Train trips: an excellent option for Argentina

Train trips: an excellent option for alternative tourism , in Argentina, one
way to see the best ...... read on and get all the information for those who
love trains, its a "must". First a bit on the first South American train
....


The Port Train, known in Buenso Aires as "la portena"... enjoy reading.Bob
Frassinetti.

147 years ago, La Portena ( tghe port train) train run for the first time.
It was an early
winter morning on August 30, 1857 when the first steam locomotive run in
Buenos Aires. The voyage began at the Parque Station, where nowadays there's
no longer a train station but one of Latin America's and the world's most
beautiful and important Opera houses, the Colon theatre.
The mythical locomotive was built in England, but its objective wasn't to
transport passengers in Argentina but in India, for the Crimea war in 1857.
England didn't claim for the machine, for it wasn't one of their coveted
possessions... A few months later the Argentinean society of the Iron Roads
acquired the gorgeous machine and brought it to these southern Pampas.
Nowadays it can be admired at the Colonial museum of Lujan.Near Buenos
Aires.....

Train trips: an excellent option for alternative tourism ..........Argentina
is a country whose communication system's foundations have been layed down
in rail systems' blueprints.

All through our history trains have been an indispensable factor, for
production, leisure, communications and tourism.

Firstly layed down for productive purposes, these rails have rapidly been
also used to put our natural beauties in contact with those curious and
adventurous travelers. And the result has been just awesome, because the
possibilities of accesing some of this georgeous places are very much
limmited because of the complex geography.

Up in the northern part of our country, limmiting with Chile and Bolivia,
there's one of the worlds most beautiful places: the Quebrada de Humahuaca.
Before colonial times, this area was a very important part of the Inca
Empire, for it's a one of a kind oasis in the middle of the arid puna, the
Humahuaca valley is very fertile area surrounded by some of the highest
mountains in South America, the Andes. Even during colonial times people in
this places kept on working their lands as their forefathers did for many
generations. Colonial authorities exploited other natural resources such as
cole, silver and copper mines as well as sugar cane production. These two
production systems still coexist to our days. The need of communications in
times of the Independence brought the rail system to this area. The
objective was to establish a fluent communication with Chile's mine's
production. The result was the amazing Tren de las nubes, train of the
clouds. This train was built in several stages between 1921 and 1948, by
more than 3,000 workers. More than 500 km of rails open the path to an
amazing journey through the clouds. La polvorilla is the last stop of the
tour, running at more that 4000 mts of the sea level the train appears to
ride on air as it crosses the viaduct of the same name. The journey is a
lifetime experience and can be done all year long -although during winter
there are some parts that are not available-. All ten couches are moved by
the diesel locomotor. Comfort, a must in such an amazing experience, is also
very taken care of, so that we, passengers can enjoy the ride without having
to worry about anything.

There are no words to describe this experience -believe me, I see myself as
a very expressive person but that journey left me speechless… However the
full smile on my face and the glowing in my eyes showed my inner happiness
and astonishment in front of one of the most beautiful experiences ever.



An other incredible train ride in our country is also in the northern area,
but this time in the eastern part, in the border with Brazil. The rain
forest train, tren de la selva, runs all the way through the National park
of Iguazú, to one of America's greatest falls: the Iguazú Falls. The beauty
of this place, one of nature's outstanding pictures, in the middle of the
rain forest, this gigantic red watered falls (the ground in this area is
reddish, very brick like because of its particular chemical composition) are
just a beautiful spectacle available all year round, though in summer the
temperature can easily reach the 45°C, all the rest of the year this area
has a very warm weather. Nonetheless, the heat, the area is very well
prepared to receive visitors from all over the world, therefore when
visiting Iguazú there are many outstanding accommodation options -all
includded as well as spa resorts- that would make you feel very much at
ease.



Traveling south from Buenos Aires, there's a must for all of those who want
to travel through our Patagonia. Worldly known because of its cross path,
short cut super economic: La trochita (short of Trocha which is Spanish for
cross path). This 75 cm. cross path rail was began to construct in the early
years of the 1920s, though its construction was delayed due to climate
inconveniences. By 1936 it began to run through its amazing 402 km.

This train had ups and downs regarding governmental policies, and it was
closed many times. But thanks to the hard work of the authorities of the
province of Chubut, the train is still alive and running, not through the
original 402 km. But through 165km. Of beauty, through Esquel. Lepá and El
Maitén.

This train is not only a circulation service to witness amazing sights, but
living history. The wagons in which we ride are the original 1922 ones, that
are heated by antique salamanders regulated by the passengers to their
preference. The whole train is an antique treasure that we have the pleasure
to enjoy, even the locomotives, one of the two available is a Baldwin
Locomotive Works, American, class 75 B with 431 hp of power; the German
Henschel, class 75 H with 411 hp of power. There's also a moanouver
locomotive class 75 M, made by Henschel y Sohn.

An other train treasure of the south is the historic steam train that rides
in the sorrounding area of the Nahuel Huapí lake in the internationally
renamed sky resort, Bariloche. Very much a rolling museum, this train was
manufactured in Scotland in 1912 by the North British Locomotives company in
Glasgow plaque number 121, the wagons were originally made in England, in an
outstanding art deco style, made out of Cedar and Mahogany. All seats are
covered in red and green velvet in the 667 wagon that was made in 1914.

There are wagons that had been specially made for the important managers of
some of this British trains and their family. The wagon booked for the
family number 677 was specially made for them in England in 1913 and it has
three bed rooms, kithcen, bathroom and a special room for the help that
travelled along.

Tourist class wagons number 128 was made in Glousester; the pine chasis was
locally manufactured in 1914 by Ferrocarriles Entre Ríos, the wagon number
671 was a sleepling wagon owned by Ferrocarril del Oeste and it was
specially made for them in Birmingham in 1914.

The Dining cars number 5560 and 546 were made by the English brand
Glousester and the chasis was fully made in Ceder and Mahogany.

This specific information shows the class and confort offerd in this trains.
AS to the ride, the sights are just incredibly beautiful, there are many
stops so one can enjoy the amazing views and scenes. A perfect ride that
combines the perfection and style of art and antique and the beauty of
nature.



The last stop in our train tour, and a must when visiting our Argentinean
trains is the Tren del fin del Mundo, is the most southern rail system in
the world, and one of the smaller cross paths. This the Ferrocarril Austral
Fueguino was the first tourist train to be built in Latin America. This
incredible amazing train runs through the same rails that the one who long
ago carried prisoners to the maximum security prison in Ushuaia -now
closed-. Far from the image of a prisoners train, this train is an
outstanding and chick train, with all the top of the top commodities
specially arranged for the passenger's delight, specially with those
rearanged big windows to enjoy the sights. As well as the two locomotives,
diesel and steam, two true beauties. The station of the End of the world is
located 8 km west from Ushuaia, that is the starting point of an amazing and
ecological journey to the most southern train station in the world in the
National Park of Tierra del fuego. The journey is beautiful, the sights, the
places, nature's treasures are exhibited in all their greatness. Just before
arriving to our last stop, the curve the train takes opens up into thick
woods cohiues and lengas, local millenary trees.

There is no better ending to a wonderful and amazing trip.