RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted December 23, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 23, 2016 We have two weeks touring round Andalucia in January. Anything of special railway interest that I should look out for? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edwin_m Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Quite a few remains of old mining railways north and north-west of Sevilla. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddieB Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Depends on your interests. Quite a lot remains of the extensive former British-owned Tharsis and Rio Tinto industrial systems, as well as some interesting broad gauge preserved steam (full list here: http://www.locomotoravapor.com/andalucia.htm ). However, if I had that sort of time, I'd want to visit the Coto Donana reserve (though I think it's better in Summer) and revisit Gibraltar. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted December 23, 2016 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted December 23, 2016 I think that we will probably be doing the reserve anyway. I can't get the link to work but preserved steam would be good. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Fatadder Posted December 23, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 23, 2016 Given how much time I spend in Sevilla, I've not seen much outside the town. Will be interested to see what sort of railway interest there is in the area and maybe find time to have a look in the new year. I do like the rail service between Sevilla and Madrid, and the fact they have a proper first class lounge at stations! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 I wonder how busy Bobadilla Junction is now? We went there 20+ years ago; it should have been called Bobadilla Road. Three trains came into the station more-or-less simultaneously, exchanged passengers, and headed off. I was half-expecting to see Lee Van Clift and Clint Eastwood squaring up to one another in the 'main street'. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddieB Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 I think that we will probably be doing the reserve anyway. I can't get the link to work but preserved steam would be good. Sorry, link now fixed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted December 24, 2016 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted December 24, 2016 I must do a bit of research on Rio Tinto. Some very interesting locos pictured on that link. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edwin_m Posted December 24, 2016 Share Posted December 24, 2016 Various remains of railways visible from the old coast road east of Malaga, along with the rather newer disused tramway at Velez. And there's a viaduct visible from the motorway south of Granada which I believe was originally intended to be a rail link to the coast but never got very far. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddieB Posted December 24, 2016 Share Posted December 24, 2016 I must do a bit of research on Rio Tinto. Some very interesting locos pictured on that link. There's a small railway museum (which I haven't visited) and a tourist train (which used to be steam worked except during the hot summer season), but there are/were locos scattered across the site and many of the "standard" 0-6-0 tank locos are spread around Spain (many being at the Lopez scrapyard near Zaragoza - but that's another story). The opencast copper mines are spectacular - an eyesore and environmental vandalism on a grand scale. I'm not sure what the visiting arrangements are, but I just drove into the site (making sure I didn't descend on any "roads" that the car would be unable to ascend). A book was produced many years ago, showing the very British railway when it was operational - but of little relevance to the scene nowadays. Here are some shots from a visit in 1999 - the locos have since been re-sited but the atmosphere conveyed won't have changed. Stark, lifeless beauty of a polluted wasteland. One of a batch of 2-6-0s built by Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn (1954), seemingly stopped and abandoned with its last train. A Beyer Garratt outside the old locomotive shed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted December 24, 2016 Share Posted December 24, 2016 There's a small railway museum (which I haven't visited) and a tourist train (which used to be steam worked except during the hot summer season), but there are/were locos scattered across the site and many of the "standard" 0-6-0 tank locos are spread around Spain (many being at the Lopez scrapyard near Zaragoza - but that's another story). The opencast copper mines are spectacular - an eyesore and environmental vandalism on a grand scale. I'm not sure what the visiting arrangements are, but I just drove into the site (making sure I didn't descend on any "roads" that the car would be unable to ascend). A book was produced many years ago, showing the very British railway when it was operational - but of little relevance to the scene nowadays. Here are some shots from a visit in 1999 - the locos have since been re-sited but the atmosphere conveyed won't have changed. Stark, lifeless beauty of a polluted wasteland. 2A99023a.jpg One of a batch of 2-6-0s built by Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn (1954), seemingly stopped and abandoned with its last train. 