Leopoldina Railway
 The company's Bond of Preference, 1884 | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Service type | Inter-city |
| Locale | Minas Gerais Espírito Santo Rio de Janeiro |
| First service | 1874 |
| Last service | 1965 |
| Current operator(s) | Ferrovia Centro-Atlântica S.A. |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 1,000 mm(3 ft3+3⁄8in)metre gauge |
TheLeopoldina Railway(Portuguese:Estrada de Ferro Leopoldina) was the first railroad established in the current state ofMinas Gerais.Located in thesoutheast of Brazil,it was inaugurated in 1874. it reached over 3,200 kilometers of track, including racks on the stretches of theSerra do Mar.[1][2]
During its history, the railway experienced serious crises and was controlled by farmers, merchants and British creditors. In 1957, theRede Ferroviária Federal(RFFSA) assumed responsibility for the lines. However, the measures were ineffective and the railroad progressively lost its branches, being dissolved in 1975. Part of the railroad was transferred to the management ofFerrovia Centro-Atlântica,with a majority of its circuit suppressed and the remainder operating freight transport.[1][2]
History
[edit]1871 - 1889: Beginning
[edit]In the mid-19th century,coffee,the most important product of the Brazilian economy, was transported by mule to the ports on the coast. In order to improve the distribution of their products, farmers and merchants in theZona da Mata of Minas Geraislaunched an initiative to build a railroad in the area.[3][2][4]
On October 10, 1891, Law No. 1826 of theProvince of Minas Geraisauthorized PresidentFrancisco Leite da Costa Belémto grant a subsidy of 9,000$000réisper kilometer or to guarantee interest of 7% per year on the capital of 2,400:000$000réisto the company that built a railroad. The line should connect Leopoldina to Porto Novo do Cunha (currently Além Paraíba), on the border between Minas Gerais andRio de Janeiro,where the tracks of theDom Pedro II Railwayended.[5][6]
Imperial Decree No. 4.914 of March 27, 1872 allowed engineer Antônio Paulo de Mello Barreto to organize a company to build the railroad. On June 5, 1892, the Companhia Estrada de Ferro Leopoldina was authorized to operate in Brazil under Decree No. 4,976. The studies for a 38-kilometer stretch began with engineerJoão Gomes do Valon October 10 and were approved in February of the following year; in March the railroad started to be built. Along with the expansion of coffee production, government subsidies were one of the factors that stimulated the investment.[7][8][9][10]
The first stretch was inaugurated on October 8, 1874, in the presence ofPedro IIand civil and ecclesiastical authorities and had three stations: São José (São José d'Além Parahyba), at kilometer 3, Pântano (nowAntônio Carlos), at kilometer 12, andVolta Grande,at kilometer 27. Later, the São Luiz and Providência stations were inaugurated. It featured five locomotives (twoRogers,twoBaldwinand one Belgian, named Visconde de Abaeté, Conselheiro Theodoro, Godoy, Cataguazes and Pomba, respectively), eight passenger cars and 48 freight wagons.[4][11][12]
Due to technical issues, the railroad suffered a detour in 1876, reaching Santa Rita do Meia Pataca (nowCataguases) on July 2, 1877, instead of passing through Leopoldina. The change caused dissatisfaction among the residents of Leopoldina, who fought for the creation of a branch line to connect the city to Vista Alegre. Cataguases Station opened on July 2, 1877, and Leopoldina Station opened on July 31, 1877. Over the years, the railroad expanded and acquired smaller companies (theSumidouroandPirapetingabranches and the Cantagalo Railway) in order to eliminate competition and establish its hegemony.[10][11]
1890 - 1897: Expansion and crisis
[edit]
Despite its growth, the Companhia Estrada de Ferro Leopoldina began to face large deficits as the company's managers kept creating new projects without any financial backing to support them. In 1890, the debt was 86,623:277$776réis.With a promise to settle all the company's liabilities, the Companhia Geral de Estradas de Ferro was created and began acquiring shares and initiating several investments. By 1891, Leopoldina's network already covered 2,127 kilometers in the states of Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo and Rio de Janeiro. However, the Companhia Geral declared bankruptcy in 1892.[9][11]
In the same year, the Empresa Industrial de Melhoramentos no Brasil assumed office under the promise of fi xing the railroad's problems. At the time, Leopoldina's rail circuit was very disconnected, with manyjunctionsand branches in bad condition. In addition, there was a lack of rolling stock to serve the entire length efficiently. The company unified 468 kilometers of railroad and acquired newrolling stock,which increased the financial problems. In 1893, theNaval Revoltbegan, which suspended traffic on certain stretches of the railroad, resulting in more costs to maintain the lines during the conflict. At the end of 1894, Além Paraíba suffered acholeraepidemic, which had already spread throughout theParaíba Valley.In order to prevent contagion, the population removed many kilometers of track in the region, increasing the company's losses and difficulties. After these incidents, the Companhia Estrada de Ferro Leopoldina became unable to maintain its regular activities, suffering pressure from British creditors who threatened to hijack sections of the railway network as a means of payment.[11][9]
