Running like clockwork(ish)

The day dawned with thick fog surrounding the hotel, but this burned off surprisingly quickly and led us into a rather glorious morning. Even better, there were no more problems.

Santa Fe no. 205 hauls 14 loaded wagons over the Pont de Congonhas

An early start brought us back to the much photographed Ponte de Congonhas to watch a loaded steam freight cross the lowlands in the direction of Imbituba, which looked perfect in the morning light. One of the marvels of photo-charters is the the flexibility to run in the best locations at the right time of day, banishing the exasperation of being at a beautiful spot in a valley before the light has climbed high enough to illuminate the track.

The other delight of the photo charter is the ability to re-run the shot, usually to get an improvement in the light or to try a different position. The opportunity to repeat the shot of the steam freight across the bridge was irresistible and allowed us to try a position much closer to the track. It was just as wonderful to watch for a second time.

Second time lucky

After leaving Congonhas our morning took us on to Capivari Bridge, Capivari Power Station, Capivari de Baixo and finally a small level crossing near Santiago. In the afternoon we continued the journey from this point, photographing the steam freight from a footbridge not far from Bananal and then jumped out at the Ponte Henrique Lage to watch the loco work its way across the lagoon.

Santa Fe no. 205 finishes her morning run

Finally we tested the minibuses by taking them down a sandy track at Cabeçudas and into the shifting dunes that had proved such a challenge during the construction of the line. Inevitably, our minibus got stuck directly over the line and didn’t have the traction to get over. Figuring this was not such a great place to be with a steam freight on its way, we helped to push it back over the tracks before a second attempt succeeded. It was worth the effort as the last shots of the day offered a wonderful glint.

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