shaun_sager4
The Summit
We are at a mind-boggling 13,000 feet. Six miles from the Bolivian border and in the heart of El Alto Loa, FCAB train crests the summit at Ascotan and begins its arduous decent towards Calama. 210 is one of 2 scheduled trains from the Bolivian interchange at Ollagüe and handles lead, silver, and zinc concentrate bound for Mejillones, Chile. The leader is FCAB #2501, an ex-Tren a las Nubes (Argentina) GT22CU tunnel motor built on a GP40 frame, and the only one of its kind on the roster.
The towering Volcán Cerro Tomasamil can be behind 2501, peaking at a ridiculous 19,324 feet and El Volcán Cañapa can be seen to its right at matching 19,357ft, both mountains standing on the Bolivian side of the border. The Ascotan Salt flat dominates the sprawling valley beneath. The Andes peak at over 21,000 feet in this region and are among some of the tallest mountains on Earth
The sprint up the hill to capture this photo was a dangerous endeavor at 2 ½ miles above sea level. We endured through an array of elevation sickness symptoms as we pushed ourselves to the physical limit in pursuit of this divine train. Traveling 5,500 miles and battling some of the most insane topography on planet earth truly gives a respect for the dedication that this hobby we call ‘railfanning’ requires
Ascotan Salt Flat, Antofagasta, Chile
October 6th, 2024
The Summit
We are at a mind-boggling 13,000 feet. Six miles from the Bolivian border and in the heart of El Alto Loa, FCAB train crests the summit at Ascotan and begins its arduous decent towards Calama. 210 is one of 2 scheduled trains from the Bolivian interchange at Ollagüe and handles lead, silver, and zinc concentrate bound for Mejillones, Chile. The leader is FCAB #2501, an ex-Tren a las Nubes (Argentina) GT22CU tunnel motor built on a GP40 frame, and the only one of its kind on the roster.
The towering Volcán Cerro Tomasamil can be behind 2501, peaking at a ridiculous 19,324 feet and El Volcán Cañapa can be seen to its right at matching 19,357ft, both mountains standing on the Bolivian side of the border. The Ascotan Salt flat dominates the sprawling valley beneath. The Andes peak at over 21,000 feet in this region and are among some of the tallest mountains on Earth
The sprint up the hill to capture this photo was a dangerous endeavor at 2 ½ miles above sea level. We endured through an array of elevation sickness symptoms as we pushed ourselves to the physical limit in pursuit of this divine train. Traveling 5,500 miles and battling some of the most insane topography on planet earth truly gives a respect for the dedication that this hobby we call ‘railfanning’ requires
Ascotan Salt Flat, Antofagasta, Chile
October 6th, 2024