Hello,

I stumbled across this video today.

The Argentina? .....it is getting very difficult to determine however the part of the bullet nose can be made out. Also note the driver with a center crank on the ground. A sad sight indeed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DoAlYR1pwo&feature=related

Perhaps Martyne Bane or Hugh Odom could confirm if this is the Argentina.

At Hugh's Ultimate Steam site, you can see a picture of the Argentina in better days.

http://www.trainweb.org/tusp/porta.html

I understand Barry scrap yard projects had worse starts than this? But this is getting very bad.

Regards,

Randy

I feel fairly certain that is it. An individual or group was going to try to rescue the Argentina for restoration; but the yard it is stored in was in a bad part of town, with little protection. It was feared this very thing would happen, and efforts to preserve it were ended before money was lost; looks like those fears were justified. A sad end to a historic engine.

It looks like someone knocked her on her side with heavy equipment to get at her brasses. not something a small time thief can do.

"It looks like someone knocked her on her side with heavy equipment to get at her brasses. not something a small time thief can do."

Indeed.....I believe the word to describe what happened to the "Argentina" is "conspiracy".....

TH

A move was started a long time ago to try to arrange for preservation, but it seems to have failed to either interest the Argentinians or enough outsiders to bribe their way past the Argintinean reluctance to take action. Haven't hear a word about it recently on any of the modern steam tech or UK based lists I follow.

dave

The video features Porta, Chapelon (visiting from France) and many of the team responsible for the loco's construction in the docks at Rosario.

As to the current status I can't accurately say as the last info I got from anyone who'd been there was in 2010. Bits where still there, just. Essentially the boiler and chassis. The rest gone..... The people who went had to go in with the police (two heavily armed officers per visitor) as Mate de Luna, bad in 2004 when I visited, is now shockingly bad. It is what the Argentines refer to as "villa" and such areas are pretty much no go for the police in normal circumstances. Anyone who has seen Villa 31 next to Retiro in Buenos Aires will be able to picture what it is like there.

I was in Argentina last year but did not go to Tucuman. A friend is planning to go this year to see what is left. We don't expect much to be found.

As for the rescued project the money was in place and everything was setup to go even after the initial problems with the robbing of parts. However, being a state owned item, we needed permission to extract it. This permission was never granted. And that is probably all I should say on the matter! Very sad but such is life.

Rest in Pease 'Argentina'
We must not forget her or her father. The best way to respect and remember them is to build somthing even better baised on what they tought us.

While Porta's 'Argentina'
is now peacefully resting,
we must realize that
today Argentina's 'Porta'
is very much living.
There must be a reason.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26957617@N08/3629735697/

Regards,
O. Anderson
moderator
groups.yahoo.com/group/18inch

"Don't weep for us, Argentina"

Sorry, it was staring me in the face. 8-)

Here are two photos of the loco's remains in April 2010 - the latest photos I have. Would suggest there is much less remaining now.

There are few things that look deader than a dead steam locomotive.

Is there any news on the Trans-Patagonian Railway that was to be steam powered?

Wow- it sure seems like there would be far easier honest ways to make a few bucks in Argentina.

It is at least interesting to be able to see some of how this locomotive was fabricated- plate frames with welded bracing for instance.