Fri, Oct 26 (D) - Independent arrivals in Buenos Aires, Argentina and hotel check-in at the first class 5 star
Hotel Panamericano. Afternoon city tour will start at 1:00pm in the hotel lobby. Welcome to South America. Dinner will start at 7:00pm.
BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA
DURING OUR CITY TOUR WE WILL VISIT SOME OF THE BIG PASSENGER TRAIN STATIONS
AND PHOTOGRPAH SOME OF THE MOST COLORFUL TRAINS IN ARGENTINA. FOR THE ALCO FAN ARGENTINA IS A PARADISE. SEE BELOW
Sat, Oct 27 (B/L) - Flight departing Buenos Aires at 7:55am and arriving Bariloche at 10:55am. Before we go to the hotel for check-in we will stop at the train station which is on the main highway between the airport and town for a running shed visit of the diesel & steam servicing area. Then we will take you on a tour through the beautiful "Lakes District" which is between Bariloche and the border with Chile in the Andes. A stop will be made for lunch along one of the lakes. We then return to Bariloche for check-in at the first class 5 star Panamericano Hotel. Rest of the afternoon and evening at your own leisure to explore this colorful mountain resort town in the Andes.
ABOVE PHOTOS OF THE BARILOCHE AREA
Sun, Oct 28 (B/L) - Steam Charter on Tren Historico Bariloche out into the Patagonia and return, with photo run-bys. Overnight:
Bariloche.
Mon, Oct 29 (B/L/D) - We depart from Bariloche late morning onboard our charter train with diesel power on the broad gauge (5ft 6in) Roca line which runs east into the Patagonia. We will have 122 miles before reaching Ing Jacobacci which is also the northern terminal of the famous narrow guage Esquel line. Photo run-bys will be made on our eastward journey on the large bridges including a stop at the junction where the narrow guage line joins the broad gauge for the final few miles into Jacobacci. This is the dual gauge section...broad and narrow guage. Upon arrival in Ing Jacobacci we will have a steam workshop tour before hotel check-in.
Tue, Oct 30 (B/L/D) - Today will be a very long day and so we will depart onboard our steam charter "The Patagonia Express" around 6:00am and head south to El Maiten, a distance of 149 miles on 2ft 51/2 in gauge. With all of the photo run-bys and water stops that we must make we estimate an arrival in El Maiten at 7:00pm. This time of the year the sun goes down around 8:00pm so our entire run will be in daylight. Upon arrival in El Maiten we transfer to the small resort village of El Bolson in the Andes for hotel check-in at the 3 star Hotel Cordillera around 9:00pm. Lunch and dinner will be served on our train.
Wed, Oct 31 (B/L) - In the morning we transfer back to El Maiten to reboard our charter train. Before departing El Maiten you will have time to visit the rebuilding workshops and the running shed. Our southbound journey today will take us over 103 spectacular narrow gauge miles. Half way to Esquel we will stop to have a classic Argentine barbeque picnic lunch with all you can eat meats and a table full of different salads. We have hired a local cattle & sheep ranch to start the barbeque a few hours before our arrival right along the railroad. With our photo run-bys, water stops and barbeque we estimate an arrival in Esquel at 6:00pm. Hotel check-in at the 3 star Hotel Tehuelche.
Thur, Nov 1 (B/L) - We return to the train station where you will have enough time to visit the workshops and take photos of our enigne on the turntable before reboarding our charter steam train for the steep climb northbound up out of the Esquel Valley. We will ride our train to a point where the highway swings near the tracks about 20 miles south of El Maiten. Here we will transfer to our charter motorcoaches for the trip back to Bariloche and hotel check-in at the Panamericano. For those folks that would like to do some sightseeing today in the Andes we are offering an optional tour by charter motorcoach from Esquel to visit Los Alerces National Park. Both groups will then be rejoined when the buses meet the train south of El Maiten. Estimated arrival back in Bariloche is 6:00pm.
THE NARROW GAUGE DINING CAR ON THE OLD PATAGONIA EXPRESS
Fri, Nov 2 (B) - Full day at your own leisure to relax or explore Bariloche. There are a number of optional one day tours availabe out of Bariloche including a cruise on the lakes crossing into Chile deep in the Andes for lunch and returning back to Bariloche early evening.
