São Paulo Railway
Encyclopedia
São Paulo Railway was a privately owned British railway
company in Brazil
, which operated the gauge railway from the seaport at Santos via São Paulo
to Jundiaí
. The company was nationalised in 1940 and became the Estrada de Ferro Santos-Jundiaí
.
The São Paulo Railway consists of three parts:
Three different systems have been used to climbs the steep grade between Piassagüera and Paranapiacaba
:
convinced the Brazilian government that it was important to construct a railroad connecting São Paulo
to the seaport at Santos. The main purpose of the project was the transport of the coffee
grown on the inland plateau to the Atlantic coast for export. The biggest difficulty was the task to overcome the steep east slope of the 800 meter high Serra do Mar
, which was considered to be nearly impracticable. Therefore Barão de Mauá asked England
to clarify the feasibility of a railway line for locomotive hauled trains within a budget limit of 200,000 £. The biggest technician for this subject was consulted: the Scottish
railroad engineer James Brunlees
.
Brunlees visited Brazil
and considered that the project was feasible. He recommended the engineer Daniel Makinson Fox to Barão de Mauá for the execution of the project. Fox was at that time only 26 years old but had experience in the construction of railways through the mountains of northern Wales
and the hillsides of the Pyrenees
. He realised that the railway can only climb the slope in the Serra do Mar if a 5 miles (8 km) long incline system
is built. An adhesion railway would have used 26 miles (41.8 km) to overcome the slope and would have also overrun the 200,000 £ budget.
also the official company name was in English, not Portuguese.
Construction on the 20 km long adhesion railway Santos - Piassagüera began on March 15, 1860 and on the incline system in the year 1861.
The road was constructed without explosives, since it was felt that the slopes are very unstable. The rock was excavated only with plug and feather
s. Embankments of 3 to 20 m in height were constructed to protect the tracks from the frequent torrential rains in the area, which used about 230000 cubic metres (8,122,373.2 cu ft) rocks. The line did not have any tunnels.
In spite of all the difficulties, the construction finished 10 months ahead of the date specified in the contract, which was eight years. The São Paulo Railway was opened on 1867-02-16.
consisted of four 10.3% grade cable railway
sections with the following length:
At each section the wagons were attached to a steal wire rope with the help of a special fitted brake van
called Serrabreque (transl.
: Hill Brake). The steel cables was driven by a stationary steam winding engine at the top end of the section, where also a 75 metres (246.1 ft) extension with a 1.3% grade was fitted, so that the wagons could be led to the next section.
The incline system was later called Serra Velha (transl.
: Old Mountain) to distinguish it from the later built second incline system called Serra Nova.
started in 1895. The new line runs parallel to the already existing one in about two miles distance. It had five sections using continuous steel wire ropes which were moved by stationary 1,000 hp
steam engines. Each section was about 2000 metres (6,561.7 ft) long and had a grade of 8%. Two to three wagons have been coupled to the rope with the help of small locomotives fitted with grip engaging with the cable. These locomotives were also able to handle the wagons in the terminal station and between the sections, so that the operation of the incline system was facilitated. The locomotives have been called Locobreque (transl.
: Locomotive Brake). In case the weight of the wagons to be lifted was to heavy compared to the wagons lowered at the same time, tank cars filled with water where used to counterbalance the system. The incline system was used in revenue service till 1982.
, and on 1948-09-27, it was merged with most of the other Brazilian railways in to the Rede Ferroviária Federal, SA (RFFSA
).
was replaced by an Abt rack system which was installed by the Japanese firm Marubeni
. The locomotives for this changeover had been constructed by Hitachi
with the help of SLM
and are working with 3 kV DC supplied by an overhead lines
.
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
company in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, which operated the gauge railway from the seaport at Santos via São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
to Jundiaí
Jundiaí
Jundiaí is a city and municipality in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The population in 2009 was 349,929, and the area is 433.958 km². The elevation is 761 m. Distance is 60 km north of the city of São Paulo.- History and Geography :...
. The company was nationalised in 1940 and became the Estrada de Ferro Santos-Jundiaí
Estrada de Ferro Santos-Jundiaí
Estrada de Ferro Santos-Jundiaí was a gauge railway line in São Paulo, Brazil.On 1946-09-13, the São Paulo Railway was nationalised by the federal government, and passed to be managed by the Brazilian Ministry of Transportation and Public Works...
.
The São Paulo Railway consists of three parts:
- The 20 km long adhesion railwayRail adhesionThe term adhesion railway or adhesion traction describes the most common type of railway, where power is applied by driving some or all of the wheels of the locomotive. Thus, it relies on the friction between a steel wheel and a steel rail. Note that steam locomotives of old were driven only by...
at the coast from Santos to Piassagüera - The 10 km long steep grade from Piassagüera to ParanapiacabaParanapiacabaParanapiacaba is a village and a district of the municipality of Santo André in Brazil . It was established as a company town for the employees of São Paulo Railway, a privately owned British railway company. This railway allowed the transport of cargo and people from inside Paulista to the port of...
