Cerro Mesa to Ingeniero Jacobacci

On our return to Cerro Mesa the locos had to to turned on the triangle to face in the direction of Ing. Jacobacci. The consist was then rearranged into two short trains coupled in the middle. First loco, two brake vans then two passenger coaches, then the second steam loco, water tank and another 2 passenger coaches. This made the train the right weight to run over the bridges and tackle the gradients on the line. We all saw why this was needed after the struggles yesterday. The upshot of the re-arrangement means that we looked out on the second loco from rear of our carriage (as this short video clip shows).

On our way back from Cerro Mesa

We departed Cerro Mesa at 11:30. An hour later we stopped, rolled back, split the train and did two runpasts at a spot with a stunning view of the line curving round with the mountains in the background. We set off again at 13:28, enjoying a lunch of empanadas on the train, gaining a greater appreciation for our warm carriages as the wind howled outside.

Our progress from this point on was pretty slow, but it was the water stop in mid afternoon at a level crossing near the summit that brings us to a complete stand. It’s hard to know where to begin in describing events, but it began with the water truck trying to reach our lead loco (no. 3) and getting stuck in the sand. Attempts to get going only see the truck slide perilously close to the train, which we can see in alarming detail from our carriage. The crew then had to divert their attention to trying to dig the lorry out from where it sank in the sand next to the track. Once they free the truck they abandon the attempt to supply water to no. 3 and fill no. 104 instead.

While all this was going on the efforts to bring the boiler pressure up in 104 resulted in a big fire under the loco that required the use of four fire extinguishers to put out. Many discussions took place at this point, with our tour leader explaining the many problems that he can see, such as blocked tubes. These explanations are then being translated into Spanish for the benefit of the crew. In summary, the first loco (3) had 0.5 bars of pressure so they extinguished the fire then. The second loco (104) has 3.5 bars but couldn’t get the pressure up. Both locos are currently dead.

The aftermath of the fire

Our bus had been following the train and one option in these circumstances would usually be to abandon the train and head back by road, but the bus is on the wrong side of the level crossing… which is blocked by our train. As we mused on all of this, the trailer carrying our pallet beds appeared. Taking the usual route of laughing in the face of adversity, we joked that we may yet need to burn the beds in the wood stove in the carriage. This comment is a terrible mistake as this gives the cue to our Australian friend to start singing ‘Beds are burning’ by Midnight Oil…

Hope was on its way. It was arranged that a water truck would come out to us from the other side but we were told this would take at least an hour. Once the water had been delivered they had to get the pressure back up in the loco, so not a quick fix, but we were appreciative of any solution at this point. The water truck arrived at 17:20 and there were soon twenty people working with the pump to get the water where it needs to go. The new plan was to go on with front train (once the rear train was uncoupled) then switch to the bus later on. Finally, we depart at 17:50 and arrive at Mamuel Choike, the next town, at 18:30.

At Mamuel Choike a small presentation is made to thank the crews in the presence of a local TV crew, here to film the first steam train to reach this point in four years. After the problems that our crews overcame today we certainly appreciated their dedication. In his presentation our tour leader said it was amazing to see this line still working 30 years after scheduled services ended thanks to their efforts. It is also true that we had achieved amazing pictures and should rightly focus on the positives, rather than the unfortunate problems of the afternoon.

Our beds on the way back from Cerro mesa, stuck at the level crossing

We transferred to our bus for the 80km ride to Ing. Jacobacci, departing around 18:45. Although luck may not have been with us in the afternoon we certainly avoided the dire forecasts that we had originally anticipated. On the drive back this weather turns up in abundance – rain turning to snow, then to heavy rain. Our driver puts in a heroic drive through the filthy conditions and poor visibility on the road. By the time we arrive back at our hotel in Ing Jacobacci (20:38) fast slowing streams of water are running down both sides of the street.

As everyone was late back, including our restaurant staff, dinner is served at 10pm in the other hotel. Braving the rain, I headed out. One side of the street had completely turned into a river and it was difficult to find places to cross without getting our feet very wet. As if that wasn’t enough, I then got an extra drenching while waiting for a regular train (a railcar) to pass through before walking over the level crossing to the hotel. The effort was worth it – a meaty feast, followed by a cake specially made by the ladies who had been serving us throughout our two day adventure, washed down with a glass of champagne as a toast.

I finally made it back to my hotel around 23:30. A very long, quite mad but somehow amazing day. One thing is certain – this is certainly no ordinary holiday.

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Beyond Cerro Mesa

Our makeshift school dormitories proved to be perfectly comfortable for a night’s sleep. After taking breakfast at 7am we headed outside, ready for another day photographing at the lineside. In the meantime team supporting out tour set about packing up all the pallet beds, bedding and turning our dorms back into classrooms. They have three hours to clear all this and the kids have late lessons today. Quite remarkable.

