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Sefecha - a provincial railway system in the Northeast of Argentina Right up in the northern part of Argentina a railway system has been realised which corresponds entirely with the ideas of FLB: to realise with modest means an urban Light Railway line and two longer railway lines for the interprovincial transport, as we have imagined this. This page is devoted to the courageous pioneers in the Chaco province which demonstrate that with some instinct and talent an idea can be realised which benefits the entire population. We are glad to report that the offer has been used by the population above expectations. Between 1997 and 2004, a total of 2'520'000 passengers were transported, in 2004 alone 650'000. For 2005, an increase to 750'000 passengers is expected which corresponds to an average of 62'000 passengers per months. A new urban settlement with 2'000 inhabitants in Cacui has contributed to this success. Chaco province is situated in the north-eastern part of Argentina. Northwest of Chaco province can be found Salta province, to the north Formosa province which both share borders with Paraguay, to the west Santiago del Estero province , to the south Santa Fé province and to the southeast Corrientes province which also shares border with Paraguay. The distance to Buenos Aires is about 1000 km. The province itself consists of 25 regions (Departementos). The surface is 99'633 square kilometres, twice the size of Switzerland, the population in 2001 was close to one million. Time is GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) minus 3 hours. The inhabitants call themselves Chaqueños. Chaco in Argentina means cotton. It is a young province, mainly agricultural, mostly cotton and cattle. With 50'000 inhabitants it contains the percentagewise highest number of indian natives, thereunder the tribes Wichis, Tobas and Mocoviés which only settled there about 6000 years ago. Later followed the Spanish invaders. Of the European settlers, mainly prevail unusual nations such as Tcheques, Slovakians, Bulgarians and Yugoslav people. As there are no further sources of income, the province is one of the poorest in Argentina. Tourism is almost unknown. Attractions are the Chaco National Park, the thermal sources and the zoological garden of Sáenz Peña, the biannual International Sculpture Biennial and the yearly national cotton festival. Capital of the province is Resistencia, mainly a transport and administration city which lies in the south east of the province. It is the province's most populous city and is also called "City of Sculptures" because it houses a large number of them. It was founded in 1878 and had in December of 2001 about 275'000 inhabitants. The region is called Gran Resistencia. The two rivers Paraná and Negro pass through the city but are also causes for the frequent inundations, mainly the River Paraná. Apart from the National Roads No. 11 (to Buenos Aires) and 16 (to Salta) which are also part of the connexion between the oceans near Brasil and Chile, there were two Railway systems: the Belgrano railway which operated a large metre gauge system north of Buenos Aires (see System map), and the Santa Fé railway the lines of which no longer exist, so that today remains only Belgrano Cargas. Sefecha (Servicio Ferroviário del Chaco) is the railway of the Chaco province which uses the lines of Belgrano cargas and is the only one outside Buenos Aires which operates an Urban Light Rail Line. Furthermore, there is an airport, and whilst the river Negro cannot be navigated, there are fluvial transports from the nearby harbour at Barranqueras on the river Paraná. It was also out from Barranqueras that the city started to grow, and along the river many industrial plants were installed which served the preparation of the products from the remainder of the province for the market. The inter provincial river bridge over the Paraná which connects the city with Corrientes, enabled the growth of the City. Sefecha operates or operated a total of 4 lines: Line 1 from Resistencia to Sabana and Los Amores, line 2 (in the meantime closed because of lack of demand) from Roque Sáenz Peña due northwest to Pampa De Los Guanacos and Taco Pozo, line 3 from Roque Sáenz Peña to Chorotis and the urban line Metropolitano from Porta Tirol to Barranqueras and as a new branch line to Vilelas. These lines are of course connected, and to make this visible the webmaster shows the lines both individually as well as the connexion between the lines separately. Line 1: Resistencia - La Sabana - Los Amores Los Amores is situated in Santa Fé province Timetable: Daily Departure in Resistencia 15.00, Arrival in La Sabana 19.30 Friday/Sunday continues to Los Amores, Arrival 02.50 Return: Friday/Sunday Departure in Los Amores 20.03 Daily Departure La Sabana 03.15, Arrival in Cacui 06.52, thereafter Local Train to Resistencia Fare P$8.50 to La Sabana, P$9.50 to Los Amores Opened 23rd December 1997, Length 144 km, Motor Coaches MAN (modernised)
