Motive power out of Comodoro Rivadavia

Motive power
The table below shows the locomotive stock as recorded in 1923 (1). A much longer list of locos that worked on the line, by Reg Carter, is in an appendix page.

As with the Puerto Deseado line it soon became apparent that neither extensions to the line nor rapid development of the area were going to help build up traffic. Eventually the railway settled down to work for many years with just four of the class 12m 4-6-2s, nos 354, 355, 362 & 365, and a couple of the class 11S 2-8-0s. Eventually 5 Drewry railcars (operable in multiple) and 3 Ganz railcars (operable only singly) arrived to cover the passenger workings. In addition there were various tank engines working C. Rivadavia port, though these were owned by the port rather than the railway.

One of the 12M class pacifics. There were three batches of these, built by Maffei, Cockerill and Haine St. Pierre. They had detail differences.

Railcars
Both the Comodoro Rivadavia and the Puerto Deseado lines received petrol and then diesel railcars. These operated almost all passenger services, greatly reducing running costs. They were mostly single class vehicles - labelled 'Clase unica' rather than first or second.

No details are known of this early four-wheeled railbus with a lightweight luggage trailer.

This is a later railcar, probably one of those built at Puerto Madryn in 1952. Nos. 66 and 67 worked on the Puerto Deseado line, but the numbers of those working from Comodoro Rivadavia have not yet been discovered.

Eventually these primitive early vehicles were replaced by more sophisticated stock brought in from further north. A 1959 report records that the C. Rivadavia line had 5 Drewry cars and 3 from Ganz of Hungary, whilst the route from Pto. Deseado to Las Heras had just the 2 Drewry units. The same report suggests that the cars needed reinforcement by others since most trains at the time were full to capacity. These later cars were known to local people as 'Las Chanchas' or 'the pigs', probably as a result of their bulbous shapes.

Drewry cars
These were 1938 built single cars constructed for Buenos Aires suburban services and distributed alsewhere in 1951.

An unfortunately out of focus shot shows a Drewry car when new, and below is a shot taken in FC General Roca times on the Comodoro Rivadavia line.

Ganz railcars
The line also received railcars built by Ganz in Hungary. In 1935 the FCE ordered a varied batch of 35 units for all three of the main Argentine gauges. The only three broad gauge cars (CM1 to CM3) were for use in Patagonia. Of these three, CM3 definitely went to the Bariloche line first, for use between Viedma and Valcheta, though it later arrived in Comodoro Rivadavia. CM1 and CM2 were intended for use one each at Comodoro Rivadavia and Puerto Deseado but may both have been at Comodoro Rivadavia from the beginning. Certainly by 1959 all three units were here.

In addition, one or possibly two from a Ganz batch of cars (1054-1059, later 2401-6) originally supplied to the Buenos Aires & Pacific Railway in 1937, much later were transferred to Comodoro Rivadavia. The following photo shows one of these cars in FCGR livery as CM53. The other was CM54. They can be identified by having no side buffers at all. Their original electro-pneumatic couplers had been replaced by a conventional hook and links on arrival in Patagonia but they never received any buffers. This unfortunately meant that they could only be used singly.

A final Ganz coche motor was from a second BAP Railway batch built in 1938 (1060-1067, later renumbered 2409-2416). No. 2411 arrived after use on the FC General San Martin and retained its no. 2411 in Patagonia. It too will have looked like the above picture, with no side buffers.

One of the ex BAP Ganz cars still exsts in the Comodoro Rivadavia area, as a restaurant at the race course in Rada Tilly. The grounded body of a Drewry car lay alongside it in 1984, but it is not known whether it remains there.

Much more detail about the various Ganz diesel cars supplied to Argentina is contained in a specialist web-page.

Cargo carrying railcars
A number of experiments were made with freight carrying railcars, though how long these were in use is uncertain.

The picture immediately below shows a container carrying diesel railcar, modified at Remedios de Escalada from one of the Drewry passenger cars. By 1977 this lay at Talleres outside Comodoro Rivadavia with its cab taken for use on another Drewry car.

The final railcar photo shows Ganz railcar bodies departing from the Hungarian manufacturer's workshops mounted on flat wagons. The strange emergency buffers can be seen. It is said that the original Patagonian cars (CM1 to CM3) were shipped in parts in this way for ease of transhipment at Patagonian ports.

Comodoro Rivadavia port shunters
Several tank engines were purchased second-hand from the Port of Buenos Aires. Technically they may have belonged to the Comodoro Rivadavia Port Authority (or A. G. Puertos?) rather than to the FCP. They included Manning Wardle 0-6-0T no. 1351 of 1897, no. 8, and Henschel 0-6-0Ts no. 8060 and 8069 of 1907, nos. 20 and 24. At least six tank engines were derelict here in 1075.