- The adhesion railwayRail adhesionThe term adhesion railway or adhesion traction describes the most common type of railway, where power is applied by driving some or all of the wheels of the locomotive. Thus, it relies on the friction between a steel wheel and a steel rail. Note that steam locomotives of old were driven only by...
on the plateau from ParanapiacabaParanapiacabaParanapiacaba is a village and a district of the municipality of Santo André in Brazil . It was established as a company town for the employees of São Paulo Railway, a privately owned British railway company. This railway allowed the transport of cargo and people from inside Paulista to the port of...
via São PauloSão PauloSão Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
to JundiaíJundiaíJundiaí is a city and municipality in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The population in 2009 was 349,929, and the area is 433.958 km². The elevation is 761 m. Distance is 60 km north of the city of São Paulo.- History and Geography :...
Three different systems have been used to climbs the steep grade between Piassagüera and Paranapiacaba
Paranapiacaba
Paranapiacaba is a village and a district of the municipality of Santo André in Brazil . It was established as a company town for the employees of São Paulo Railway, a privately owned British railway company. This railway allowed the transport of cargo and people from inside Paulista to the port of...
:
- A four section cable railwayCable railwayA cable railway is a steeply graded railway that uses a cable or rope to haul trains.-Introduction:...
with stationary steam engines, in use from 1867 till 1970, called Serra Velha, transl.TransliterationTransliteration is a subset of the science of hermeneutics. It is a form of translation, and is the practice of converting a text from one script into another...
: Old Mountain - A five section cable railwayCable railwayA cable railway is a steeply graded railway that uses a cable or rope to haul trains.-Introduction:...
with stationary steam engines, in use from 1901 till 1982, called Serra Nova, transl.TransliterationTransliteration is a subset of the science of hermeneutics. It is a form of translation, and is the practice of converting a text from one script into another...
: New Mountain - An electrified Rack-and-adhesion railwayRack railwayA rack-and-pinion railway is a railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with this rack rail...
built on the right of way of the abandoned Serra Velha opened in 1974, called Systema Cremalheira-Aderência, transl.TransliterationTransliteration is a subset of the science of hermeneutics. It is a form of translation, and is the practice of converting a text from one script into another...
: System Rack-and-adhesion
Planning
In 1859, a group of people led by the Barão de MauáIrineu Evangelista de Sousa
Irineu Evangelista de Sousa, the Viscount of Mauá was a Brazilian entrepreneur, industrialist, banker and politician. He was called the Rothschild of the South American continent by the New York Times in 1871. He received the titles of baron and visconde com grandeza of Mauá...
convinced the Brazilian government that it was important to construct a railroad connecting São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
to the seaport at Santos. The main purpose of the project was the transport of the coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
grown on the inland plateau to the Atlantic coast for export. The biggest difficulty was the task to overcome the steep east slope of the 800 meter high Serra do Mar
Serra do Mar
Serra do Mar is a 1,500 km long system of mountain ranges and escarpments in Southeastern Brazil, which runs in parallel to the Atlantic Ocean coast from the state of Espírito Santo to southern Santa Catarina, although some include Serra Geral in the Serra do Mar, in which case this range...
, which was considered to be nearly impracticable. Therefore Barão de Mauá asked England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to clarify the feasibility of a railway line for locomotive hauled trains within a budget limit of 200,000 £. The biggest technician for this subject was consulted: the Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
railroad engineer James Brunlees
James Brunlees
Sir James Brunlees was a Scottish civil engineer. He was born in Kelso in the Scottish Borders in 1816.In 1850, Brunlees worked on the Londonderry and Coleraine Railway...
.
Brunlees visited Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
and considered that the project was feasible. He recommended the engineer Daniel Makinson Fox to Barão de Mauá for the execution of the project. Fox was at that time only 26 years old but had experience in the construction of railways through the mountains of northern Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and the hillsides of the Pyrenees
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
. He realised that the railway can only climb the slope in the Serra do Mar if a 5 miles (8 km) long incline system
Cable railway
A cable railway is a steeply graded railway that uses a cable or rope to haul trains.-Introduction:...
is built. An adhesion railway would have used 26 miles (41.8 km) to overcome the slope and would have also overrun the 200,000 £ budget.
Construction
Daniel Fox's proposal for the railway line from Santos to Jundiaí including the incline system was approved by Brunlees and the company São Paulo Railway (SPR) was established to build the railway system and operate it for 90 years. Since the capital of the company was mainly BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
also the official company name was in English, not Portuguese.
Construction on the 20 km long adhesion railway Santos - Piassagüera began on March 15, 1860 and on the incline system in the year 1861.
The road was constructed without explosives, since it was felt that the slopes are very unstable. The rock was excavated only with plug and feather
Plug and feather
Plug and feather, also known as plugs and wedges, feather and wedges, wedges and shims, pins and feathers and feather and tare refers to a technique and a three-piece tool set used to split stone.-Description:...
s. Embankments of 3 to 20 m in height were constructed to protect the tracks from the frequent torrential rains in the area, which used about 230000 cubic metres (8,122,373.2 cu ft) rocks. The line did not have any tunnels.
