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Steam Locomotion in the 21st Century The Recent History of Steam Locomotive Development

The Santa Fe Steam Locomotives
of the Red Ferro Industrial Rio Turbio (RFIRT)

Updated 3 April 2023

Porta and crew in front of 2-10-2 # 110 "Santa Cruz"

(around 1960)
photo from the Richard Campbell collection
courtesy of Roberto Yommi

Ing. L. D. Porta's most successful and extensive steam locomotive project was conducted during his employment as the manager of the RFIRT, commonly called the Rio Turbio. Porta came to the railway in 1957 and inherited a small fleet of 2-10-2's built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries of Japan in 1956. These locomotives had earlier replaced Henschel-built 2-8-2s originally used on the line. The new locomotives were suffering from signicant steaming problems due to the clinkering tendency of the sub-bituminous Rio Turbio coal. Porta saw this as the perfect application for his Gas Producer Combustion System, previously applied to his experimental 4-8-0. 3 engines were initially fitted, and proved capable of steaming indefinitely without clinkering. In addition, maximum power was significantly increased.

Ing. Porta left the line in 1960 to return to INTI as head of the thermodynamics department, but he maintained a close working relationship with the railway and continued to devise improvements for these locomotives.

Following the successful modifications to first 3 engines, in 1964 a further 10 engines were ordered from Mitsubishi with these and other improvements, including higher boiler pressure and a reduced number of tubes to increase the superheat temperature. The locomotives proved capable of sustaining 1200 DBHP indefinitely. Over the next few years, the first series of engines were back-fitted with Kylpor exhausts and the GPCS as they were shopped for overhauls. One engine, no. 120, was fitted with an improved version of the GPCS called the cyclonic GPCS. The idea here was to admit the secondary air so as to cause rotary motion of the gases in the firebox, thus separating unburned coal particles from the gas stream to allow more complete combustion.

Technical specifications for these locomotives are provided below.

In the 1970's, during the oil crisis, it was expected that demand for the coal from this line would dramatically increase and orders for new motive power were contemplated. Diesel, electric, and new steam locomotives were carefully considered and steam came out the clear economic winner for the line. Porta studied various concepts for much larger steam locomotives, including Garratts and Mallets. The final configuration chosen was a 2-12-12-0, and an order was nearly placed to build the first of these monstrous locomotives. Unfortunately, changed conditions killed the project and the Mitsubishi 2-10-2's soldiered on for another 20 years.

Finally, in the early 1990's, without the presence of Ing. Porta to advocate steam and to ensure that strict maintenance standards were maintained, railway management began looking for replacement motive power. By this time, diesels were the default choice and Henschel narrow-gauge V160 diesel-hydraulic locomotives were procured from Bulgaria, where they were designated as Class 75 and regauged for use on the Rio Turbio. It's ironic that in their home country they had replaced modern 2-10-2T's. Steam continued on in switching duties and to provide braking assist for heavy coal trains until 1997, when the remaining steamer locomotives were taken out of service. See information below for the status of these locomotives.

In March 2004, it was reported that efforts were underway to establish regular steam-powered tourist trains on the line which would be extended to connect with the neighboring country of Chile. This would allow coast-to-coast trains to be run between the Atlantic and Pacific. This project had the support of high level government officials in both countries, but as far as is known never came to fruition.

While at INTI, Shaun McMahon was able to have two steam locomotives shipped to Buenos Aires and rebuilt.  Number 119 was completed and returned to Rio Turbio by truck and was operated in 2018.  Overhaul of the second locomotive, number 107, was almost finished in 2015 and was schedule for completion in 2016, but the status of this work is unknown. Locomotives 105 and 113 were scheduled for rebuild following the completion of  number 107.