BRIEF UPDATE OF CURRENT EVENTS AT THE
F.C. RIO TURBIO – PUERTO NATALES

Work during recent months has concentrated on the public tendering of the final stage technical studies for the extension of the existing RFIRT from its present terminus at Río Turbio to a new coastal terminus at Puerto Bories (Puerto Natales). The work has been advertised in the national press to interested companies that have the capacity to undertake an in depth study of exactly how the new section of line (mostly within the neighbouring country of Chile) will be constructed, operated and financed. Much preliminary work has already been undertaken by the project director S.T. McMahon during the past two years and it has already been decided that modern steam will be the form of traction for both passenger and freight workings over the new section of line. Companies are to present their bids by end of October/early November. The work is to take between 120 and 180 days and must start as early as possible so that the construction of the new line can begin during mid 2007.

In the Río Turbio YCRT workshops maintenance work is being carried out to locomotive 107 by S.T. McMahon and his team, whilst design work is being concentrated on the remodification of 1963 built locomotive 119 and the advanced Santa Fe “Delta ASF 12X” project. Work continues in the carriage shops with respect to the rebuild of the 5 available passenger coaches and overseas companies are being contacted with respect to the manufacture and purchase of new passenger rolling stock.

Members of the Río Turbio team with others from the railways of Argentina together in October 2006. © Universidad Catòlica Argentina, Press Division

On the existing RFIRT mainline track maintenance work has begun and will take some 3 years to complete. Coal production at the Río Turbio mines will be lowered as the new mining equipment is installed at mine face, face number 71; in parallel with this planning work continues for the new Mine 6 which will begin with the extraction of coal on the longwall mining basis from the new face 72.

The railway and mines central workshops continue to be upgraded with new machinery and engineering staff, a great deal of attention is being paid to industrial safety and planned maintenance both of which have been non-existent since the private concessionary took over under the Menem administration in 1995 and very fortunately for all was done away with by the Kirchner government during 2003 when the whole operation was re-nationalised. 

S.T. McMahon
O.P.I.M.
(9407) RIO TURBIO
Santa Cruz
Argentina
17th October 2006.

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