setting
On this holiday, we went to Machu Picchu, saw the Nazca lines and swam in a rainforest lake surrounded by monkeys. This rail trip ranks as high as any of those things
About 2 years ago, I took 3 months unpaid leave to go traveling in South America. One of the highlights of the trip was the 300km Ferrocarril Central Andino (Central Andean Railway). Most railways in South America have fallen into disrepair and ruin, as roads are better suited to the rough terrain, but this one is kept open by extensive mining in the mountains. The line starts on the coast in Lima, ascends to 4000m and finishes in Huancelavica. A passenger service runs only twice a month for tourists (it's quicker and cheaper by road) which, for us, terminated in Huancayo as the rest of the line was being converted to standard gauge at the time.
We started at Lima Desamparados station on a damp and misty day. The surrounding track and mouldering rolling stock all in various states of decay.
It didn't take long to make it above the mist. Shortly afterwards, the line arrived at St. Bartolome sidings, where the loco had to be turned and run back to the other end of the coaches (which had so far been travelling back to front). The turntable was pushed round by hand.
We were then set to make the real climb into the mountains. The track is full of hairpins, tunnels and bridges as it snakes its way up the side of the valleys. The scenery was fantastic.
In places, there is not enough space for a hairpin, so a switchback arrangement is used. As the loco approached the points, a man jumped off to operate them. The whole train went past, then he switched to the uphill set of tracks. The train reversed and headed up the other track, picking up the operator as it went.
The line went higher and higher into the mountains, which are spectacularly multicoloured due to the wealth of minerals found in them.
We passed a restored steam loco, which is only available for private charter
This is the view from the halt at Galera, altitude 4700m and the highest passenger station in the Western hemisphere (only the new Chinese railway to Tibet is higher). The rapid ascent into thin air made me dizzy and rather wobbly on my feet. The train staff handed round bags of coca leaves, which taste disgusting to chew but do a good job of relieving the symptoms.
Herds of llama grazed by the tracks
The line then descended gently alongside the Mantaro river, which is where the major mining and mineral processing operations are. Lots of heavy industry and the lifeblood of the railway.
Finally, we leveled out onto the plateau, surrounded by farmland...
...and pulled into Huancayo as the sun was setting
On this holiday, we went to Machu Picchu, saw the Nazca lines and swam in a rainforest lake surrounded by monkeys. This rail trip ranks as high as any of those things