Carriages and wagons

NB This chapter is in the early stages of preparation. The decision has been made to extend our coverage northwards to Neuquen but we are still collecting information, data and photos. Any assistance will be much appreciated.

Rumbo al Sud is a web magazine under the editorship of Señor Marcelo Arcas. It deals with the history of railways south of Buenos Aires. It includes a paper on the history of the coaches of the FC Sud from its inauguration until nacionalization. The FCS did not dedicate stock particularly to a single route, but nevertheless it helps in the understanding the variety of stock that may have been used on the Neuquen line. It can be found ( in Spanish of course) at <http://usuarios.lycos.es/arcasm/j-coches1.htm> (1). Link currently (January 2011) unavailable.

It is believed that the following five photos were taken by Mr. Coleman. They were found in his autobiography. (2)

First class coach no. 2601, mounted on six wheel bogies, and being used as an inspection saloon. One of three of this type built in 1924.

A livestock wagon of the usual Argentine type, with end doors so that the animals could walk on from an end ramp and fill the whole train in one operation.

An open wagon, which would have been capable of carrying a maximum load of 45 tonnes, though when loaded with grain in sacks as here 33 tonnes would be a more likely maximum.

Baled alfalfa, presumably for livestock feed, being measured to ensure it was within the loading gauge.

Another photo of a loaded wagon. The method covers a wagon with three tarpaulins, arranged with the first two at the front protecting the load in the direction in which the train will proceed.

A view found in the Motherwell Heritage Centre of a petroleum tanker built by Hurst Nelson and Company of Motherwell in the 1920s for conveying oil from the oil fields of Neuquén. The board indicates that Livesey, Son and Henderson, the railway's London-based consulting engineers, were involved in its design, which can be recognised in the tank and its mounting, still evident today in some of Ferrosur Roca's tankers, and the characteristic axle box seen in close up further down the page.

The plate on the left hand mounting carries on two lines F. C. S. and the fleet number.

Screw couplings and side chains are provided, as is a continuous vacuum brake.

Only one side chain has a hook, the other has merely three links, thus ensuring that they are connected as required by the rules, see extract from the Southern's 1928 Rule Book, kindly provided by Señor Héctor Guerreiro of Bahía Blanca, below.

"Art. 234. Roscas centrales y cadenas auxiliares.-
C. Las cadenas auxiliares serán enganchadas en el tercer eslabón. Solo hay de servir para la tracción si se rompe el enganche central."

An FCS wagon axlebox cover, photographed in 2011.

References:
1 Los coches del Ferrocarril Sud. Marcelo Arcas. Rumbo al Sud (web magazine). <http://usuarios.lycos.es/arcasm/j-coches1.htm>. Link currently (January 2011) unavailable.
2 Construcción e Inauguración . . ., Chapter 2. Pages 233, 376, 366, 369 and 368 respectively. Mi Vida de Ferroviario Inglés en la Argentina 1887-1948. Arturo H. Coleman. 1949 Published privately.

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