Here is a set of photos from July 2008 in the former 3ft narrow gauge line. Starting in June 2008 the isolated narrow gauge line began a conversation to standard gauge to connect with the Ferrocarril Central (Peru Central route). This was a Peruvian Government project, since the line technically is Peruvian property. The Central route is concessioned to Rail Development Corporation for 25 years. FCCA (Ferrocarril Central Andina) is the operating company that took over the conversion project. The FCHH has been administered by the local Government and the Transportation Ministry.

Track was stripped to sub roadbed, then rebuilt on new concrete ties and relayed standard gauge rail from a abandoned branch on the FCCA.

Narrow gauge equipment is all stored in the yards and little if any three rail trackage is serviceable. Eventually the equipment will be offered to sale to other railroads or scrappers. Lots of old narrow gauge freight cars and trucks.

Dale Brown

Photos;

1-Hunslet 2-8-0 #107 stored in FCHH yards.


2-Japanise railcar #30 remodeled and awaiting conversion to standard gauge

3-Huancayo yard lead with dual gauge track. Trackage was dual gauged for several miles in Huancayo and outside town to a military installation. The standard gauge rail was removed to the military installation in the mid 90's.

A few more from FCHH.

1-Atlas railcar #7 from abandoned FC del Santa (located near Chimbote, Peru) narrow gauge 3 ft. FC del Santa was abandoned in 1970 after a major earthquake destroyed the railroad. Atlas was a minor builder of railcar pushers and mining equipment in Cleveland, OH. The car has been stored in Huancayo for over 40 years. It is essencially a shell.

2- Another view of the yard lead.

3. DL 535 #435 still on narrow gauge trucks. Awaiting conversion to standard gauge. Same model as WP&Y uses. Perurail on the Cusco to Machu Picchu narrow gauge route has a active fleet.

Dale Brown

I should also point out that traffic has been slow to develop on the new standard gauge route. The little freight that was hauled was handled in mixed trains on the narrow gauge. Other than the operating cost and some maintenance of track and equipment the narrow gauge line was fine. It was looser for the railroad but subsidized as a social operation due to the many small communities unreachable by paved road.

FCCA pushed for this conversion. The area around Huancavelica had potentially some more copper mines that would want to ship by standard gauge. Last November in a contact with the railroad, they have not been operating regularly on the standard gauge. A new operator or contract was being worked out and the offices moved to another area of Huancayo. Shops and station would remain as before.

Three more of FCHH.

1- Baldwin 2-6-0 #112 now displayed alongside platform in Central station Huancayo. Cut off from any narrow gauge track. Station trackage has been extensively rearranged.

2. More DL 535's stored out of service.

3- #107 Huancayo shops

Thanks for the information. This line was one I would have liked to have ridden as narrow gauge. Peru is on my short line and I would like to get there this summer. Please keep us updated if you get more news. Also, there have been a number of Peru photos on railpictures recently.

So, when was the last narrow gauge steam excursion? I remember the film of this line in the 1980's Great Railway Journeys.

I really like this photo of the narrow gauge diamond and the standard gauge track taken out. This reminds me of a section of trackage in Griffith, Indiana where a siding went to an industry and crossed about 5 main line tracks. The mainline tracks were removed but the five diamonds remained, all cut off on both ends. This was a really neat picture I thought. And with the rail museum there in Griffith, I figured that they would request that that trackage should remain. Of course, that did not happen and the diamonds were all taken out. I never mentioned it to anyone at the museum there, and I never took a photo either. Just goes to show that you should never assume!

Les

Last steam runs were in the late 70's and early 80's. Not sure when the very last useage of narrow gauge steam. Diesels were ordered in 1970's.

Dale Brown