15/01/13 Paraguay: The Last 100% Steam State Railway

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The Last 100% Steam State Railway
Regular Steam in Paraguay and Brazil 06. 15.08.2009
There i s onl y one state rai l way l eft i n the worl d whi ch i s usi ng steam for al l operati ons: Paraguays Ferrocarri l Presi dente Carl os Antoni o Lpez. To
be accurate, si nce 2002 i t i s offi ci al l y not a state rai l way anymore and now cal l ed Ferrocarri l es del Paraguay S.A. (FEPASA) but there i s no vi si bl e
di fference. A remarkabl e feature of thi s rai l way i s that they use tropi cal fi rewood to feed thei r fl eet of steam l ocos. The l ocomoti ves are mostl y 2-6-
0s, 4-6-0s and 2-8-0s from North Bri ti sh and Kerr Stuart, many of them 99 years ol d!
So far i ts al l good news. From a more real i sti c perspecti ve Paraguays rai l way i s runni ng on i ts l ast l egs. After fl oodi ng (due to a dam proj ect) the
south-central part of the l i ne i t i s not operabl e any more. What remai ns i s the shunti ng operati on at the former southern end, Encarnaci n. Frei ght
comi ng from Argenti na over the bri dge i s taken to the shunti ng yard and propel l ed to the l oadi ng/unl oadi ng area. Here the frei ght i s l oaded on to
road vehi cl es.
The most i nteresti ng feature i s the dai l y run through the streets of Encarnaci n, when the l ocomoti ve i s goi ng from the depot (another photographi c
hi ghl i ght!) to the shunti ng yard. The shunti ng operati on i tsel f has a hi ghl i ght as wel l . They haul a l ong trai n out of the stati on and passed a
semaphore si gnal wi th the l oco worki ng real l y hard.
They have frequentl y used two l ocomoti ves at the same ti me i n recent years. In the best case there can be three l ocomoti ves under steam.
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Itinerary
Date Itinerary
06.08. Flight from London to Asuncin via Sao Paulo
07.08. Early morning arrival Sao Paulo, well drop our luggage at the airport and continue by taxis to Cruzeiro, visit to
the worlds last Sentinel locomotive in regular use, return to the airport and evening flight to Asuncin (22.30
23.10 hrs), Hotel Portal del Sol in Asuncin
08.08. Well start the day slowly with a visit to the depot of Asuncin, the old main station with plinthed 4-2-2
Sapucai and 4-6-0 226, the plinthed 4-6-0 228 in the city and the little railway museum, Hotel Portal del Sol
in Asuncin
09.08 Today weve a charter steam train from the Botanical Garden to Aregu and back, Hotel Portal del Sol in
Asuncin
10.08. Well go to Sapucai to visit to the workshop and see their serviceable locomotive under steam. Well have a
short charter here on the remaining short bit of track. Evening continue to Encarnacin, hotel Domingo Savio
in Encarnacin
11.08. Visit to the depot in Encarnacin and the normal steam operation in the station of Empalme. Hotel in
Encarnacin.
12.08. Visit to the daily steam operation, hotel in Encarnacin
13.08. We try to arrange a charter train through the city from Empalme to Encarnacin with one steam loco and
about 7 freight wagons. In the afternoon well go by charter bus to Ciudad del Este and pass the border to
Brazil to Foz do Iguacu where well take a hotel
14.08. Visit to the world heritage site Iguacu/Iguazu waterfall, the probably most impressive waterfall on the planet.
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Evening return flight from Iguacu to Europe
15.08. Evening arrival in Europe
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Line description
Regular Steam in Brazil
There i s onl y one si ngl e broad gauge steam l ocomoti ve i n the worl d where we can be certai n of i ts status: regul arl y used. In addi ti on, i ts the l ast
and onl y Senti nel steam l ocomoti ve whi ch i s sti l l i n regul ar use. If al l thi s woul dnt be enough, one on the top: i ts Brazi l s l ast known regul arl y used
steam l ocomoti ve!
