Ferrocarril Austral Fueguino
The Ferrocarril Austral Fueguino ( FCAF for short , German South Tierra del Fuego Railway ) is a narrow-gauge railway in Tierra del Fuego (Argentina). It is the southernmost railway in the world and is therefore also known as El Tren del Fin del Mundo ("Train at the end of the world"). The administration of the railway is in Ushuaia .
history
Between 1909 and 1952, an approximately 25 km long 600 mm track from Ushuaia was used to transport materials for a prison and to transport the timber felled by the inmates. In 1947 the prison was replaced by a naval base, and two years later a major earthquake made parts of the route impassable. The railway was rebuilt, but closed in 1952 due to unprofitable.
In 1994 the railway was reopened for tourists, this time with a gauge of only 500 mm. The starting station is no longer in the city, but about 8 km west of it on the national road 3. The train runs from there via two intermediate stops to the Tierra del Fuego National Park . The terminus is again on the national road, and many tourists use buses for the return journey.
An extension of the route back to Ushuaia is planned.
Today's vehicle fleet
Three locomotives are available for steam -hauled trains, two Garratt locomotives of the KM class and a tank locomotive with a 1'C1 'wheel arrangement. All locomotives have been built since 1994.
Some diesel locomotives are available for work trains, shunting trips and trips in the off-season .
The car park consists of 15 tourist class cars in two different designs, four 1st class cars and a “presidential car”. All cars are closed and can be heated.
Web links
- official website
- Description of the FCAF and the locomotives used (English) ( Memento from April 21, 2013 in the web archive archive.today )
Coordinates: 54 ° 49 ′ 59.5 ″ S , 68 ° 25 ′ 26 ″ W.