Sat, Nov 3 (B) - Morning hours to sleep in or do some shopping at the nearby craft shops and the famous Argentine chocolate stores. Our flight departs at 12:15pm and arrives in El Calafate at 2:00pm. Hotel check-in at the 4 star Mirador del Lago Hotel. Rest of the afternoon and evening at your own leisure to relax or explore the town.
Sun, Nov 4 (B/L/D) - After breakfast we travel 50 miles west into Parque Nacional Los Glaciares (Glacier National Park) location of the spectacular Perito Moreno Glacier on Lake Argentino and is now considered to be the most beautiful glacier in the world. This glacier is massive and runs into Chile at the crest of the Andes. It is also very very active and we will have a picnic lunch on the grassy knoll overlooking the face of this glacier. In the afternoon we travel south to the small coal mining town of Rio Turbio with a visit to the railroad yards and workshops for both the Rio Turbio Railroad and the coal mine railroad. Hotel check-in at the Cabanas Mina Uno and Paraje Mina Uno hotels.
Mon, Nov 5 - (B/L/D) In the morning we board our charter train on the narrow gauge Rio Turbio Railroad pulled by a 2-10-2 steam locomotive for a run from Rio Turbio eastbound on the mainline to a point some 50 miles out of town where we can run around the train for the return to Rio Turbio. Photo run-bys will be made. The railroad has advised us that they cannot run the steam over the entire system anymore for lack of water. Upon arrival back in Rio Turbio we transfer by charter motorcoaches across the border to Puerto Natales, Chile and hotel check-in at the 4 star Hotel Costaustralis.
Tue, Nov 6 (B/L/D) - We depart in the morning and head north along the border between Chile and Argentina to Torres del Paine National Park. Full day in the park and return to Puerto Natales for lodging.
Wed, Nov 7 (B/L) - Morning departure for the return across the border to Argentina. We have made a request that the 2-10-2 steam locomotive pull a photo coal train eastbound out of Rio Turbio and we will follow for photos for part of the journey towards Rio Gallegos. We then continue on to Rio Gallegos on our bus and visit the old Rio Turbio steam workshops which is now operated by the Museo Ferroviario Roberto Galian, which is dedicated to the history of the Rio Turbio Railroad. Here is the 2nd operating 2-10-2 and we have requested that this engine be in operation with a photo freight or coal train for photos. We then catch a flight departing Rio Gallegos at 7:14pm and arriving Ushuaia at 8:09pm. Hotel check-in at the 4 star Hotel Albatros.
Thur, Nov 8 (B/L) - Morning hours to relax and explore Ushuaia, the most southern city in the World. We will also offer an optional cruise to the Beagle Canal to observe wildlife. After lunch we will go to the train station which is several miles outside of town to board our charter steam train pulled by a Garrett steam locomotive on 30 inch gauge for a run into Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego. The Ferrocarril Austrial Fueguino is the most southern railroad in the world at the bottom of South America in the famous Tierra del Fuego region. Photo run-bys will be made. Return to Ushuaia for lodging.
Fri, Nov 9 (B/L) - We have a 10:40am flight from Ushuaia arriving in Buenos Aires at 2:00pm. On our transfer from the airport to the hotel we will stop at one of the large passenger train stations to view the afternoon commuter trains depart the city. Hotel check-in at the 5 star Panamericano.
Sat, Nov 10 - Buenos Aires: independent departures/new arrivals
Optional Third Week Extension:
(B/L) - 7:30am ferry from Buenos Aires crossing the Rio de la Plata to Colonia, Uruguay arriving at 9:00am. Visit the Boca del Rosario 600mm/2foot narrow gauge railroad which has a number of 0-4-0T's stored here.
After we have lunch in Colonia we transfer to nearby San Jose to board our private charter Brill railcar for a
run over the standard gauge Adminstrative Ferrocarril Uruguay (AFE) to Montevideo. Overnight in the 5 star Sheraton.
Classic Brill built railcars still operate for special events and charters in Uruguay
Uruguay Is Very Friendly With A Easy Going Laid Back Lifestyle
Sun, Nov 11 (B/L) - 8:00am departure from Montevideo on our charter train pulled by the "Amigos del Riel" steam locomotive and train for a run out into the countryside on the AFE system. Late afternoon return to Montevideo with a visit to the AFE workshops.
