Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Baldwin wood burning steam locomotive from 1906 in Paraguay


An undated scene on the line from Encarnacion to Asuncion in the station of Ypagaray.

As mentioned in an earlier post, Paraguay is a county Steven Joyce should like, however, according to this press article from 2 months ago,

"Residents of Sapucai celebrated like a national holiday with traditional music and dance over the return of the steam trains once run by two former British-owned companies, Central Railway Co. Ltd. and Perry Cutbill De Lungo.

"The railway carried cargo and passengers from its official opening on 21 October 1861, until it finally shut down 140 years later.

"Now it's back as a tourist attraction in Sapucai, which is about 56 miles (90 kilometers) from Paraguay's capital, Asuncion. The town has been home to old locomotives kept as museum pieces.

"Railway President Marcelo Wagner says foreign investors are interested in revitalizing the railroad commercially with electric powered trains. Until that happens, the steam railway will continue to transport tourists along short distances. 'We're helping the steam train move again, and for me it's like helping 150 years of history move along," machinist Lidio Martinez, 58, told The Associated Press aboard a heavy, black locomotive traveling along at six miles an hour (10 km/h)."

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