Old May Smoke train parked at the station, a Colonial Unesco World Herit, São João del Rey, Tiradentes, Minas Gerais, Brazil
The Estrada de Ferro Oeste de Minas (EFOM) was railway located in the southeastern Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. At its peak the railway's route totalled 775 km (482 mi). A portion of the railway still operates as a heritage railway, and one of the major stations (São João del Rey) is now Brazil's largest railway museum. 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm) railways entered Minas Gerais in the 1870s, pushing towards the city of Belo Horizonte. Almost immediately attention turned to the construction of narrow gauge feeder lines. In 1872 Provincial President Dr. Joaquim Floriano de Godoy signed into law approval for a narrow gauge railway from the broad gauge line heading west towards a navigable point on the Rio Grande. A subsequent law in 1877 limited the railway to initially building only as far as São João del Rei. A company, the Companhia Estrada de Ferro Oeste de Minas, was established in 1878, and a decision was made to make the junction with the broad gauge at Sítio (Antônio Carlos). The gauge of 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) was chosen in 1879. The exact reason for the choice of gauge is not known, one theory is that an American engineer was familiar with the Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a Bolivia in Chile. In any case construction was begun in June 1879, with the first section opening between Sitio and Barrosso in September 1880. The line was opened through to São João del Rey on the 28 August 1881 by the Emperor Dom Pedro II. The company sought permission to extend the railway and over the subsequent 15 years built a number of extensions until it reached Paraopeba. Apart from a small number of short branches the railway was more or less complete by 1894. During this time the line had been reasonably profitable, returning small dividends. However, in 1894 the railway barely broke even, and following years brought losses. By April 1900 the company was in liquidation, and a month and a half strike by employees was only halted when the State government paid their back pay.
Size: 3840px × 5760px
Location: São João del Rey, Tiradentes, Minas Gerais, Brazil, South America
Photo credit: © Thibaut PETIT-BARA / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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