This is a tourist train from Salta – something I had been looking forward to for a while (get this train fascination from my dad I think!!).
Anyway the train goes to the La Polvorilla Viaduct at 4220 metres above sea level (in the clouds of course!) and then back again, taking a whopping 15 hours in total (and you dont even get anywhere!!!). The train goes 434km in total and has 29 bridges, 21 tunnels, 13 viaducts, 2 spirals, and 2 zigzags. The zigzags were where the train effectively gains altitude without having to go round and round a mountain – instead it goes backwards and forwards a few times for about 800m and up steps in the mountain – quite clever really (the diagram might explain it better!!):
The scenery was spectacular – beautiful mountains and amazing bridges and the final viaduct was pretty impressive.
Although the question of whether it was worth the 15 hour round trip is debatable – and Simon certainly wouldn’t agree!!
On the way back the tour guide in our carriage got a little carried away … which didn’t help Simons mod in the slightest – we had entertainment for entertainments sake when all we wanted to do was read our books and snooze – it was all topped off by a quiz (!) and then finally a karaoke session (we weren’t impressed karaoke is only for drunken times!!!).
1 response so far ↓
1 annbaker // Nov 22, 2008 at 9:17 pm
I hope you won the quiz!!!!
Love mum xxx
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