THE ADMINSTRATIVE FERROCARRIL URUGUAY HAS A FANTASTIC COLLECTION OF MOTIVE POWER AND ROLLING STOCK INCLUDING: ALCO-GENERAL ELECTRIC-ALSTHOM-GANZ-BRILL & MORE!
URUGUAY IS AN ALCO/GE LOVER'S PARADISE
Mon, Nov 12 (B/L) - 8:30am departure from Montevideo on our charter train for the run to San Jose. This train
will be pulled by a 1500 series Alco/GE shovelnose diesel. At San Jose we transfer to nearby Colonia where you will have enough time to explore this beautiful colonial city and have lunch before the ferry departs at
6:30pm for the return cruise across the Plata River to Buenos Aires. Overnight at the 5 star Panamericano Hotel.
Tue, Nov 13 (B-L-D) - Depart from Buenos Aires at 10:50am onboard the El Gran Capitan passenger train running over the standard gauge Urquiza route. This train is operated by "Tren Especial Argentina (TEA)
as an experiment to try and bring back people to the trains. We will have lunch and dinner on the dinning car as we travel north towards the Paraguay border in the Pampa region of Argentina.
Wed, Nov 14 (B-L)- The El Gran Capitan is scheduled to arrive in Posadas, Argentina at 12:50pm but is rarely on-time. We will have the dining car serve our group breakfast and lunch before arrival. Once we arrival we will transfer across the Parana River to Encarnacion, Paraguay. Before hotel check-in we will stop at the railroad workshops for a visit. This is the 100% steam powered Ferrocarril Presidente Carlos Antonio Lopez which is worked by wood fired 4-6-0's and 2-8-0's and is the only regular steam operation in South America.
Overnight at the 4 star Encarnacion Resort Hotel.
Thu, Nov 15 (B-L) - In the morning we will return to the railroad workshops for a visit and also spend sometime trackside watching and photographing the steam action in the Encarnacion area. After lunch we board our charter motorcoach and cross back into Argentina and travel north along the Parana River to Iguazu Falls and hotel check-in at the first class 5 star Sheraton Iguazu Falls. After check-in you will have the rest of the day to explore spectacular Iguazu Falls which is located just behind the hotel. You can hike the many trails from our hotel to view the falls on the Argentine side.
Fri, Nov 16 (B) - Morning at leisure to explore the falls on the many hiking trails leading right from our
hotel. Afternoon flight back to Buenos Aires departs at 4:16pm and arrives at 6:05pm. 5 star Panamericano Hotel.
Sat, Nov 17 (B) - Independent departures.
PRICES ALL PRICES ARE PER PERSON
MAIN TOUR
OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 10, 2007
DOUBLE ROOM OCCUPANCY.....................$4695
SINGLE ROOM SUPPLEMENT....................$ 895
DEPOSIT TO HOLD SPACE.....................$1800
NOTICE: PASSPORT REQUIRED
TOUR INCLUDES
*33 MEALS
*FULLY ESCORTED
*15 NIGHTS LODGING
*TRACKSIDE TIME FOR PHOTOS
*SIGHTSEEING PER THE ITINERARY
*ALL NATIONAL PARK ENTRANCE FEES
*ALL DOMESTIC FLIGHTS WITHIN ARGENTINA
*9 CHARTER TRAINS USING STEAM AND DIESEL
THIRD WEEK OPTION
NOVEMBER 10-17, 2007
DOUBLE ROOM OCCUPANCY.....................$2095
SINGLE ROOM SUPPLEMENT....................$ 395
DEPOSIT TO HOLD SPACE.....................$ 500
NOTICE: PASSPORT REQUIRED
TOUR INCLUDES
*13 MEALS
*FULLY ESCORTED
*6 NIGHTS LODGING
*2 STEAM CHARTER TRAINS
*SIGHTSEEING PER THE ITINERARY
*1 DOMESTIC FLIGHT IN ARGENTINA
*ALL NATIONAL PARK ENTRANCE FEES
*FERRY TICKET TO AND FROM URUGUAY
*1 NIGHT ON THE TRAIN IN SLEEPER CLASS
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