Bolivia to build first electric railway
Posted: 19 Aug 2017, 07:10
It wasn't much of an electric railway but, it was in Bolivia until the 60s or 70s. Guaqui-LaPaz from El Alto to LaPaz.
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Bolivia to build first electric railway
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Re: Bolivia to build first electric railway
Posted: 18 Sep 2017, 14:09
Or maybe not...
Re: Bolivia to build first electric railway
Posted: 21 Sep 2017, 05:23
Evo Morales, the indigenous green socialist Bolivian President arrived in politics via his leadership of the cocalero movement. Cocaler or coca is the base from which cocaine is manufactured, so his initial constituency was the coca growers, he has made some weird statements in the past, possibly indulging in a bit of quality control. Perhaps he meant to say “Work on the metropolitan train has already started. Imagine it: the first Government built electric train in Bolivia will be in Cochabamba,â€
Guaqui - La Paz Railway Company.
This was the first electrified railway in South America opening December 1905 to provide service over 5.5 miles of heavily graded track between El Alto and La Paz. The elevation change between El Alto & La Paz is about 1,400 feet, this short line had a ruling grade of 1 in 18, with a maximum grade of 1 in 16, which dictated that electric traction be the motive power of choice. During the 1970's a large modern highway was built to connect El Alto to La Paz, this cut the electrified route in several places and effectively closed the route. A short section of track in La Paz remained electrified for freight car movements for several years. All rail in Bolivia was nationalised in the mid 1950's, prior to this date Bolivian politicians had not indulged at playing with trains.
From memory there were 2 competing lines climbing up the canyon from La Paz to El Alto. The busiest was the FCAB owned, steam worked (including Garretts), Bolivian Railway Company. Today La Paz is not rail connected
http://www.derbysulzers.com/bolivialapazee.jpg
Guaqui - La Paz Railway Company.
This was the first electrified railway in South America opening December 1905 to provide service over 5.5 miles of heavily graded track between El Alto and La Paz. The elevation change between El Alto & La Paz is about 1,400 feet, this short line had a ruling grade of 1 in 18, with a maximum grade of 1 in 16, which dictated that electric traction be the motive power of choice. During the 1970's a large modern highway was built to connect El Alto to La Paz, this cut the electrified route in several places and effectively closed the route. A short section of track in La Paz remained electrified for freight car movements for several years. All rail in Bolivia was nationalised in the mid 1950's, prior to this date Bolivian politicians had not indulged at playing with trains.
From memory there were 2 competing lines climbing up the canyon from La Paz to El Alto. The busiest was the FCAB owned, steam worked (including Garretts), Bolivian Railway Company. Today La Paz is not rail connected
http://www.derbysulzers.com/bolivialapazee.jpg