Line 2: Roque Saenz Peña - Pampa de los Guanacos - Taco Pozo The trains operated from 27th March 1998 from Roque Sáenz Peña via Pampa de los Guanacos to Taco Pozo, a short section through Santiago de Estero Province. Length of the line 319 km, the trains operated three times per week
Line 3: Roque Sáenz Peña - Chorotis Timetable: Departure in Roque Sáenz Peña Daily 17.00, Arrival in Chorotis 21.55 Return: Daily Departure in Chorotos 04.00, Arrival in Roque Sáenz Peña 08.55 Fare: P$8. Opened 1998, Length 190 km, Motor Coaches MAN, modernised
Line Metropolitano: Puerto Tirol - Puerto Barranqueras and - Puerto Vilelas Departure: Monday to Friday Pto. Tirol 05.00 V, 06.35 V, 07.15, 08.45, 11.45, 15.00, 16.35 V, 19.34 Friday Departure Cacui 13.01 Saturday Departure Pto. Tirol 06.35 V, 07.15, 08.45, 11.45 Return: Monday to Friday Departure Pto Barranqueras 05.09, 08.54, 11.54, 13.11, 15.09, 16.44, 20.00 Monday to Friday Departure Pto. Vilelas 06.05, 07.40, 18.00 Saturday Departure Barranqueras 05.48, 08.54, 11.54 Saturday Departure Pto. Vilelas 07.40 All trains marked with V only operate to Pto. Vilelas, the others operate via Pto. Vilelas to Pto. Barranqueras. Fare: Cacui - Pto. Vilelas or pto. Baranqueras P$0.50 Pto. Tirol - Pto Vilelas or Pto. Barranqueras P$0.75. Length: 17 km, journey time ca,. 60 minutes Newly rebuilt and in use again is the section to Vilelas (1,6 km) Motor Coaches: Ferrostaal, rebuilt
Rolling stock In 1959, Ferrostaal delivered a series of vehicles to FEVE, Ferrocarriles Españoles de Via Estrecha, in English Spanish narrow gauge lines, which operated most of the private meter gauge railways in Spain until 1978, partly (Mallorca) until 1994. Thereafter, the lines were separated to the relevant provinces, and FEVE concentrated on the lines in the north of Spain. In 1966, MAN Nürnberg delivered a series of 19 complete motor coaches, and construction sets for 43 motor coaches and 26 control trailers to various private railways in Spain. Of these, 4 complete motor coaches, and construction sets for 20 motor coaches and 20 control trailers went to FEVE which operated them on various lines. Dimensions of all the rolling stock were identical, and all diesel engines were built by MAN. Also on the outside, the vehicles were similar. The manufacturer's name today is MAN-Ferrostaal, and already in 1937 Ferrostaal transferred an order from Chile to MAN. Of these vehicles which were last used on the meter gauge network of SFM, Serveis Ferroviaris de Mallorca (Ferrocarriles de Mallorca) on the island of Mallorca, 6 trains (of which one as a reserve for spare parts) each of which consisting of a motor coach and control trailer from Ferrostaal, and 4 trains each with a motor coach and control trailer from MAN went to Resistencia. Three Ferrostaal sets and three MAN sets as well as two MAN motor coaches with two driver's cabs each were extensively renovated by Igarreta in Buenos Aires and mostly received new front sections with Halogen lights, new electric installations and partially air conditioning. They can operate as fast as 90 km/h if the track permits this. The Ferrostaal sets with the numbers F1 to F3 operate on the Urban Light Rail Line, the MAN sets with the numbers F4 to F6 operate on lines 1 and 3. The Ferrostaal motor coach No. 1 mostly operates as supplemental motor coach to Los Amores. This is the most extensively modernised motor coach and has received in addition to the modernisation of the other sets completely rounded new end sections, a chemical toilet and 64 adjustable seats. Most important new item is a diesel electric alternative current drive which permits a reduction of consumption of 60 per cent. Technical Data of the original vehicles from MAN: Length 16,7 Meter, width 1,45 Meter, wheel base of the bogies 2,2 Meter. The driving and trailing trucks with flexicoil springs are identical, by inserting or removing the motor they can be used in both types of operation. The body is self-supporting in light steel construction. The MAN six-cylinder engine of type D 2156 HM2 US had in the original version an output of 155 kW at 2100 revolutions per minute (210 HP). Voith turbo coupling and Voith-DIWA gear box of type 501. With Scharfenberg coupling length 17,5 m, pivot distance 11,7 m, Weight Motor Coach 23,3 Tons, Control Trailer 18,3 Tons. Originally 64 seats in three compartments and up to 64 standing passengers, a total of 128 passengers. The technical data come from the book "MAN - 150 Jahre Schienenfahrzeuge aus Nürnberg" ("MAN - 150 years of rail vehicles fom Nürnberg") by Lutz Uebel and Wolfgang D. Richter. Editor: EK-Verlag GmbH., D-79022 Freiburg/Breisgau, ISBN-No. 3-88255-562-9, 1995.
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