The daily train from Huancayo, over the Central Railway arrives at Lima's Desamparados station on December 22nd 1984. The loco is one of Peru's fleet of Alcos and the coaches are Cravens lightweights built for the Peruvian Corporation in the 1950s.

After Lima our tour took us to Arequipa, headquarters of the Southern Railway. Back in 1984 ENAFER still ran a daily overnight train from Arequipa to Puno. The ordinary stock was modern, built in Romania but the wooden sleeper was a gem from BRC&W, built at some time in the 1930s. The shape of El Misti one of the volcanos which surrounds Arequipa looms up behind the station. December 24th 1984.

A couple of days later we were staying on the shores of Lake Titicaca. And here comes the overnight train from Arequipa, about 10 minutes from its destination. The sleeper is the second car...

...led by one of ENAFERs new EMD GT22s. Puno was about 4 miles down the road, which led from the hotel into town.

Shortly afterwards the daily train to Cusco headed north.

A day or so later it was our turn to take the Cusco train. My excitement was heightened by the sight of an Alco in original Peruvian Corporation green, and still lettered FCS.

It double headed the train as far as Juliaca behind the GT22. The ancient baggage car developed a hot box (a train man urinated on it to cool it) and it, too, was removed at Juliaca.

The journey to Juliaca skirst the lake and the fringe marshes.

On the right is Sheila, our tour guide, buttering up the driver, as a result of which I rode ihn the cab over the next stretch.

La Raya is the summit and the train stops for a few minutes to allow everyone to stretch their legs before commencing the descent towards Cusco.

I had almost given up on riding behind an Alco. But I needn't have worried. After La Raya we met a freight bound for Puno and swapped motive power. We got a pair of the big DL-535ss

Sicuani is an important town en-route. The weather was getting more and more threatening, by the time we reached Cusco an Andean thunder storm was in full swing. Very spectacular.

My slide film ran out with the Sicuani shot. This was taken with ropey old Kodacolor bought in Cusco. A Quillabamba bound train in the Urubamba Valley. This was one of the locals which used to work right through from Cusco before the line was truncated by floods and now terminates at Machu-Picchu.

Arriving at Machu-Picchu on New Years Eve 1984. We celebrated New Year that evening in the hotel next to the ruins by candlelight and with a party of French and a party of Canadians. Boy the hangover the following morning had to be experienced to be believed.

17:00 Colon to Panama City at Gamboa

07:15 to Colon minutes out of the Allbrook Station in Panama City, passing a container ship on the canal.

07:00 Riobamba to Alausi at Cajabamba

07:00 to Alausi skirting the Laguna de Colta with Mount Chimbarozo behind

ENFE2404, a B-B-B built by GEC-Alsthom in 1992

Ecuador Jan 2006: 07:00 from Riobamba arriving at Alausi

Jan 2006. Panarail F40s on a transisthmian intermodal train

Descending the Devil's Nose, the brakeman, concentrating.

Descending the Devil's Nose, the second switchback