New tourist train service from Bariloche to the Atlantic coast.

Would love to do this in mid-December to mid-January, with the longest possible days, to make the most of the scenery.

Maybe spend a week in Villa la Angostura, then take the train to the beach for a week -

Seen the day I would have jumped at the chance of doing this. Not now though especially with a disco and cinema on board. I'd prefer going by road and doing a spot of fishing along the way. Last time I was down that way I had a cracking trout on my first cast.

As you can see in the map, I live in Vicente Lopez and we had two almost paralell lines, electrified,

since 1922, which went from Retiro to Tigre. Frequencies were more or less 10 minutes, and the total trip demanded 50 minutes.

Retiro-Vicente Lopez demanded only 16 minutes. Now it demands 28 minutes: rails are not in good condition.

That explains the unusual commodity we had, much more forward than other Latin American Countries.

I have students from Colombia, Brazil and Peru and they are surprised to have access to so many lines and other public transport means, very unusual in those countries. And it is about a Century that we are used to take advantage of them.

The nationalization of the railways was not a good thing for us. Even the English at that time demanded that, because they were eager to recover their money.(After WWII) and there was a general trend that said that all public transports must be owned by the state. (Remember Clement Attlee as a PM)

In my point of view, the best solution was to make a mixed private-state society, keeping the English administrators and the Argentine employees, which made before a good team. Unfortunately, populism and the pressure of the trade unions had provoked the decadence of our Railways.

And also, to be fair, the US tried to impose the trucks, to have a new client in Argentina, trying to wipe out the British economical influence.

A few images to include in the memorabilia.

I used the sleeping car to go to vacation in Cordoba. The train was called "Rayo de Sol" (Sun ray) and it spent 11 hours to arrive at Cordoba Station. The restaurant carriage was attended by white clerks with coats+, with withe gloves as well, and they served soup in great silver dishes from Sheffield manufacture.

It was not the Orient express, but it seems the only civilized way to travel.

Eleven hours to Cordoba seems like a good alternative to today's 8 hours by car, which at that time might have been 16 hours or more?

Quote from Rice

Eleven hours to Cordoba seems like a good alternative to today's 8 hours by car, which at that time might have been 16 hours or more?

Yes, it was a good alternative as you can also send your car in special carriage in the same train.

The route to Cordoba in the 1930's and until the 1940's was not totally paved.The highway that you know now was finished in 2002. The goverment spent 50 years to complete a decent highway that connects 3 important cities like BA, Rosario and Cordoba.This is our pace...

But the ancient route, for only 2 lanes, allowed you to pass over many small populations, that had gas stations, machanic service, restaurants and people. Now in the present highway you are in the middle of nothing. At that time we spent 12 hours average, but for me it was a pleasure to see the green prairies and at the end see in the horizon the blue shape of the mountains as we were approaching to them.

For a tourist place like the Cordoba hills is unavoidable to have a car, you can explore it as your will.

Although we nearly always opt for the road that gets us to our destination most quickly, still, I love the small back roads and the unknown adventures that could await -

Quote from Carlos

Yes, it was a good alternative as you can also send your car in special carriage in the same train.

The route to Cordoba in the 1930's and until the 1940's was not totally paved.The highway that you know now was finished in 2002. The goverment spent 50 years to complete a decent highway that connects 3 important cities like BA, Rosario and Cordoba.This is our pace...

But the ancient route, for only 2 lanes, allowed you to pass over many small populations, that had gas stations, machanic service, restaurants and people. Now in the present highway you are in the middle of nothing. At that time we spent 12 hours average, but for me it was a pleasure to see the green prairies and at the end see in the horizon the blue shape of the mountains as we were approaching to them.

For a tourist place like the Cordoba hills is unavoidable to have a car, you can explore it as your will.

Sadly your ''this is our pace...'' comment is so true.

Takes us twice the amount of time to travel 100 miles by road here compared to the UK over 40 years ago.

Build the motorways first then you can sweat the small stuff later.

Mr Splinter wrote:

In many ways, it's nice that there are still rough unpaved roads to explore in a shrinking world.

I remember very well my explorations with my father, driving a modest Volkswagen Beetle 1951, in the, at that day, numerous rough and unpaved roads of the Cordoba Hills. Perhaps we needed a Jeep, but the German car was also quite reliable. One day, in the morning, we found a "puma" (American Lion) which run a low pace at the side of our car, and then peacefully disappeared in the bushes. Of course, no cars neither people were there. An impressive experience for a boy like me at that time.

When I grew up, I used to repeat my father's experience of exploration.

The road from Salta to Cachi has flooded stream crossings and perilous one-lane sections with zigzags and hairpin turns around dizzyingly high, treacherous cliffs. But I agree that the washboard road from Cachi to Cafayate, while certainly beautiful, is the longest stretch of completely desolate road we have ever driven. In a long day’s driving, we saw only 3 cars.

Quote from Splinter

In many ways, it's nice that there are still rough unpaved roads to explore in a shrinking world.

I won't forget my motorcycle ride from Cachi to Cafayate - 135 kms of dirt - six hours and I hardly saw a soul all day. Some dogs, a huge machine for levelling the dirt (ripio) and some locals in a village that was literally in the middle of nowhere.

I cycled from John O'Groats to Lands End using quiet countryside roads. Probably added a couple of hundred miles on to the trip but I was in no rush.

That's the beauty of having a good road system. Those in a rush use the motorways while those with time on their hands can enjoy the quieter back roads.