TREN PATAGÓNICO © R.95 Scenic Route ► Part I → The Coast

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Photo ofTREN PATAGÓNICO © R.95 Scenic Route ► Part I → The Coast

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Condestable de La Tr

958 567 2052

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Trail stats

Distance: 117.61 mi
Elevation gain: 509 ft
Technical difficulty: Moderate
Elevation loss: 509 ft
Max elevation: 341 ft
TrailRank: 44
Min elevation: 10 ft
Trail type: One Way

Coordinates: 1116
Uploaded: May 27, 2016

2 Claps

near Viedma, Río Negro (Argentina)

Viewed 2859 times, downloaded 5 times

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Itinerary description

▓▓▓▓▓ WELCOME TO THE MOST DEMANDED PATAGONIAN ADVENTURE▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓

THE PATAGONIAN ROUTE

R.95 is the only Patagonian "Transcontinental" railway line crossing Patagonia from E to W, connecting City of Viedma at the Atlantic Ocean, with City of San Carlos de Bariloche located at the Andes Mountains foothills.

It is one of the most legendary patagonian routes, and probably one of the more beatifuls here.

Due to the length of this route we have divided it into 3 parts as follows:
♦ Part I → THE COAST
♦ Part II → THE STEPPE
♦ Part III → THE MOUNTAIN

This particulat guide is only for Part I.
At the bottom we added an hiperlynk to the Part II

Part I runs 125 miles from city of Viedma to city of San Antonio Oeste, and we call it « THE GHOST TOWNS ROUTE » because here, in middle of nothing, still exists a pair of true ghost towns from beggining of XXth Century, and 3 Ghost places from the same time.

O' Connor is the most important of both ghost towns.
Here it is possible to see the old railroaders wooden houses, made with sleepers, the old corrugated steel passenger station, and the Thomas Piggott watertank for steam locos.
Curiously a track MOW crew is based here, and one of the members is the only unhabitant here.

Of course, scenery here is pure Patagonian desert, with... no population.

If you are alert, probably you would see here guanacos and choiques at the side of our tracks. Note that this are protected animals here.

THE TRAINS

Part I is normally covered by the «Patagónico», and somethimes by the «Expreso Río Negro».

«Patagónico»
This is a vintage diesel train with argentine, dutch, french, spanish, portuguese and japanese rolling stock from the '50's, '60s and '70's.
Consist is, normally, the following:
♦ 1 vintage diesel main locomotive. (Could be Alco RSD-16 from 1957 or EMD GT-22 from 1985, or EMD JT-26 serie 319 "Renfe" from 1991.
♦ 1os 2 Autoracks.
♦ 0 to 1 vintage diesel helper loco.
♦ 1 combined baggage / power Fiat Concord 1972 car.
♦ 1 or 2 Fiat Concord sleepers.
♦ 1 Fiat Concord 1972 or Carel & Fouché 1955 restaurant.
♦ 0 to 1 Fiat Concord 1972 1st Class salon coach or a FIat Concord 2nd Class salon.
♦ 1 to 3 2 HItachi 1962 Pullmans.

«Expreso Río Negro»
It is a 2018 built Materfer serie 650 DeMU duplet.
♦ Pullman motor pilot coach.
♦ Pullman trailer pilot coach.

R.95 Part III is also covered by the loved train Nº 383/384 «Expreso de la Estepa».
Of course, this is not a conventional train, because it is the famous spanish TER train. In fact an historic Fiat serie 597 from 1965. This is a duplet DMU, conformed as follows:
♣ Economic Class pilot motor coach.
♣ Economic Class trailer with café departament.

You will see more info by opening parts II and III.

Came with us to ride one of the most fantastic Patagonian experiences..
.

Follows on part 2

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Waypoints

IDEVI

This is a grup of local farms Somethimes open to tourist

Barranco de Los Loros

A nice place for birdwatchers. One of the most important parrots colony you can see in America.

La Lobería

This is the most important sea wolfs reservoirs in all America

Camino de La Costa

A impressive scenic road running paralel to a cliff.

Faro del Río Negro

This is the first and northernmost patagonian lighthouse.

Balneario El Cóndor

A nice beach with a big tidal wave, located at the Río Negro estuary side.

Plaza San Martin

This is Viedma main square.

Residencia del Gobernador

The Governor house itself.

Edificio Histórico Municipal

This is the Municipalty historical building

Manzana Histórica

This is a historical city block containing some historical buildings.

Plaza Alsina

This is the downtown square.

Muelle de Lanchas

This pier acts as a little port for shuttle ships connecting Viedma with Carmen de Patagones. They operate in a regular service.

Oficina de Informes Turísticos

Open Mondays to Fridays from 8am to 8pm. Saturdays, Sundays and non labourable days from 12am to 6pm. +542920-427171 infoturismo@viedma.gov.ar

Centro Municipal de Cultura

This is the municipalty culture building. Located at Gallardo St. Nº 550. +542920-424448.

Puente Gobernador Villarino

The new road brigde connecting city of Viedma with Carmen de Patagones.

Puente Ferrocarretero

This is the historical steel lifting brigde connecting city of Viedma with Carmen de Patagones. It is dual mode, so can operate road and railroad traffic. It is the only railroad lifting brigde in all Patagonia, but it is important to mention lifting system is not longer operative, because it is not neccesary on modern times.. The brigde was built in 1937, and the lifting system... is not conventional

Terminal de Omnibus VDM

This is the city buses terminal.

Puente Seco

It is an old plate railway brigde located over Provincial Route Nº 1

Histórico Muelle Carbonero

During steam times this pier was used by ships to transfer coal to railway wagons to be later used by locomotives. It is not longer operative

Antiguo Emplazamiento de los Talleres Ganz

In the past on this place were located the mainteinance sheed of a special fleet of fast DMU's

Tren Nº 000

Some historical rolling stock can be seen here somethimes

Histórica Mesa Giratoria

Just the historic turntable itself

Embarcadero de autos

Here is the ramp to load automobiles on board the train

Aeropuerto Gobernador Castello

This is the local airport, located only 2km from the railway station

Puente Fantasma

A lonely steel brigde located in middle of nowhere in the desert.

General Nicolás Palacios Ghost Station

The first ghost station is this. Nothing here. Just empty space.

General Liborio Bernal Ghost Station

The second ghost station you will pass.

Vice-admiral O' Connor Ghost Station town

This is a complete and original ghost town from beginning of the XXth Century. Wooden houses, an corrugated steel passenger building and the water tank can be seen at the north side. A MOW unit is based here. Somethimes train stops here to assist the lonely track unit.

Nuevo León Ghost Station

Another ghost station.

The O' Connor Triangle

Inversion triangle in middle of nothing

General Lorenzo Vintter Ghost Station

Vintter is not a cnventional ghost station, because from here you have a strange and nice view to the ocean, located 30km away. Looking South it is possible to see the deep blue ocean making a atrong contrast with the yellow desert, giving this a unique visual composition

East Xing

San Antonio Bay tidal limit

Here you have a very unusual scenery for a railway. With high tide you will see sea water very near the tracks. But on low tide all the bay turns dry, and if you pay attention you will see crabs holes between the brushes.