The train graveyard at the 'edge of the world'

[katoftw]

http://www.msn.com/en-au/travel/tripideas/the-train-graveyard-at-the-edge-of-the-world/ar-AAhNh5o?li=AAgfYrC&ocid=mailsignout

[Ochanomizu]

Hello,

 

This is featured in an episode of Extreme Railway Journeys, season 2.  It is a British production.  I really enjoyed that series.

[marknewton]

This series of photos is doing the rounds at the moment. I've also seen it appear in the Guardian and the Daily Mail. The photos themselves are nice enough, but the comments from the photographer are nonsense.

 

Chris said: "Most of the 19th century steam locomotives were imported from Britain, so they were designed and built for the British climate. Although built to withstand harsh weather conditions, the locomotives proved to be no match for the challenging conditions that they found themselves in while chugging their way through the high altitudes, thin air, corrosive salty winds and extreme temperatures in Bolivia and Chile."

 

I've been to Uyuni - there's no engines there that were built in the 19th century. Nor are all of them from British builders. Not only were the engines of the FCAB designed and built for the local conditions as specified by the FCAB's consulting engineers Livesey, Son & Henderson, two of the engines dumped there represent the best that the British loco builders had to offer their export customers. One is a Beyer-Garratt, which were highly successful engines wherever they were operated. The original FCAB Garratts were delivered in 1928 and continued in service until the late 1970s.

 

The other is a Kitson-Meyer, a design which was very popular and successful in South America. The FCAB K-Ms were built in 1913 and remained in service until about 1971-72. Built as coal-burners to run funnel first, they were later converted to oil firing and ran cab-forward.

 

So much for the claim that the British-built engines were no match for the challenging local conditions.

 

"The steam locomotives were being operated at more than 3500 meters above sea level, which is a far higher altitude than they were designed for. This increase in altitude lowered the boiling point of the water in the engines from 100 degrees to about 98 degrees which meant the engines would literally run out of steam and derail."

 

Which is complete and utter BS. Lowering the atmospheric pressure only lowers the boiling point of water in a container that is open to the atmosphere.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[kvp]

Yes, the text is bad. You could also see some us style freight car parts too that doesn't even get mentioned.

 

Running a steam loco at lower atmospheric pressure is actually better as they are more efficient. Condensation tenders actually allow exhausing into near vacuum to increase available power and fuel efficiency even at sea level.

 

Imho most of the damage is due to metal theft and some artists. The locos also look like they were stripped of usable parts before dumping.