Line from Callao to La Oroya. Galera Tunnel, measuring 1200 meters, the highest point of the line or 4700 meters above sea level. (Between 1898 and 1899) by Fernando GarreaudNational Library of Peru
An invention of the industrial revolution
The railway meant a change in the way time and distance were perceived, which is why it was used in the development of communication and commerce.
The railways were a result of wealth and the presence of the prestigious builder Henry Meiggs, which encouraged intellectuals and members of the elite to request these constructions to challenge the Andean geography and make trade efficient.
Tour of a feat of civil engineering
In the 19th century, railways were synonymous of progress and "civilization." The Central Railway, led by engineer Malinowski and businessman Meiggs, was built by Peruvian, European, and Chinese workers, among others, and favored mining and livestock farming.
The Central Railway
The route from Lima to Oroyawas built between 1869 and 1893. This road faced the geography of the Andes by crossing it through tunnels, iron viaducts and zigzags. It also had stations for passengers, for example, in Lima, the Desamparados station was founded.
Line from Callao to La Oroya. Chosica suspension bridge. (Between 1898 and 1899) by Fernando GarreaudNational Library of Peru
The train left Lima, crossed sugarcane fields and arrived at the Santa Clara station 18 km away. From Lima and 400 meters above sea level.
Line from Callao to La Oroya. Great wart bridge (taken from below). (Between 1898 and 1899) by Fernando GarreaudNational Library of Peru
From Chosica the rise was greater. There were steep slopes until reaching the San Bartolomé station at a height of approximately 1,500 meters above sea level, which was the limit of the coastal region.
Line from Callao to La Oroya. Great wart bridge (taken from above). (Between 1898 and 1899) by Fernando GarreaudNational Library of Peru
The slope of the valley is very steep, so the railway had to advance in a zigzag pattern. Then, it crossed an iron bridge in the Quebrada de las Verrugas (Warts Ravine)
The name is due to the wart, an endemic disease, also known as "La Oroya Fever", due to which many central railway workers died.
Line from Callao to La Oroya. Challape bridge. (Between 1898 and 1899) by Fernando GarreaudNational Library of Peru
Afterwards, the train arrived at the Surco station, from where the journey continued. On the way was the Challapa Bridge.
Later, it arrived at Matucana, which, at the end of the 19th century, was frequented by tuberculosis patients due to its dry and cool climate. This town already belongs to the mountain range of Perú.
Line from Callao to La Oroya. General view of Matucana. (Between 1898 and 1899) by Fernando GarreaudNational Library of Peru
The zigzag
The zigzag was characteristic of Meiggs' work. The line advanced as far as possible; then it retreated forming a V; Subsequently, it ascended again to where it had to retreat once again.
After Matucana
The region became more difficult to penetrate: the hills were higher and rockier, the ravine narrow, which is why it was problematic to make way for the railroad. The road continued through San Mateo towards Río Blanco.
El puente del infiernillo (Little Hell Bridge)
Located in San Mateo, it was one of the most striking points of the tour. This was because the train left the hill through a tunnel, crossed the abyss over said hell bridge and disappeared again into the hill through a tunnel.
The work was paralyzed by the War with Chile. After the conflict, the State signed the Grace contract and handed over the administration of the trains to the Peruvian Corporation for 66 years with the commitment to continue construction.
Finally, it was the first among the "standard" line railways (1435 m.) that reached 4781 m.a.s.l. in the Galera tunnel, the highest altitude achieved in the world for a construction like this towards the end of the 19th century.
Callapampa ore deposit near Yauli
The Central Railway was designed to favor mining transportation. In the image we see a mining settlement near Yauli, on its route. From here it continued until reaching La Oroya (where it was reached in 1893), on the Mantaro River.
This is how it passed from Lima, crossing the mountain range to a tributary of the Amazon.
Southern Railway
Meiggs also took charge of the Southern Railway, the first part of which, from Mollendo to Arequipa, was inaugurated in 1871. Later, he built the Arequipa-Puno section, which was inaugurated in 1874, while another branch, which went from Juliaca to Cuzco, it was completed in 1908.
The railways contributed mainly to the economic growth of coastal cities, intermediaries between the resources of the mountains and abroad (export), as was the case of Arequipa, which benefited from the Ferrocarril del Sur (Southern Railway)
View of Desamparados Train Station of the Central Railroad, Peru. (1880) by Eugenio CourretNational Library of Peru
There were also railways in the north of the country. In general, many of these vehicles had cost overruns and delays in their construction, some even remained only as projects.
These constructions also claimed the lives of workers due to illnesses or accidents. After their peak, many are no longer in operation today.
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