FLB
 
Friends of Latin American Railways
 
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
 
 
Brasil, FLB Study Tour 2003, Goods trains shunting in Cachoeira. 
2010: The construction of the bypass is still not finished, the train has still to be 
shunted in the town for the transfer to São Felix. Photo Peter Lais 
 
 
VOLTA O TREM
Information Organ  of the Association Friends of Latin American Railways
 
13th Year, Number 4
4th January 2010
 
FLB NEWS
FAHRPLANCENTER NEWS
THE NEXT FLB EVENTS
 
  
FLB COMMITTEE MEETINGS
on Saturdays:

On 23rd January 2010, 13 h 00
at Restaurant Friedtal, Winterthur-Veltheim 
(Bus No. 3 from Railway station Winterthur in 
direction Rosenberg  as far as Bachtelstrasse stop), 
the restaurant ist just at the bus stop

On 27th February 2010, 13 h 30
at Restaurant Sternen, Winterthur-Veltheim
(Bus etc. see below)

Board members may participate in any case
regardless if they are participating at the
main meeting or not. Please inform us!
 

 
THE FAHRPLANCENTER ONLINE:

www.fahrplancenter.com



 
The  FLB is under: 
http://www.ferrolatino.ch 
 
 



Calls for meetings, orders etc.
may also be made by email:

info@fahrplancenter.com
 

MEMBERS' MEETINGS

on Saturdays:

On 23rd January 2010, 14 h 30
 at Restaurant Friedtal, Winterthur-Veltheim 
(Bus No. 3 from Railway station Winterthur in 
direction Rosenberg  as far as Bachtelstrasse stop), 
the restaurant ist just at the bus stop

Annual General Assembly 
and thereafter relaxed meeting 
at Restaurant Sternen, Winterthur-Veltheim 
(Bus etc. see below)

On 27rd February 2010, 14 h 30
at Restaurant Sternen, Winterthur-Veltheim 
(Bus etc. see below)

Slide show by Dieter Hauss, 
Railways in and around 
Santiago de Chile in den 1970s 
 
 
 
 



 
 
 
 

101 years Lima – Huancayo

Incas del Peru offers a superb rail voyage through Peru. By train from Lima to Huancayo, then to Huancavelica, Cuzco - Machu Picchu, Cuzco - Puno, museum tram Barranco, suburban railway Lima, car barn visits, etc.  Details see  under

http://www.fahrplancenter.com/
AIFFLATicketHuancayo.html

 
 
FOR BOOKS ON LATIN AMERICAN RAILWAYS 
PLEASE CONSULT:

http://www.fahrplancenter.com/
Buecher-Lateinamerika.html



FOR TIMETABLES ON LATIN AMERICAN RAILWAYS
PLEASE CONSULT:

http://www.fahrplancenter.com/LatinoIndex.html


Co-operative AIFFLA

In 2010 the International Co-operative for the Development of Latin-American Railways AIFFLA is already four years old. 

Up to now AIFFLA is still heavily dependent from its mother organisation FLB. This should change now. Buy AIFFLA bonds and help to make AIFFLA independent and powerful. AIFFLA is already working. 

Buy bonds to make AIFFLA strong and independent. For yourself or as a gift to friends and relatives who like Latin America and railways. 

AIFFLA has already helped in Uruguay with the purchase of a rail bus for the co-operative Urutren. Urutrain is a co-operative which has been founded in  the spirit of AIFFLA. 

In addition AIFFLA has accepted to contribute to the reconstruction of a Locobreque of the old São Paulo - Santos incline, as soon as a corresponding financing and work plan has been established

These are only two activities; more will follow soon. 

Inform yourself on the home page www.aiffla.com

There are bonds of CHF50.00 and CHF100.00 which can be acquired in unlimited quantities. The co-operative is established according to Swiss law. Co-operative bond holders are only liable to the sum of bonds acquired and not any further. 

Orders may be placed at: 

FAHRPLANCENTER, S. Rachdi, Bahnhof, CH-6422 Steinen SZ, info@fahrplancenter.com , your order will be forwarded. Interested customers in EU countries may pay to a German account, excluding high international money transfer rates.

Thank you for supporting AIFFLA.
 

 
 
FLB INTERNALS
 
Annual General Meeting of the FLB
 
The Annual General Meeting of the FLB will in 2010 take place on the 23rd January as decided by the AGM 2009
  
  
Meeting of the 27th February 2010
 
At this meeting Mr. Hauss will again present a well funded slide show, this about the rail transport 
in and around Santiago de Chile in the 1970s. We hope for a strong participation.
 


ITINERARY TO THE MEETING POINT RESTAURANT STERNEN
FOR MEETINGS FROM APRIL 2009 ONWARDS
 
How to reach Restaurant Sternen:
 
From Winterthur main station take bus No.3 towards Rosenberg, get off at the bus stop Bachtelstrasse, go across the street crossing and then go down along Bachtelstrasse towards Veltheim town centre, turn left into Löwenstrasse, and the Sternen Restaurant is just across the street from a school building.
 
The Löwenstrasse can be found on the town map under: http://maps.google.ch/maps?hl=de&q=Winterthur,+Schweiz&ie=UTF8&ll=47.506824,8.724539&spn=0.006682,0.019999&z=16
 


 
LATIN AMERICA NEWS
 
ARGENTINA
 
Promises for new passenger trains are not ending. Apart of Tucumán - Tafi Viejo (see VoT 13-3, still not running), official opening of the Salta - Cerrillos service is not going ahead. Or maybe the weekly service is the definitive offer? UEPFP/Ferrobaires was announcing several times the rehabilitation of the Buenos Aires - Las Flores - Tandil service in December 2009, but apart of a trial journey no other train ran. In Entre Rios province many things aren’t going as planned. The Paraná - Basavilbaso line is still not rehabilitated and the "new-built" railcar from Spanish second hand material, built by Materfer is too heavy and not operational. The hope to introduce a passenger train between Buenos Aires and Rufino evaporated too.
   
Brasil
 
The Juazeiro do Norte - Crato suburban train "Trem do Cariri" is running! It is a trial service, no fares payable and only three stations are operational, but the service is already very popular.
 
Missing progress of the construction of the new Transnordestina Railway caused that state president Lula da Silva is involving himself personally in this project. By decree he ordered a speed-up of the work, and a monthly report about construction progress must now been sent to the president.
 
The São João del Rei - Tiradentes steam train is out of service because just one locomotive is in operational condition, but a derailment in october 2009 brought this operation to a halt. The Ouro Preto - Mariana tourist train, also operated by FCA is operating without its steam locomotive which was not fit for the low radius curves of this line, but the diesel locomotive too has big problems on this line, so even this one is operating very irregularly.
 
 
Ecuador
 
Track rehabilitation is going forward, at a very slow pace. Some work has bee even done on parts of the Sibambe - Cuenca line. On the other hand Quito - Boliche and Quito - Latacunga trains are now only running when a minimum of 70 passengers are booked. Between Riobamba and Sibambe mixed trains are no longer running, all traffic is by railcar. 
 
 
Mexico
 
Construction of more suburban train lines out from Mexico City has became questionable since the existing train between México and Cuautitlán does not produce any financial profits.
 
 
Venezuela
 
After many years of rehabilitation work only 82 Kilometres (less than 50%) of the Puerto Cabello - Barquisimeto had been completed in November 2009.
 
A happy New Year to all members and readers!
 
Top of Page
Earlier "Volta o Trem"
FLB Main Page
Ferrolatino Home Page