Wi th hal f the speed of a pedestri an the l oco pushes and pul l s metal sheet and steel fabri cati ons i nto the bi g mounti ng hal l of the Amsted-Maxi on
Company i n Cruzei ro. Onl y one l ocomoti ve i s servi ceabl e and probabl y i n use, the other one i s dumped i n the yard. Al though the chances are
rather good of seei ng thi s l oco i n use, there mi ght be a repai r under way whi ch woul d l et us see thi s techni cal l y hi ghl y i nteresti ng l ocomoti ve onl y
col d.
15/01/13 Paraguay: The Last 100% Steam State Railway
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Wel l al so vi si t the dumped steam l ocomoti ves at Cruzei ro stati on. If ti me permi ts, wel l make a short vi si t to the park rai l way l i ne i n Taubat, where
two German bui l t l ocomoti ves are servi ceabl e and used on thei r ci rcul ar track someti mes.
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Because usi ng a l ocal travel agent for thi s vi si t woul d make the costs ri se too hi gh, wel l use taxi s from the ai rport and bargai n a pri ce on the spot.
Hence the taxi i s not i ncl uded i n the tour costs and must be pai d i n Sao Paul o.
Regular and Charter Steam in Paraguay
15/01/13 Paraguay: The Last 100% Steam State Railway
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The short run from Asunci n to Aregu l eads through a green meadow. The rai l s are al most i nvi si bl e. So the authenti c ambi ance of the rai l way i n
i ts l ast years of operati on can be al most guaranteed. The l i ne i s i n a very sad shape wi th derai l ments not uncommon. Our trai n wi l l have a si mi l ar
composi ti on to the former regul ar school trai n wi th two second hand Argenti nean coaches or two wooden coaches and a frei ght car.
15/01/13 Paraguay: The Last 100% Steam State Railway
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The ol d workshop at Sapucai i s an amazi ng si ght. Thi s i s a tradi ti onal steam workshop wi th a stati onary steam engi ne, steam boi l ers and al l
machi nery powered by overhead bel t-dri ve systems. One engi ne i s servi ceabl e and several others are dumped or sti l l i n the workshop j ust as they
were on the l ast day workers l eft the shop. It i s a magi cal pl ace for photos. The servi ceabl e l ocomoti ve wi l l be under steam for our group an wi l l do
some shunti ng movements for us as wel l a goi ng on the very short bi t of the remai ni ng l i ne, some 500 yards. If the road i s i mpassabl e due to
weather condi ti ons or the l ocomoti ve not servi ceabl e for any reason we need to cancel thi s arrangement wi thout any compensati on possi bl e.
The few km l ong l i nk between Encarnaci n depot and Empal me, the shunti ng yard of the rai l way, heads di rectl y through the ci ty of Encarnaci n.
There are amazi ng photo and vi deo posi ti ons, as there were 25 years ago. Wel l try to arrange a charter trai n here. However, arrangi ng thi s vi a the
headquarters woul d cost a fortune, so wel l try to do i t l ocal l y. The pri ce i s hence unknown and not part of the tour pri ce. If you want to book the tour
you need to agree to share the costs for thi s charter. Were esti mati ng some 2,000 US-Dol l ars for the trai n (so wi th 15 parti ci pants your share woul d
be 133 Dol l ars).
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15/01/13 Paraguay: The Last 100% Steam State Railway
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15/01/13 Paraguay: The Last 100% Steam State Railway
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In Encarnaci n wel l have enough ti me for a bri ef vi si t to Argenti na. The rai l way ferry, a steam boat bui l t i n Gl asgow i n 1911, can be vi si ted on the
Argenti nean si de of the ri ver Paran. Its easi l y accessi bl e over the bri dge (whi ch rendered the ferry boat unempl oyed). EU-ci ti zens do not need a
vi sa for thi s day-tri p.