2A99005a.jpg 2A99019a.jpg A Beyer Garratt outside the old locomotive shed. 2A99002a.jpg A very British-looking signal cabin in the background of the second photo. The views are reminiscent of parts of the Lower Swansea Valley (where some of the copper was probably smelted) or the area around Dowlais Top, though obviously a lot drier.. Are these mines closed now? Some of the structures in the background look to be in good condition. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted December 27, 2016 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted December 27, 2016 A very British-looking signal cabin in the background of the second photo. The views are reminiscent of parts of the Lower Swansea Valley (where some of the copper was probably smelted) or the area around Dowlais Top, though obviously a lot drier.. Are these mines closed now? Some of the structures in the background look to be in good condition. From my internet researches, mining has now ceased but the site remains little changed with those locos still parked randomly. SWMBO has agreed that we can do this site so I will report further when we get back mid-January. Apart from the railway aspect. the whole political and industrial history of the British Rio Tinto company in Spain (sold out under Franco's regime in the 50s) seems fascinating including estates of very British type suburban houses both at the mines and in Huelva. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted January 17, 2017 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted January 17, 2017 Visited both Huelva and the Rio Tinto mines, which are still seeing some activity. We were there on a Sunday and sadly missed out on seeing the tourist train as they were closing everything down when we arrived at 15.00. The rest of the site has been cleaned up so no locos, sidings, etc. visible except for the run-round loop and turntable needed for the tourist train. There is one of the 2-6-0s (handsome beasts IMHO) "stuffed" on a roundabout on the main road through the village. The Huelva barrio is not as Suburban British in style as the guidebooks would have you believe but still quite interesting as an example of company-provided housing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddieB Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 Was thinking of posting earlier as the latest NGRS "Narrow Gauge News" arrived this morning with a report and photos from Rio Tinto - then I realised it would be too late for your visit. There's a picture of the plinthed RSH 2-6-0, looking very nice indeed. As shown in other photos the tourist train passes some dumped stock, and the Garratt is falling to bits. A couple of photos shown at the CRC London meeting last week included one of the 0-6-0Ts abandoned on an incline at the edge of the opencast pit. It was left there, even after the track was lifted from underneath. Pretty much inaccessible, I wonder what became of it. It was commented that mining is set to resume in a couple of years as the economics of extraction have become more favourable. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted January 17, 2017 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted January 17, 2017 I think that they may have started mining/quarrying again as there were a lot of dumper trucks on site. There were also a few 4x4s driving around the mines with staff, even on a Sunday. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted January 18, 2017 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted January 18, 2017 Forgot to mention trams. Seville has one tram route which is interesting for not having overhead wires in the historic city centre. The trams only pick up current from their pantograph while at stops which have a rail suspended from the platform canopy. What a great idea. Wish they could have done it in Manchester instead of that forest of posts. Jaen, not a very big town, also has one tram route. Clearly quite recently built and yet it seems to be out of use as cars were parked across the tracks in the town centre. Parking is a nightmare almost everywhere in Andalusia. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted January 18, 2017 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted January 18, 2017 I wonder how busy Bobadilla Junction is now? We went there 20+ years ago; it should have been called Bobadilla Road. Three trains came into the station more-or-less simultaneously, exchanged passengers, and headed off. I was half-expecting to see Lee Van Clift and Clint Eastwood squaring up to one another in the 'main street'. I think it will be a bit less busy as Antequera Santa Ana station on the AVE line has become the main interchange point locally. A hell of a grandiose station in the middle of olive groves. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted January 18, 2017 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted January 18, 2017 Forgot to mention trams. Seville has one tram route which is interesting for not having overhead wires in the historic city centre. The trams only pick up current from their pantograph while at stops which have a rail suspended from the platform canopy. What a great idea. Wish they could have done it in Manchester instead of that forest of posts. Jaen, not a very big town, also has one tram route. Clearly quite recently built and yet it seems to be out of use as cars were parked across the tracks in the town centre. Parking is a nightmare almost everywhere in Andalusia. I looked up Jaen on t'interweb. Trams only ran for a few weeks trial and public service never started. City was thinking of selling the 7 trams elsewhere. What a waste! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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