Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
El Bolsón
80
2½
Neuquén
355
10
Puerto Madryn
429
7-9
Río Gallegos
655
18
Trelew
307-407
8-9
TRAIN
The narrow-gauge steam train
La Trochita
departs from the diminutive
Roca train sta-
tourist-oriented service to Nahuel Pan. For the timeless
Old Patagonian Express
feeling,
your best bet is to catch a bus to El Maitén for the less touristy excursion to Desvio Tho-
mae; however, this service is only available from time to time. You can confirm sched-
ules online or via the tourist office.
LA TROCHITA: THE OLD PATAGONIAN EXPRESS
Clearly an anachronism in the jet age, Ferrocarril Roca's
La Trochita
(
02945-451403)
, Argentina's famous narrow-gauge steam train, averages less than
30km/h on its meandering journey between Esquel and El Maitén - at top speed.
The train Paul Theroux facetiously called The Old Patagonian Expressprovides
both a tourist attraction and a service for local citizens..
Like many state projects, its completion seemed an interminable process, begin-
ning in 1906 and reaching completion in 1945. It has suffered some of the oddest
mishaps in railroad history. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the train was de-
railed three times by high winds, and ice has caused other derailments. In 1979 it
collided with a cow.
La Trochita's original 402km route between Esquel and Ingeniero Jacobacci was
probably the world's longest remaining steam-train line. Belgian Baldwin and Ger-
man Henschel engines refilled their 4000L water tanks at strategically placed pa-
rajes(pumps) every 40km to 45km. Most of the passenger cars, heated by wood
stoves, date from 1922, as do the freight cars.
During summer the
Tren Turístico
(tickets AR$250; 10am twice weekly, additional de-
partures Jan-Feb)
travels from Roca train station in Esquel to Nahuel Pan, 20km east.
At Nahuel Pan, the train stops for photo ops and a small artisan market.
CAR
