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The Roots of Ferronor
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Table 1: THE NITRATE RAILWAYS | ||||
RAILWAY OPERATOR COMPANY | KMS | GAUGE (MM) | PERIOD THE COMPANY OPERATED | THE RAILWAY OBSERVATIONS AND CURRENT STATUS |
Nitrate Railways Co. Ltd. | 537 | 1.435 | 1871 - 1951 |
Merged into EFE in 1951. |
Cía. de Salitres y Ferrocarril de Junín | 89 | 0.762 | 1896 - 1930 | Most sections were removed, but some are still a part of Ferronor´s network. |
Cía. de Salitres y Ferrocarril de Agua Santa | 148 | 0.762 |
1892 - 1931 | Abandoned after nitrate crisis. |
Ferrocarril de Patillos | 93 | 0.762 |
1872 - 1916 | Abandoned after nitrate crisis. |
Ferrocarril de Iquique a Pintados | 191 | 1.000 | 1928 - 1943 | Operated intermittently. |
Anglo-Chilian Nitrate & Railway Co. Ltd. | 211 | 1.067 | 1890 - present | Now belongs to Soquimich. This is the single railway currently transporting nitrate. |
Antofagasta (Chili) and Bolivia Railway Co. Ltd. (FCAB) | 834 | 0.762 (after 1.000) | 1877 - present | Is currently part of Antofagasta P.L.C., Luksic Group, but does not transport nitrate. |
Ferrocarril de Aguas Blancas | 222 | 0.762 | 1901 – 1952 | Was operated by FCAB. |
Chilian Northern Railway Co. Ltd. | 713 | 1.000 | 1913 - 1961 | Operated by FCAB from 1919 to 1961, then by EFE; is currently part of Ferronor´s network. |
The Taltal Railway Co. Ltd. | 289 | 1.067 | 1888 - 1976 | Last sections were removed between 1977 and 1980. |
Notes: (i) distance includes main and branch lines, excludes detours and parking properties and are considered at the moment of greatest extension; (ii) in most cases, the company´s network was reduced, prior to being completely extinguished; (iii) the names of the companies sometimes showed variations, over the years, as a result of reorganizations and other activities; (iv) the periods of operation refer, mainly, to the years of activity under the original administration; in several cases, the railway continued operations in later years, for example in the hands of EFE. . | ||||
Sources: various. Mainly I. Thomson, Northern Network: the railway history of Northern Chile; Instituto de Ingenieros de Chile, Santiago, 2003. |
The history of nitrate railways is long, complex and fascinating. See references (v), (vi), (ix), (xiii), (xvi), and (xvii)
During a period at the end of the 1920´s the Beyer-Garratt of Nitrate Railways company locomotives had the greatest power in all the southern hemisphere. (Photo by Beyer, Peacock co Ltd.; Ian Thomson’s collection)
Two nitrate trains lowered wagons to the coastline using slopes. Currently there is no other evidence. (photo: Ian Thomson’s collection; a commercial postcard)