Locomotives and rolling stock The first steam locos It has been suggested that the original stock was to be five locomotives large and small (1). Boldrini quotes contemporary newspaper sources which reported in 1911 that two locomotives were initially to be delivered - a small one for Ancud, and a large one for Castro. Unfortunately the lighter carrying the loco for Castro was driven ashore and it spent two months awaiting salvage (2). Later, when the construction gangs from the two ends of the line were to meet up, on 8 September 1911, the newspaper reports refer to the locomotive 'Coquiao' from Ancud, and 'Chonchina' from Castro. However none of these reports give us clear details of the locomotive type or manufacturer.
A look at the list of locos built by Jung during 1912 shows a total of 7 0-6-0Ts and 4 0-4-0Ts produced for 60cm gauge lines of the Chilean State Railways. It seems likely that a number of these were destined for the new line on Chiloé and that they match the reference above to large and small locos. The 0-6-0Ts were builders' nos. 1852-8 and the 0-4-0Ts were nos. 1859-62. Class 'c' 0-4-0Ts Class 'b' 0-6-0Ts Below is Class 'b' 0-6-0T no. 5044. It looks as though it has led a somewhat hard life, with the water tank in particular have been patched all along the bottom seam. The photo was provided by Señor Raúl Moroni but the date and location are unknown.
One of these locos, sometimes described as a Henschel, is preserved down on the waterfront in Castro, with the FCE number 5057. This loco was at one time plinthed at the San Bernardo workshops in Santiago. It has been suggested that this is in fact one of the Arnold Jung engines, no. 1857 of 1912. One source (4) states that this locomotive was transferred after closure to the Saboya - Capitan Pastena line on the mainland, running there until its closure in 1970. 5057, pictured in 1993 on the old alignment in Castro, has some detail differences from 5044 above. Apart from the loss of fittings such as headlight, extra bunker boards, and spark arrestor, 5057 seems to have gained a larger sand-dome, though this is not clearly visible in the photo below.
Class 'a' 0-6-2Ts
Class 'a' loco no. 5039. The origin and date of this photo are unknown, but thanks are due to Señor Raúl Moroni who scanned it and sent it. If on Chiloé the photo was probably taken at Ancud or Castro. More interesting are the high side tanks and the big rear bunker, which are probably later modifications. The 0-6-2Ts were known as Type 'a'. Detailled original dimensions included a total weight of 22.8 tonnes; driving wheels of 700mm diameter; a coal capacity of 1006 kgs; and an overall length of 8.9 m. An FCE data sheet from 1939 shown in Carlos Mendez Notari's booklet (6) lists six of these engines ( Nos. 5025, 38, 39, 58, 59 and 60), though again it is not clear whether they were all on Chiloé, or some elsewhere. These engines were identical to some supplied to the military FC Puente Alto - Volcan southeast of Santiago. As one of these has been preserved in near original condition, it is illustrated below to show what the Chiloé locos would have looked like in the early days. Whilst this bears a Koppel plate (see photo above) Martin Murray's preserved Koppel loco list (7) suggests that this is actually an Arnold Jung product, no. 1306 of 1909. However, this loco no. was delivered to the Otavibahn in German South West Africa; if the survivor at Puente Alto did in fact come from Jung then it is much more likely to be no. 2034 of 1913 or one of 4639-42 of 1929. These 0-6-2Ts were all delivered to Chilean 60cm gauge lines.
Classes 'f', 'g' and 'h' Hanomag shunter At the time of the official last train on 3 March 1959, loco 5060 was used to haul the train. 5039 was to be used for dismantling. However the line staggered on and in Jan 1960 there was a fatal accident. On 20 April 1960 just before the earthquake which halted operations definitively, there were still three locos and a bus-carril 'wandering' the line. A reminiscence, printed in a book of such recollections by Ancud citizens, says that Ancud 'shed' had three locos, known as 'La Chonchina', 'La Castreña' and 'La 1001' (9). Loco numbers
Photos of individually identifiable locos at work on the line are very few and far between. The picture below shows heavily rebuilt class 'a' no. 5025, supposedly at Castro loco shed during the 1950s (14).
Coaches
The next photo, taken after an accident, shows a similar Chilote vehicle. However, a double roof skin can be seen, much as old Land-Rovers used to have to keep off the heat of the sun. Incidentally the train here seems to have the usual make-up or 'consist' of two passenger carriages and one van. The rear end of the over-turned loco is on the right.
Whilst the carriages do not look unusual from the outside, the underframe was a strange design which rose at each end over the bogies (trucks). It is more easily seen in the picture of Butalcura station on the page dealing with the railway's route. A derelict frame remains at the station and the chassis design is clearly visible. The design has similarities to vehicles supplied by Arthur Koppel of Berlin to railways such as the Otavi in German South West Africa (now Namibia). Reports conflict as to whether the seats were like those of the carriages at Puente Alto which had individual seats and tables or whether Chilote passengers had to make do with long wooden benches facing inwards. However there was a small first class compartment with four cloth seats. Railcars It was one of these 'bus-carrils' which was involved in the fatal accident in January 1960 when it hit a fallen tree near Mocopulli.
A second photo has come to light from the collection of Señor Luis Mardones Ballesteros kindly forwarded by Señor Luis Alberto Mancilla. This tends to confirm that the vehicle had a two axle bogie at the front but only a single axle at the rear. The identities of the gentlemen in front, and the occasion, are unknown.
The line also had a Ford car adapted for rail use for inspection purposes. Wagons Certainly some of the stock was bought new from an American manufacturer (12), though other vehicles may have been constructed more locally.
References: 26-5-08
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A little more information can be gleaned from the Orenstein & Koppel locomotive list (3). Three locos appear to have been delivered to the Ancud -Castro line via the agents Saavedra Benard y Cia. in Valparaiso. In 1910 a 40hp 0-6-0T no. 3992 presumably for construction trains; in 1912 a much bigger 90hp 0-6-0T no. 5815; and finally in 1914 a 125hp loco no. 7120. There may have been others.
