I was leafing through Mrs P’s immense back catalogue of photos, looking for something to post on Wordless Wednesday, when I happened across some images of what I like to think of as our Great Train Derailment. Travelling in Ecuador in the late 1980s was always going to be a bit of an adventure, but not for one minute did we expect that a train on which we were passengers would unilaterally decide to jump off the rails and continue its journey by bumping crazily down the track bed.
But first, a spoiler alert. Train derailments are a serious business; when they happen, passengers can get hurt. Sometimes people die. I’m pleased to confirm straight away that this was not the case when we were derailed in deepest, darkest Ecuador. No-one on that train suffered more than mild shock and temporary inconvenience due to the day’s events, and, as an unexpected bonus, passengers of a thoughtful disposition took away an important life lesson!
Our primary reason for visiting Ecuador was to take in the magnificent wildlife of the Galapagos Islands, but having made the effort to get to that distant South American land it would have been rude not to check out other parts of the country too. So we began by spending a few days in the Andean highlands admiring Spanish colonial architecture, visiting historic Inca ruins and wandering through colourful street markets, before taking a train bound for the coastal city of Guayaquil where we were due to catch a flight to the Galapagos.
The Ecuadorian railway system dates back to the latter half on the nineteenth century, and was devised to help unify the country by connecting the Andean highlands with the Pacific coast. This was a challenging project, a single track narrow gauge (1,067mm / 3 ft 6 in) railway covering 965km (600 miles) and reaching a maximum altitude of 3,609m (11,841 feet). The railway passes through huge tracts of wild, largely unpopulated country. As such it’s undoubtedly picturesque, but a long, long way from help if something goes wrong.
Sadly, also, the track was evidently not well maintained. Indeed today, most of the former Ecuadorian railway system is permanently closed due to severe flood damage caused by El Niño in 1997/98, and general neglect over many years as a result of the Pan American Highway attracting passengers away from rail to road. With the benefit of hindsight it’s probably no great surprise that, as our little train trundled through the remote Ecuadorian landscape, it jumped the tracks and ground to a shuddering halt, dragging its hapless coaches towards the same fate.
Having got over the initial shock, we passengers were dismayed. We were stuck in the middle of nowhere. It could be hours before anyone in Guayaquil even knew we had a problem, and getting help out to us would take much longer. It looked like we were in for a miserable few days.
The train crew, however, seemed a good deal less concerned. Indeed it quickly became clear that they were prepared for just such an eventuality as they retrieved various pieces of wood and metal from the cab, and positioned them around the wheels of the stranded locomotive. To these they added branches, sticks, rocks and grass collected from the surrounding area, and when they judged everything to be in place they began the delicate process of edging the locomotive back towards the rails, guided by their makeshift recovery kit. After a few centimetres, the wood, metal and branches needed to be re-positioned, at which point the locomotive was started up again.
This process went on for several hours, the crew displaying immense practical skill and enormous patience as they went about their challenging task. Eventually, astonishingly, without any assistance whatsoever from heavy lifting equipment or a rescue team, the locomotive and coaches were persuaded back onto the rails. The relieved and delighted passengers swiftly re-embarked, and our train continued its journey towards the coast.
What an adventure! And what an amazing bit of work by train’s crew. For me, there is a larger life lesson in the dramatic events of that day: life’s journey is rarely as straightforward as we would wish, and we will all get derailed from time to time. The important thing is not to feel sorry for ourselves and lament our ill luck, but rather to look for creative, practical solutions that will quickly put us back on track. Way to go, those guys!
.
Postscript – the photos
The photos accompanying this post are scanned from originals taken by Mrs P using a traditional 35mm film camera. You remember those days, the days when photography was a seriously expensive hobby, the days when – after you’d returned from your travels – you sent your precious rolls of film away to be developed and waited anxiously to see if the pictures you’d taken were any good. If our Great Train Derailment had happened yesterday, Mrs P would have taken hundreds of digital images during the recovery process and swiftly discarded 90% of them. But back then, with our financial resources somewhat constrained and the Galapagos still to be visited, she could spare only a few exposures to record this unanticipated episode in the Ecuadorian outback. Hopefully you’ll agree with me that they perfectly capture the drama of what unfolded that day.
