My first view of Santiago Alameda Station's throat. A trio of the Italian E30 and E32 electrics

And here are a pair, resting between assignments

The E17s were also a product of the Italain group (GAI) which electrified the FCS in the 1960s. This example is heading a train of steel products, into the tunnel which connects the FCS with the FCN to the north of the Parque Quinta Normal in the vicinity of the old Mapocho station.

Another E17 with the stock of the 18:10 Rapido to Concepcion.

And here's the train engine backing onto the consist.

The E17 rests after its labours.

The engineer of the 18:00 taking the air before departure.

Fashions and hair-cuts change over time, the FCTT Kitson Meyer has probably seen it all. Funnily enough I've still got that tee-shirt.

Back at Alameda the 13:00 Super Salon Rapido to Concepcion prepares to leave. These AEZ EMUs were deliverd to Chile in 1973 by a consortium of Japanese builders. They covered most of the long distance inter-city services between Santiago and Concepcion. They were extremely comfortable units to travel in, and incredibly roomy.

On the day I went to Talca the weather was unseasonably cool and wet. A Brissoneau & Lotz shunter positions the AEZ for the early morning Rapido departure to Concepcion. AEZs were Super Salon class only.

And here is the same unit leaving Talca. Talca is an important town in the Maule Valley, about 250 kms south of Santiago. The train covers the distance in three hours.

An AEL on the morning Santiago to Concepcion secondary train (confusingly called an Expreso)

Talca is also the junction for a metre gauge branch which heads off west towards Constitution on the coast. Perhaps surprisingly the branch still survives today. The loco is a small GE from the US, the coaches are home grown although seemingly on their alst legs. Today sets of railcars called buscarril provide the service.

A small metre gauge railcar

Another B&L shunter in the Talca freight yard.

The wreck train crane

Along with the AEZ EMUs Japanese firms delivered a class of suburban type EMUs, the AELs although back in 1989 they were being used on the non-rapido services between Santiago and Concepcion. Latterly they've been used in commuter service (Metrotren and Biotren), for which they are much better suited. Like the AEZs their interiors are cavernous.

A short freight train appeared in the afternoon, shame the weather wouldn't co-operate. The stickers are supporting Snr Aylwin in the forthcoming presidential election

A Swiss Schindler ADZ railcar. I thought most of these were used on the Chilean Northern metre gauge lines through the Atacama, but clearly some had migrated south.

Bliss. A Dt12000 class Alco metre gauge switcher. I believe some of these are still in use on mineral traffic on the remains of the Transandine line

At last the sun came out.

Just before my train back to Santiago arrived I caught this E17 switching cars

E1719 was also present switching cars in Talca yard.

Santiago has a modern Metro based on French technology. This is a Line Two train to Puente Cal y Canto