In spite of all the difficulties, the construction finished 10 months ahead of the date specified in the contract, which was eight years. The São Paulo Railway was opened on 1867-02-16.
Serra Velha - the first incline system
The part of the route climbing the Serra do MarSerra do Mar
Serra do Mar is a 1,500 km long system of mountain ranges and escarpments in Southeastern Brazil, which runs in parallel to the Atlantic Ocean coast from the state of Espírito Santo to southern Santa Catarina, although some include Serra Geral in the Serra do Mar, in which case this range...
consisted of four 10.3% grade cable railway
Cable railway
A cable railway is a steeply graded railway that uses a cable or rope to haul trains.-Introduction:...
sections with the following length:
- section 1: 1781 metres (5,843.2 ft)
- section 2: 1947 metres (6,387.8 ft)
- section 3: 2096 metres (6,876.6 ft)
- section 4: 3139 metres (10,298.6 ft)
At each section the wagons were attached to a steal wire rope with the help of a special fitted brake van
Brake van
Brake van and guard's van are terms used mainly in the UK, Australia and India for a railway vehicle equipped with a hand brake which can be applied by the guard...
called Serrabreque (transl.
Transliteration
Transliteration is a subset of the science of hermeneutics. It is a form of translation, and is the practice of converting a text from one script into another...
: Hill Brake). The steel cables was driven by a stationary steam winding engine at the top end of the section, where also a 75 metres (246.1 ft) extension with a 1.3% grade was fitted, so that the wagons could be led to the next section.
The incline system was later called Serra Velha (transl.
Transliteration
Transliteration is a subset of the science of hermeneutics. It is a form of translation, and is the practice of converting a text from one script into another...
: Old Mountain) to distinguish it from the later built second incline system called Serra Nova.
Serra Nova - the second incline system
The large volume of coffee shipments and the growth of the cities in the São Paulo region required more transport capacity. Therefore construction of a second incline systemCable railway
A cable railway is a steeply graded railway that uses a cable or rope to haul trains.-Introduction:...
started in 1895. The new line runs parallel to the already existing one in about two miles distance. It had five sections using continuous steel wire ropes which were moved by stationary 1,000 hp
Horsepower
Horsepower is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts.Horsepower was originally defined to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses in continuous operation. The unit was widely adopted to measure the...
steam engines. Each section was about 2000 metres (6,561.7 ft) long and had a grade of 8%. Two to three wagons have been coupled to the rope with the help of small locomotives fitted with grip engaging with the cable. These locomotives were also able to handle the wagons in the terminal station and between the sections, so that the operation of the incline system was facilitated. The locomotives have been called Locobreque (transl.
Transliteration
Transliteration is a subset of the science of hermeneutics. It is a form of translation, and is the practice of converting a text from one script into another...
: Locomotive Brake). In case the weight of the wagons to be lifted was to heavy compared to the wagons lowered at the same time, tank cars filled with water where used to counterbalance the system. The incline system was used in revenue service till 1982.
Protests
In 1889, the first protests were made against the British monopoly over the route to Porto de Santos, which culminated in the construction of Mairinque-Santos in 1910, for Estrada de Ferro Sorocabana.Nationalisation
On 1946-09-13, the railroad was nationalised by the Brazilian government, and renamed the Estrada de Ferro Santos-JundiaíEstrada de Ferro Santos-Jundiaí
Estrada de Ferro Santos-Jundiaí was a gauge railway line in São Paulo, Brazil.On 1946-09-13, the São Paulo Railway was nationalised by the federal government, and passed to be managed by the Brazilian Ministry of Transportation and Public Works...
, and on 1948-09-27, it was merged with most of the other Brazilian railways in to the Rede Ferroviária Federal, SA (RFFSA
RFFSA
The Rede Ferroviária Federal, Sociedade Anônima was the state-owned national railway company of Brazil. It was created in 1957, and dissolved between 1999–2007.-Constituent Railways:...
).
Systema Cremalheira-Aderência - the Rack-and-adhesion railway
In the 1970s (well after it had been renamed), the haulage systemCable railway
A cable railway is a steeply graded railway that uses a cable or rope to haul trains.-Introduction:...
was replaced by an Abt rack system which was installed by the Japanese firm Marubeni
Marubeni
is a Japanese trading company, one of the largest general trading companies in Japan.-Offices:*Head Office - 4-2, Otemachi 1-chome, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan*Head Office -20-6, Shiba 5-chome, Minato, Tokyo, Japan...
. The locomotives for this changeover had been constructed by Hitachi
Hitachi, Ltd.
is a Japanese multinational conglomerate headquartered in Marunouchi 1-chome, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The company is the parent of the Hitachi Group as part of the larger DKB Group companies...
with the help of SLM
Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works
Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works were a railway equipment manufacturer based in Winterthur in Switzerland...
and are working with 3 kV DC supplied by an overhead lines
Overhead lines
Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
.