The plan for the morning was to continue on from Cerro Mesa to get the shots around the tunnel that we missed out on yesterday. After a false departure we boarded our train and departed in earnest at 8.15. Once again the carriage we were sitting in set about smoking us all. Our tour leader said it will make us last longer!

Our double header emerges from the tunnel with no.3 leading the way

The morning photo spots involved lots of rock scrambling but were certainly well worth the effort. Two shots by the tunnel mouth, one from track level and a second from higher up, were followed by two shots of the bridge over the Rio Chico. I chose a spot at a rocky outcrop at the top of a hill summit and then tried the second from partway down, finishing up around 9.25ish.

One last shot was possible beyond this, looking down on the river and the gorge. We had only one attempt to get this right as our loco needs water (aparently not having been filled up overnight). We were back on the train and heading towards Cerro Mesa by 10am. As ways to start a day go, this was pretty marvellous.

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Winter steam in Patagonia

Our steam hauled photo charters on La Trochita begin today. The 402km long line holds the distinction of being the longest preserved railway in the world and better still, continues to use the original locomotives and rolling stock from 100 years ago. It closed to regular traffic in the early 1990s. Some sections can be travelled on tourist trains, but charters are now the only way to get anything close to the original experience.

The plan for today was an early breakfast followed by a departure at 7.40 in order to be at the right spot for sunrise. Unfortunately, this didn’t work out – the composition of the train was completely wrong when we turned up and it took quite some time to get everything shuffled around. The sunrise came and went as we wandered around the yard and in the end we had to settle for a shot around a semaphore signal just beyond the yard and then departed in earnest at 8:54 with our two 2-8-2 narrow gauge locos locos, 3 (Baldwin, 1922) and 104 (Henschel, 1922). Another semaphore shot followed, just before Empalme (circa 9.30).

Steam shuffle at Ingeniero Jacobacci

On board our train we get to enjoy the 100+ year old wooden carriages which are heated by wood burning furnaces. They really are quite something… perfectly comfortable, especially with coffee and tea served up from flasks by the staff from one of our three hotels at Ingeniero Jacobacci. However, we soon learnt that there is quite an art to using the furnace with a very careful balance between shoving logs into the stove for perfect heat and smoking out the carriage! Get it wrong and you have a choice between letting in the cold air through open windows or struggling with itchy smoke affected eyes. And your eyes do need to be open – the views of the desert landscape (90% of Patagonia is desert) and strange plants were simply stunning.

The photostops in the morning are rather special, especially one at the top of a hilltop under a volcanic cliff top which formed part of the foreground for our photos (circa 12.30). I must admit that I slightly regretted going for that shot after starting the climb. It was tough going on the upper third scrambling over rocks – and harder still coming down. This was probably the all too familiar moment on each trip where I remember that I am no mountain goat!

The view from the top

Our next photostop, on the approach to a level crossing, delivered two trains and then a fair degree of confusion. The first train was loco 3 with the water wagon, followed by 104 with our passenger cars. Loco 3 was supposed to wait for us but has gone on ahead. No-one could quite explain why, as we needed both locos to get us up the gradient. The crew on board 3 then said they couldn’t come back to pick us up as they have no brakes and would crash into us! This caused a scratching of heads and a new plan to drop one passenger coach in the hope we could make it up the gradient, but then the crew started sanding the track to try and avoid the need to do this. This got us a little further on, albeit very slowly, and then the message came through that 3 was coming back after all!

We reached the summit at 3pm and continued on, with the afternoon bringing some more photo opportunities from some false departures. However, the slow running means we had no chance of making some of the photospots planned for the day. Adding to a slightly downbeat mood, the forecast for tomorrow is terrible… heavy rain and snow.

Our train finally reached Cerro Mesa around 19:20, passing an amateur football match on the pitch alongside the railway. There was a large welcoming party of locals happy to see the rare site of a steam loco, sticking around for photos with the loco despite the rain.

Spectators at Cerro Mesa

There are no hotels in Cerro Mesa, so it had been arranged that the local school would be converted into accommodation for the night. However, things didn’t quite go to plan with the school in darkness due to a power cut. Our guides and travelling hotel crew did an incredible job of setting everything up by torchlight. I found myself in a classroom with 8 beds made of wooden pallets and a blackboard above my bed. The slats on my pallet broke when I sat down which didn’t feel like the greatest start but actually proved very comfortable once I was settled in for the night. Power was restored in time for dinner, served on one long trestle table in the assembly hall, but failed as we slept soundly in our makeshift dorms.

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