The photos were taken in 1975. Henschel no. 24 is in the foreground, whilst Manning Wardle no. 8 is behind.

The picture below, also taken in 1975, shows four other tank engines. The one on the far right appears to be similar to Manning Wardle no. 8 and may be another of the many of this design originally at the Pto. de Buenos Aires. The loco immediately beyond the crane is Henschel no. 8060, Puerto de la Capital no. 20.

Sole survivor
Manning Wardle no. 8 was later preserved in the town near the port entrance, though in the usual vandalised condition. One of the mainline coaches stands with it. Since 2001 it seems that both have been moved to the newly restored station, though obviously the loco never worked on the mainline.

Rolling stock
The 1913 (2) and1926 (3) reports tabulate the coaching and freight stock:

Passenger coaches
Annual 'Estadistica' reports give the line's total passenger stock as three from 1916 until 1934, though for a period of three years from 1923 there was an additional vehicle. The total rose to five in the mid thirties and then to eight from 1938. After 1944 no loco-hauled passenger stock was reported at all.

Tipo Type	Maker Marca	Numbers Numeros	Axles Ejes	Seats	Weight tonnes Peso toneladas	Source Procedencia	Notes Observaciones
Coche 1a	Harlan & Hollings-worth 1910	P105	4	64	37.0	New/Nuevo $oro 13,470.00	Listed in 1912 & 1924 also present in ’34, ’40 & ’45.
Coche mixto	Harlan & Hollings-worth 1910	M306	4	86 1a - 32 2a - 54	34.9	New/Nuevo $oro 10,865.00	Listed in 1912 & 1924 also present in ’34, ’40 & ’45.
Coche 2a	Harlan & Hollings-worth 1910	S206, later M307 after convers-ion	4	79 1a - 32 2a - 47	34.9	New/Nuevo $oro 10,006.00	As detailed in 1912 but converted to coche mixto by 1924. Present in ’34, ’40 & ’45.
Coche 2a	Dyle et Bacalan	??, later S510	2	26	10.4	? built 1898.	Not recorded in 1912 but present in 1924 (arrived 1923?); in 1934, ’40 & ’45 numbered S510 and converted to service use (prob. by 1926).
Coche motor	Ganz	1 & 2 ?	4	1a - 8 2a - 40	40	1935or 1937?	240hp. Only recorded in 1940. With kitchen & compartment for luggage. Three Ganz units here in 1960.
Coche motor	Ganz	53 & 54	4	60	42	1937	Ex BAPR batch 1054-59 later 2401-6. Renumbered CM 53 &54 in Patagonia. Here in 1960 and 1977. No 53 burnt out by 1977. 54 operating until closure of line and then relocated to Rada Tilly racecourse where still in use as a restaurant.
Coche motor	Ganz	2411	4	60	49	1938	Ex BAPR no 1062 later 2411. Here in 1960 and 1977 but burnt out by 1977.
Coche motor	Talleres C. Riva-davia	3	2	1a - 24		1935	Only recorded in 1940
Coche motor	Talleres C. Riva-davia	4	2	1a - 22		1935	Only recorded in 1940
Coche motor	Talleres C. Riva-davia	5	2	1a - 24		1935	Only recorded in 1940
Coches motor	Drewry 1938	5 here in 1960, and in 1977.	4	42		From BAGSR suburban services 1951	'Las Chanchas or chanchitas' Numbers: 59 & 61 (Patagonia numbering), 323 & 500 (Roca numbering) and 453 (Sarmiento numbering, ex official saloon at Remedios de Escalada). One grounded Drewry body survived at Rada Tilly racecourse in 1984.
Furgon pasaj.	Harlan & Hollings-worth 1910	F403	4		33.6	New/Nuevo $oro 10,006.00	Listed in 1912 & 1924, also present in ’34 & ’45.
	?	AV12					4 wheeled railcar (powered or trailer?) for use by Vias y Obras. Only seen here in 1977.
1977 information from Marcelo Arcas' website (4).