Now I'm 64 
What a story! I was holding my breath for quite some time!
I completely agree that the photos capture the drama well, as do your descriptions. I would not have thought it possible to re-rail a locomotive and railroad cars. Hat off to the crew for persisting.
How exciting that you were able to visit Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. The latter are wreathed in mystique in my imagination.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Visiting the Galapagos was a dream I’d had for many years. Amazing experience, never to be forgotten and (sadly) never to be repeated.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know what you mean. One has to learn to accept the fact that some experiences will, henceforth, only happen in our imagination.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Gosh that was some story and the pictures did indeed capture the moment. So glad you were able to continue the journey.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Looking back, it was an exciting adventure, but it didn’t seem like that at the time!
LikeLike
Looking at the track, it’s a miracle the train didn’t repeatedly derail. If I’d just happened by without seeing or hearing any trains, I’d think the track had been long abandoned.
That said, there’s something particularly enticing about taking a train through complete wilderness. You’re a visitor to a world you don’t belong in, but you get to see it up close and in relative comfort.
Wednesdays don’t have to be wordless. I enjoyed the text just as much as the photos.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, it was in a very poor condition, an accident just waiting to happen. If we’d known before travelling about the state of the track I think we would have opted to fly from the highlands to the coast…but hey, we survived and had a good story to tell at the end of it.
Glad you enjoyed the text as well as the photos. I enjoy writing nearly as much as Mrs P enjoys photography, and it’s always good to know when the words on the page have made a connection.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh my! What an adventure on many levels and so relieved that no one was injured that day. The creativity and ingenuity of the local crew is much admired, and a much needed reminder how humans can overcome immense obstacle through mutual cooperation.
I admire Mrs P’s steady hand during tense circumstances – the photos are great! Ah yes, the days of film (and oh yes, how expensive!). Each shot was precious and a prayer or two was included with hope that all settings and exposure turned out well…those were the days😊
Thank you for sharing memories of your travels with us. I always learn so much.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It certainly was an adventure, one of many on the Ecuador trip. I do wish that blogging had been a thing back then…I would have done a travel blog and written about lots more of our experiences. The absence of a written record from the time, and the limited number of photos Mrs P could take, means that many of those memories have sadly been lost.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well that was an adventure and a half, I’m glad no-one was injured. Mrs P’s photos certainly capture the experience 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you…it was most definitely an unforgettable experience.
LikeLike
I will echo the others comments. What a story! Wonderful to read about the crew’s ingenuity. Hardly seems possible that they could get the train back on the track using such methods. But they did. Good lesson there is right. Also, a tip of the hat to
LikeLiked by 1 person
We couldn’t believe it either…we really were convinced at the time that we’d be stranded for days, under siege from all the critters that emerge from the undergrowth the moment the sun goes down!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Right? Hoo-boy! I would have been apprehensive, too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Somehow, WordPress wouldn’t let me finish. Should be “A tip of the hat to Mrs. P’s fine pictures.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mrs P thanks you kindly for the tip of you hat!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great story. Who would ever have thought that the train would be back on track so soon?
LikeLiked by 1 person
We were amazed that we were able to resume our journey so quickly. Without the genius of those train guys we’d have been stranded for days, and would have missed our flight to the wonderful Galapagos Islands.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What an adventure! Though one I’m sure you could have done without. The ingenuity and skill of the crew suggest they might have done this before.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Having seen the crew’s response we were left in no doubt that this was a problem they’d encountered before!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I might have been a bit nervous for the rest of the railway journey.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Relief triumphed over nervousness – we were simply overjoyed to be unharmed and on our way.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sounds like a stressful journey! It’s amazing that they got the train back on the rails and going again.
LikeLiked by 1 person
We couldn’t quite believe it, but my word we were relieved when they succeeded!
LikeLiked by 1 person