A trip to the past in a unique train in the world, from Esquel and El Maitén

Experience:

The locomotive’s whistle blows and the journey begins: a journey back in time on a single train that has stayed exactly the same since it started rolling almost 100 years ago, in 1922. From Esquel and from El Maiten, different routes cross wonderful landscapes in the original wooden wagons, with their stories, noises, views and aromas that take you to another era, when the Old Patagonian Express “La Trochita” was used for transport grain, animals or wool

The name “La Trochita” comes from the distance between the rails on which the Old Patagonian Express runs. At the beginning of the 20th century, narrow gauge trains like this ran on rails separated by 60 centimeters, saving engineering and maintenance costs for the railways.

But of all the narrow gauge trains that existed, the only one that continues to run, and in its original state, is “La Trochita”. In the tours it offers you can witness the stories of an epic and sacrificed Patagonia. And if it is cold, all the wagons have an original wood-burning salamander stove, essential to warm the spirits of the passengers in the harsh Patagonian winters.

Today, “La Trochita” makes two round trips: one of 18 kilometers that departs from Esquel to Nahuelpan (two hours long), and a similar one between El Maitén and Desvío Thomae (two and a half hours). In both, the horizons, mountains and landscapes that frame the wooden windows of the wagons are an extraordinary experience.

In El Maitén you can also visit the Railway Museum and visit the workshops of the Old Patagonian Express, where maintenance is carried out and parts are made to measure. There you can witness the past and present of this unique train, which will soon be a century old.