Freight stock

Type Tipo	Maker Marca	Quan-tity Canti-dad	Axles Ejes	Capa-city Capa-cidad Tonnes/tone-ladas	Source Proce-dencia	Notes Observaciones
Plata-forma 2185 series	Nesseldorf/Ringhoffer 1910	35	4	40	New/Nuevas $oro 964.70 each?	Weight empty 13.10 tonnes. Only 8 of these present in 1924, but all 35 again recorded in 1934, ’40 & ’45, numbered 2185-2219. All 35 also recorded in 1952 tariffs update. 1955 tariff update records 2185-2223.
Plata-forma	Dyle et Bacalan	33	2	10	Ex FC Andino $oro 500.00 each	Only reported in 1912, not in 1924, 1934, 1940 or 1945.
Plata-forma 300 series	Gloucester (or Midland ?)	12	4	20	Ex FC Andino $oro 500.00 each.	10 tonnes empty. 12 recorded in 1924. These may be the same. 12 still mentioned in 1934;10 of them recorded in 1940 & ’45, numbered 300-309. Series 300-9 also in 1952 tariffs update. 1955 tariff update reports 300-319 but this may be a mistake.
Cubiertos 615 - 619	Nesseldorf/Ringhoffer 1910	5	4	40	New/Nuevas	16 tonnes empty. Still 5 present in 1924; and again 5 in 1934 & ’45 (numbered 615-619). 615-9 also listed in 1952 & 1955 tariffs updates.
Cubiertos 940 series	Bonnefond, (or Dyle et Bacalan in 1912 list)	8	2	10	Ex FC Andino $oro 500.00 each	All present in 1924, but in 1934, ’40, ’45, ’52 & ’55 there were two left, numbered 940-941. The 1955 update also records the existence of nos. 964-7 as 8 tonne cubiertos.
Cubiertos			4	45		Nos. 16668-18565 listed in 1955 tariffs update. Presumably not a complete series! No other details known.
Bordes bajos (Half-box cars in 'Long' 1926) 445-449	Nicaise & Delcuve 1889	19	2	10 or 8 in 1940	?	5.10 tonnes empty. Not recorded in 1912, but present in 1924. In 1934, ’40, & ’45 there were 5 'bordes bajos' by Nicaise & Delcuve numbered 445-449 (& built in 1889). Bordes bajos 449-472 still listed in 1952 tariffs update, and nos. 445-472 in the 1955 update.
Bordes bajos (Half-box cars in 'Long' 1926) 450-472	Dyle et Bacalan 1895	7	2	11	?	Not recorded in 1912, only in 1924. In 1934, ’40, & ’45 there were 23 'bordes bajos' by Dyle et Bacalan (dating from 1895) numbered 450-472. Bordes bajos 449-472 still listed in 1952 & 1955 tariffs updates. Also see 445-472 listed in 1955 update as mentioned above.
Bordes bajos 473-492			2	5		473-492 listed in 1955 tariff update. No other details known.
Bordes altos 2559 -2565	Dyle et Bacalan 1895	7?	2	8	Ex FC Andino built 1890.	6 tonnes empty. Not mentioned in 1912 and 1924 but bordes altos 2559-2565 present in 1934, ’45, ’52 and ’55, and total of 7 in 1960.
Tanques 10-24	Nesseldorf/Ringhoffer 1910	10	4	38	New/Nuevas $oro 1848.80 each	16 tonnes empty. 15 of these present in 1924, 15 in 1934 (inc. no. 24 out of service), and 14 in 1940, ’45 and ’52 (numbered 10-23).
Tanques 4518 -4535			4 4 4 4 4	38 38 38 38 40		4518-20 for petroleum 4521-22 for water 4523-24 for diesel-oil 4525-33 for petroleum 4534-35 for petroleum All listed solely in 1955 tariffs update.
Tanque			2			One two axle petroleum tank listed in 1960. No other details known.
Furgon carga 558	Dyle et Bacalan	1	2	?	1898	Not recorded in 1912, only in 1924. In 1934, ’ 40 & ’45 recorded as numbered 558.
??? 1002-9						Wagons of series 1002-9 mentioned in 1955 tariff book. No details known.
Hacienda 2 pisos con-vertibles 11040-79			4	45		Wagons of series 11040-79 mentioned in 1955 tariff book. No other details known. 9 in total in 1960.
Coche motor ??	Drewry		4			Converted at Remedios de Escalada to take a refrigerated container. By 1977 lying derelict at Talleres with the cab end removed to supply parts for another Drewry.
1977 information from the website of Marcelo Arcas (4).

One of the Lancaster-bult coaches is preserved, in hospital grounds in Rawson of all places, a long way from any broad gauge track! This one was actually the sole first class coach on the Puerto Deseado line for many years.

The Lancaster Carriage and Wagon worksplate on the solebar of the above carriage

References:
1
2
3
4 The Rumbo al Sud website article by Marcelo Arcas is at<http://www.rumboalsud.com.ar/l-comodoro.htm>.

27-5-08