FLB
Friends of Latin American Railroads
PR-OFFICE: Samuel Rachdi, Bahnhof,
CH-6422 Steinen SZ; Tel. +41/41/832.01.34;
Fax +41/41/832.01.35
Email: info@fahrplancenter.com
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Two Brill Railcars forming one train,
a rarity, but it can occur in Uruguay.
Photo: M. Benoit, Montevideo
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VOLTA
O TREM
Information Organ of the Association
Friends of Latin American Railways
11th Year, Number 2
15th April 2007
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FLB NEWS
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FAHRPLANCENTER NEWS
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THE NEXT FLB EVENTS
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FLB COMMITTEE MEETINGS
on Saturdays:
28.04.2007 14.30
at Depothäuschen, Winterthur
13.10.2007 13.30 at Depothäuschen,
Winterthur
01.12.2007 13.30 at Depothäuschen,
Winterthur
23.02.2008 13.30 at QZ Gutschick, Winterthur
Board members may participate in any
case
regardless if they are participating
at the
main meeting or not. Please inform
us!
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THE FAHRPLANCENTER
ONLINE:
www.fahrplancenter.com
Calls for meetings, orders etc.
may also be made by email:
info@fahrplancenter.com
FLB IS ONLINE UNDER: www.ferrolatino.ch
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MEMBERS' MEETINGS
on Saturdays:
28.04.2007, 15.30
at Depothäuschen, Winterthur.
Continuation of Video show,
News from Latin America
13.10.2007,14.30 at Depothäuschen,
Winterthur.
Slide show and news from members
02. – 25.11.2007 FLB Study Trip to Southern
Brasil
01.12.2007,14.30 at Depothäuschen,
Winterthur.
With slides from the FLB Brasil Study
Trip
23.02.2008, 14.30 at QZ Gutschick, Winterthur,
Annual General Assembly, and slide
show
A SERVICE OF FLB
In co-operation with the FAHRPLANCENTER.
all timetables of passenger trains from
Mexico to Argentina, now on one single home page, go to:
http://www.fahrplancenter.com/FahrplanLatino.html
AND CLICK ON THE COUNTRY YOU LIKE.
In Deutsch; In English; En Castellano;
Em Português-Brasileiro
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BOOKS ABOUT BRASILIAN RAILWAYS:
Attention please: some titles
are on a very
limited stock, delivery as long
as stock last, restocking not guaranteed!
At Fahrplancenter; Prices excluding
postage and packing:
INVENTÁRIO DAS LOCOMOTIVAS A
VAPOR NO BRASIL, 303 S/p, (all existing steam locos),
CHF177.00/ €118,00
RAILS THROUGH THE AMAZON, (History of
the railways until the 1970'is CHF35.70 / €23,80
LOCOMOTIVAS ARTICULADAS (as gigantes
da era do vapor no Brasil), CHF66.00 / €44,00
A VERY BRITISH RAILWAY (History of the
São Paulo Railway), CHF39.00
/ €26,00
O LIVRO DA V-8 E DA ESCANDALOSA,
CHF24.00 / €16,00
WEST OF MINAS NARROW GAUGE,
CHF50.30 / €33,10
CARROS BUDD NO BRASIL,
Vol.1, CHF59.70 / €39,90
DAS EISENBAHNWESEN IN BRASILIEN (from
1975), CHF 6.00 / € 4,00
ESTRADA DE FERRO LEOPOLDINA (Brochure
by
S. Rachdi) CHF19.90 / €13,00
A HISTORY OF BRAZILIAN RAILWAYS, Vol.