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Small Print
Paraguay i s a rather easy goi ng country for touri sts. Ci ti zens of the EU dont need a vi sa, j ust a val i d passport (needs to be val i d at l east unti l si x
months after the i ntended departure date). Mobi l e phone coverage i s good i n the ci ti es but poor i n the countrysi de. They use a 220 Vol ts system.
Brazi l doesnt requi re a vi sa for vi si tors from the EU. You need a passport and a proof of your return fl i ght. Pi ck pocketi ng i s a probl em i n al l l arge
ci ti es of Brazi l , but wel l avoi d these ci ti es on our tour. In Igucu l i fe i s very ci vi l i sed. At the Iguacu waterfal l you may charter a hel i copter or a whi te
water rafti ng tour i f you l i ke.
Charter buses and trai ns represent the standard of our host country, whi ch may devi ate from European and North Ameri can expectati ons.
Thi s tour i s desi gned for both, dedi cated photographers and vi deo fi l mmakers. Our phi l osophy i s to provi de opportuni ti es to get that perfect sunri se
shot rather than take a ti me consumi ng 5-star breakfast buffet. Breakfast i s i ncl uded i n the tour pri ce, other meal s are not.
Pl ease bear i n mi nd that accommodati on and transportati on i n Paraguay fal l s wel l short of EU or US safety standards. Al ways use common sense
when crossi ng roads and rai l way tracks. The rai l way i n Paraguay i s dangerous compared to west-European standards. Do not book thi s tour i f you
expect to fi nd a perfectl y operated rai l way usi ng European safety standards! FarRai l Tours cannot be hel d responsi bl e, and wi l l not accept any
l i abi l i ty whatsoever i n the case of any acci dent or damage. We suggest you take out a comprehensi ve overseas acci dent and heal th i nsurance
pol i cy.
We can not guaranty the avai l abi l i ty of l ocomoti ves. IN Asunci n they have a spare engi ne, but i n Sapucai they havent.
Later regi strati ons wi l l be accepted i f fl i ghts and hotel s are sti l l avai l abl e. If youre not sure whether you can parti ci pate or not pl ease announce your
i nterest wel l i n advance so that we can hol d your pl ace.
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Price
15/01/13 Paraguay: The Last 100% Steam State Railway
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Paraguay
Paraguay: The World's Last Steamy State Railway 15 to 25 participants 2,160
06.08.2009 15.08.2009 11 to 14 participants 2,370
Single room surcharge 155
Registration Deadline: 11.05.2009
For a l and onl y booki ng you can deduct 1,040 from the tour pri ce.
The price includes:
Fl i ght from Frankfurt/Mai n or London to Asunci n i n economy cl ass
Al l transfers i n Paraguay
Al l hotel s
Charter trai n i n Asunci n
Charter steam i n Sapucai
Breakfast
Local and European tour gui de (fl i ghts are not gui ded)
Not included are:
Personal expenses l i ke tel ephone, bar servi ces, l aundry servi ce
Lunch, di nner, beverages
Charter trai n i n Encarnaci n
Taxi i n Brazi l
Departure tax from Brazi l (i n 2008: 36 US-$)
Ti ps (pl ease cal cul ate wi th some 50 Pounds for ti ps)
DISCLAIMER
As a servi ce to our UK-based cl i ents FarRai l Tours accepts and wi l l conti nue to accept payments made out i n Pound Sterl i ng unti l further noti ce.
However, pl ease note that from January 28, 2009, al l pri ces quoted i n Pound Sterl i ng are i ndi cati ve onl y and are subj ect to change wi thout pri or
noti ce. Thi s measure was taken by FarRai l Tours due to the unprecedented vol ati l i ty i n the i nternati onal forei gn exchange markets and i ts i mpact on
the val uati on of the Pound Sterl i ng versus other maj or currenci es, namel y the Euro as FarRai l Tours' accounti ng currency.
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