(British) Steam in Argentina

As I can't find any previous posts on this, I wanted to highlight a bit about the preservation scene in Argentina away from La Troquita and Rio Turbio.

The Ferroclub Argentino has four sites in the Buenos Aires/La Plata area.
One of these (Lynch, on the old BA Central/Urquiza line) is Standard gauge. They have in recent years restored and operated British built 0-6-0 and 2-6-0 and Baldwin 4-6-0 locos on the mainline. They have quite a few more locos, including a handsome Kerr Stuart 4-4-0, at their site and given a basic cosmetic spruce-up. Currently I think only the Neilson (?) 0-6-0 is operational.
The Ferroclub's main Broad Gauge site is Remedios de Escalada, formerly the main works of the Southern railway /Roca. They have quite a few locos, of which a 2-8-0 and a 2-6-2T have been restored to operation in recent years. A 2-6-4T suburban tank has been given very fine cosmetic restoration, as have a 4-8-0 and some 4-6-0s. Two pacifics are under restoration, one of which (a Vulcan Foundry 3-cylinder machine of the Southern) has just had the boiler reunited with the frames. The other (also Vulcan, of the Central Argentina Caprotti design) is at a much less advanced stage. There are several other locos on site.
The other BG sites at Tolosa and Haedo are less active but the latter has a compound suburban 4-8-4T not yet restored, while the former has a 2-6-2T and a 4-6-0 amongst others.

Elsewhere there is another group who have previously operated a Southern 4-8-0 on the mainline, and a Rosario group who have a beautifully restored operational NB pacific of the CA, and several other locos awaiting restoration.

There was an old BA Pacific 2-8-0 operating out of Batiloche but this I currently mothballed.

There are lots of British built locos plinthed or in sidings across Argentina, including a big BAP 2-8-2 and at least one BAP pacific, plus other pacifics of the CA and the Southern.

 

I was over there in 2002. When you can find the steam sites (not always easy) they are very strongly British influenced. We visited two of the sites near Buenos Aires from memory; one was more generally open to the public while at the other, once the security guard had established that we weren't thieves, he went to get one of the local enthusiasts who gave us a guided tour. My travelling companions had a ride behind the 2-8-0 at Bariloche (note spelling) and I gather it ran out of fuel! I couldn't go on that trip as I was flying back earlier than the others, but I did photograph it. The loco was built by North British, I seem to recall.

 

Loco at San Carlos de Bariloche (should have proof-read my original post) is former FC Buenos Aires al Pacifico 112 Class 2-8-0 no 121, built NBL in 1912 as works no 19778. Very handsome loco, but as far as I know not running at present.

 

Some photos here including of FCBAP 121 (half way down). Although the page is labelled 2016, I think the text may be slightly out of date. http://www.farrail.net/pages/touren-engl/Argentina-steam+The_Old_Patagonia_Express-2016.php

 

One of the British beauties preserved and in steam in Argentina (Rosario):
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=576082&nseq=104

 

Thanks for sharing Ralph.
Those FCBAP locos were very handsome. They had some pacifics too (at least one survives static in poor condition, I think at least two) and some big and handsome mikados (one survives in deplorable condition).