From the April 2002 issue of the "Narrow Gauge
News Magazine,"
published by the
Narrow
Gauge Railway Society,
a book review by Keith Taylorson:
"A JOURNEY THROUGH TIME AND DISTANCE ON THE OLD PATAGONIAN
EXPRESS" by Sergio Sepiurka and Jorge Miglioli
Format: 255mm x 255 mm, 172 Pages, 205 photos, 3 maps
"This new book, written and published in Argentina, is a
definitive history of the celebrated 75cm gauge railway serving
Esquel, in Patagonia. The book summarises the grandiose plans
for a broad gauge railway development to open up this remote area,
and explains how these were scaled down to encompass a network
of narrow gauge lines, when it became obvious that broad gauge
lines could never be afforded. The revised plans envisaged over
1,000km of 75cm gauge lines linking Esquel not only with the north,
but also with the coast at Puerto Madryn -a link between the Andes
and the Atlantic. However even these plans became too ambitious
and only the 402km from Ing. Jacobacci to Esquel was eventually
built.
"The authors describe the construction of the line, its many
revisions of route, and opening in 1945. The fortunes of the line
through to the 1990s (when closure was narrowly avoided) and the
present day are also summarised.
"The main strength of the narrative however lies in its use
of 'oral history.' The authors are local to Esquel and have been
able to gather the reminiscences of many local people who worked
on and used the railway. There are fascinating detailed accounts
of journeys on the railway in the 1950s and 1960s, including the
incident when a whole train was blown off the track (this is illustrated)
and another when a train was marooned in a snowdrift for 4 days
-the train's passengers were fed and sheltered by local inhabitants,
but the train eventually made it through to Esquel. A former railway
worker reminisces about the days when the line had three return
passenger trains a week, and daily freights in both directions,
hauling wool and livestock, telegraph poles and colihue cane,
coal and groceries for the villagers. But, as he ruefully points
out, local traders resented 'waiting three or four months for
delivery of their goods by rail' so the loss of traffic to road
was inevitable. The authors have also unearthed some superb historical
photographs, including one of opening day in 1945, and a mouth
watering picture of four Henschel 2-8-2s (destined for Esquel)
being hauled on a flat car by a Beyer Peacock 2-6-0 on the then
metre gauge Puerto Madryn line. Photos from the 1960s onwards
are in full colour, and all photos have reproduced well on the
heavy-duty art paper used. The text is bilingual (Spanish and
English) with, helpfully, a different colour ink being used for
the appropriate texts. The English text 'reads' well, being fluent
and idiomatic, not just a literal translation of the Spanish.
"The book stands as a magnificent tribute to one of the most
distinctive narrow gauge railways the world has seen, and is unreservedly
recommended. Hopefully, by the time this review appears copies
will be available from specialist bookshops in the UK."
Keith Taylorson
