News
Steam locomotive turns sixty
Wednesday November 11th, 2009In 2009, the Trem da Vale’s famous steam locomotive turned sixty. The model was built in late 1940’s by Skoda, in the Czech Republic, having been commissioned by the Santa Fé Railroad in the United States and purchased by Ferrocarril in Argentina. In 1980, the Brazilian Federal Railway System (FRS) bought the locomotive to work in the state of Santa Catarina, from which it was brought to carry school children and other passengers as part of the Trem da Vale Program.
Currently, the stately machine is undergoing maintenance at the machine shops of the Central-Atlantic Railway (CAR), which is responsible for its operation. Because it’s a piece of historic equipment, it needs periodic maintenance to ensure the safety and comfort of its passengers.
Moreover, there is a 300-meter difference in level in the Mariana-Ouro Preto route that is considered difficult for a steam locomotive to climb. As a result, the locomotive, which originally traveled at an average speed of 60 mph, now chugs along at 25 km/h between the two cities in the Trem da Vale program. Given these difficulties, some technical problems happen frequently, which require observation and constant equipment maintenance.
While the valiant 60-year-old machine is in maintenance, trips are being made by a Diesel G8 locomotive on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.
