San Bernardo Workshops, Chile
of Chile
of the Chilian State Railways
1922 Visit by the Institution of Locomotive Engineers
This, the primary object of the members’ visit to Chile, and took place on the morning of the 20th February, members leaving Alameda Station (Santiago) at 8.30 a.m. in a special train kindly placed at their disposition by the Chilian Government.
Sr. A. Jaramillo, Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Chilian State Railways, accompanied by his chief assistants, met the members at the station, and with the same general courtesy and kindness shown during the entire visit, took charge of the large group, and saw them safely installed in the train. On San Bernardo, distant some ten miles from Santiago, being reached the special train was run right into the workshop sidings, and Sr. Jaramillo personally conducted the members around the spacious workshops and gave every opportunity for a complete revision of every department.
The workshops, situated inside grounds which allow for expansions necessary for several future generations, are magnificent examples of how workshops may be constructed, special attention having been given to the lighting and ventilation.
Originally designed to be constructed of steel, the European war and the consequent difficulty in getting the steel caused a modification in the materials used, armoured concrete having replaced the steel.
Cement is a national product in Chili, hence no difficulty was found in making the shops of this material, and whilst not vet fully completed, very ample shops have been erected and which at date are fully equal to requirements.
The principal buildings, five in number, are (1) headquarter offices, first aid rooms and model stores; (2) iron and brass foundry; (3) general erecting, repair and machine shop; (4) general smith shop; (5) stores.
Nos. 1 and 5 are divided from the rest of the buildings by shunting lines, Nos. 2, 3 and 4 being made more or less in a straight line with railway tracks from each to the other.
The first shop visited was the foundry, this being well with up-to-date brass furnaces and iron-melting handy travelling cranes also being prominent.
The work performed is that ordinary to railway shop repairs and calls for no special comment, but the facilities for handling and the number of melting appliances allow for a very great output. The main overhead travelling crane has a run to fully 140 feet outside the building proper, hence materials can be received direct from wagon and carried inside or vice versa.
Next in order of visit were the erecting and machine shops.
This, a building of three bays, is a splendid example of shop-building—lofty, splendidly lighted and well supplied with heavy and light overhead travelling cranes.
The erecting shops have both 100 and lo-ton capacity overhead electric travelling cranes, the heaviest of the Chilian State Railways’ locomotives being handled with ease. One fairly heavy locomotive was suspended and carried whilst the visitors were in the shops, but as no large engines were then under repair, the full carrying capacity of the cranes could not be altogether appreciated.
Locomotives were being repaired in one of the outside of the three bays, the tracks being placed transversely with the building. These tracks pass out and into the middle bay, where there is also one central longitudinal track and a loo-ton overhead crane. Locomotives are thus run down the central track, lifted and swung on to the transversal tracks and then run across into the outside bay and over the repair pits, the engine thus being put into position with the least amount of lifting and carrying.
The repairs noted—only comparatively light engines being at the time under repair—did not differ materially from those as effected in other South American railway workshops and therefore call for little comment.
The other outside bay is given over to the machine section. Centrally situated in this section is the tool room, very well conducted and arranged. Necessary tools for the making of dies, taps and gauges, are supplied by the tool room, every tool being indexed.
Heavy lathes for engine work, wheel lathes, and a large horizontal boring lathe are the main features of the machine shop, but as no heavy work was then in progress no just appreciation of their capabilities could be made.