1 (very first railways) CHF21.00 / €14,00
BRAZILIAN STEAM ALBUM (Vol. 2; Up over
the Hill; São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro) CHF38.00 / €24,85
THE DONNA THEREZA CHRISTINA RAILWAY
(complete history) CHF17.90 / €11,70
Details:
http://www.fahrplancenter.com/
Buecherliste_Lateinamerika.html
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FLB Notes
FLB General Assembly on 24/02/07
The 10th Annual General Meeting was attended
by 13 members and 3 guests. Kristian Nygaard from Denmark was welcomed
as a new member. The official part passed by very fast, just finances and
polls took some time. The protocol of the 2006 AGM, the reports and financial
report have all been accepted by all members. The 2007 budget has also
been accepted. For the first time some money has been put aside for a "publication
fund". This money will be used for FLB’s own production of publications
about Latin American Railways. Furthermore part of FLB’s funds has been
converted into bonds for the co-operative AIFFLA. After some discussion
CHF5000 have been fixed for these bonds. In the polls section a new president
and an assessor had to be elected. Vice president Patrick Rudin was the
only candidate for presidency and he got all voices. Vinzenz Infanger was
elected as assessor, he was already in this position on the first years
of existence of FLB. Webmaster Marcel Ulmann called the members for honouring
Peter Lais for his long-time work as chairman, which was immediately done by all present
members with a thundering applause.
After the official part, all participants
enjoyed a slide show by our regular guest Mr Dieter Hauss. He showed us
again very interesting pictures from his archives. As an introduction into
this years FLB trip to Southern Brazil he presented pictures from touristical
and historical lines, including views of freight trains and industrial
railways, which may increase interest in these railways of Southern Brazil.
After all participants have been in Brazil at least mentally, we returned
to Swiss reality; some members met for Swiss cheese specialities near Winterthur
main station.
LATIN AMERICA NEWS
ARGENTINA
For the transport of sugar from Ledesma
in Northern Argentina, SOE (Society for Emergency Operations = former Belgrano
Cargas) rehabilitates the roughly 500 km long metre gauge line from Dean
Funes via Serrezuela to Mendoza. First trains may run early May 2007. There
are some problems encountered on this line, for example level crossings
under concrete pavements or illegally inhabited workshops at Mendoza.
BOLIVIA
In the region of Cochabamba about 55 km
of rails have been stolen; this means more difficulties in rebuilding railway
lines.
BRASIL
The new Government of Mato Grosso do Sul
state has no intention to revive the "Trem do Pantanal" tourist and passenger
train. Rebuilding the 450 km line from Campo Grande to Corumbá is
too expensive for one train; without considering that freight trains may
also run faster and with fewer derailments on a rehabilitated railway.
Some investments have already been done.
CHILE
From April 1 to June 30 all passenger
trains between Chillán and Talcahuano are suspended due to construction
of new security installations.
The Chilean Government is spending USD20
million for rebuilding the Chilean section of the Arica - La Paz Railway
during 2007 and 2008.
The Chilean Government decided not to
spend money in 2007 for reconstruction of the Los Andes - Las Cuevas line
of the traditional Central Transandinian railway to Argentina, this because
there has been just one interested company responding to the international
call for doing this job.
The new Metrotren sharply reduced schedules
for Santiago - San Fernando, and this brought harsh protests from users.
Now the Government tries to force National Railway EFE to bring back the
old and better offer of trains.
CUBA
Rehabilitation of the railway is going ahead. There
are again more long-distance passenger trains, but running often in shorter
consists than usual.
The Habana - Holguin train remains replaced by a
bus, but the Cienfuegos - Sancti Spiritus service runs now more often than
in the past.
URUGUAY
For the week of Tourism, which takes place
before the Easter days, Uruguayan State Railways AFE offered several passenger
train services on lines which normally have no passenger trains. For a
few days each of the following lines had some services: Treinta y Tres
- Rio Branco, Montevideo - San Ramón and Montevideo - Cerro Colorado.
In addition regular passenger trains are operating from Montevideo to 25
de Agosto, San José and Victor Sudriers, with temporarily changed
timings. The line to San José suffered some damage by flooding,
but AFE managed to resolve the problem very quickly
VENEZUELA
In April 2007 delivery of the new Chinese-built
diesel railcars for the Puerto Cabello - Barquisimeto line has begun.
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