At the end of 1895, the Companhia Estrada de Ferro Leopoldina's board of directors submitted their issue to the government, which suggested reorganizing the firm through external loans and standardizing external and internal debts by converting outstanding bonds into their current value and receiving the appropriate bonuses. On June 8, 1896, a meeting was held to sign a commitment to conduct studies for the implementation of the new policy, as well as to determine the responsibilities of the federal and state governments in case of intervention in the transaction. The negotiation only proceeded on March 29, 1897, when the representatives of the English creditors arrived. They argued that the agreement was not advantageous, as the company had already acquired a reputation for defaulting on its debts. In their opinion, it was more appropriate to create an Englishlimited companythat would liquidate the firm and take over its assets.[9]
1898 - present: The Leopoldina Railway Company Limited, RFFSA, FCA and VLI
[edit]
On April 3, 1897, the proposal was approved and, on December 16, 1897, The Leopoldina Railway Company Limited, authorized to operate in Brazil by Decree No. 2797 of January 14, 1898, was created in London. The new administration restructured and modernized the system by building new lines and acquiring 38 small railroads in the center and north of the state of Rio de Janeiro, the southeast of Minas Gerais and the south of Espírito Santo. It covered more than 3,200 kilometers of track, includingrackson the stretches of the Serra do Mar.[9][1][13]
One of the new firm's main plans was to extend the line from São Francisco Xavier to theportand thecenterof Rio de Janeiro, which required the construction of a station to meet the new demand. The building, which would also house the British embassy, was designed byRobert Prentice,a Scottish architect. On November 15, 1924, construction began, and on December 6, 1926, theBarão de Mauá Stationwas inaugurated in the presence ofArtur Bernardesand the Minister of Transport and Public Works Francisco Sá. The name is a tribute to thepioneer of national rail transportand patron of Brazilian railroads. The station had a 130-meter main facade and four floors.[14][15][16][1][17]
In 1931, The Leopoldina Railway's lines totaled 3,086 kilometers. The 598 kilometers stretch between Barão de Mauá and Vitória that crosses theBaixada Fluminenseto the city of Campos dos Goytacazes, on the north side of theParaíba do Sul River,and continues toVitóriavia Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, stands out. The trunk lines of Saracuruna and Capitinga (595 kilometers) and between Porto das Caixas andManhuaçu(500 kilometers) also stood out. The Leopoldina Railway faced difficulties with the decline of coffee plantations in the area covered by its lines, which was aggravated by the restrictions imposed duringWorld War II.Despite the subsidies, privileges and benefits, the company failed to recover and was incorporated by the Brazilian government on December 20, 1950, by Law No. 1,288.[18][3][1][10][19][6]
In 1957, the railway was incorporated by theRede Ferroviária Federal(RFFSA). Part of the structure was revitalized with the acquisition of new diesel-electric and self-propelled locomotives, carbon steel passenger cars and wagons, and the track was renovated. After 1965 there was a progressive decline with the suppression of several "uneconomical" branches, including therack-and-pinionlines. Allied to financial crises and the government's neglect of its preservation, maintenance and recovery, The Leopoldina Railway was dissolved.[6][10][20][21]
In 1996, during the privatization of RFFSA, the lines were transferred under concession toFerrovia Centro Atlântica(FCA), which was acquired byValeand incorporated intoVLI Multimodal S.A.Nearly 2,000 kilometers of railway network were deactivated, remaining 1,469 kilometers where the Campos Operating Division (CSP-3) transports oil products (Duque de Caxias-Macaéand Campos dos Goytacazes), steel products (Vitória -Volta Redonda;Minas Gerais - Rio de Janeiro), cement (Minas Gerais - Rio de Janeiro), sugar and alcohol (Campos dos Goytacazes- Rio de Janeiro), limestone (Cachoeiro de Itapemirim- Vitória) and oil exploration equipment on the Campos dos Goytacazes offshore platform. Some buildings, such as theMatilde Railway Station,have been listed as heritage sites.[22][4][23]
Lines and branches
[edit]| Name | Start | End |
|---|---|---|
| North Line[22] | Rio de Janeiro (RJ) | Três Rios(RJ) |
| Downtown Line[22] | Porto Novo do Cunha (MG) | Ligação,Ubá(MG) |
| Cantagalo Line[22] | Saracuna(RJ) | Portela,Itaocara(RJ |
| Três Rios - Caratinga Line[22] | Três Rios(RJ) | Caratinga(MG) |
| Juiz de Fora Branch[22] | Furtado de Campos,Rio Novo(MG) | Juiz de Fora(MG) |
| Litoral Line[22] | Niterói(RJ) | Vitória(ES) |
| Manhuaçu Line[22] | Recreio(MG) | Manhuaçu(MG) |
| Carangola Line[22] | Porciúncula(RJ) | Murundu,Campos dos Goytacazes(RJ) |
| Campos - Miracema line[22] | Campos dos Goytacazes (RJ) | Miracema(RJ) |
| Cabo Frio Branch[22] | Neves,São Gonçalo(RJ) | Cabo Frio(RJ) |
| Southern branch of Espírito Santo[22] | Cachoeiro do Itapemirim(ES) | Espera Feliz(MG) |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^abcde"Leopoldina Railway Company Limited".Dibrarq.Retrieved2024-01-19.
- ^abc"HISTÓRIA DA ESTRADA DE FERRO LEOPOLDINA".Muqui City Council.Retrieved2024-01-19.
- ^ab"Ciclo do Café".UOL.Retrieved2024-01-19.
- ^abcParreiras, Mateus (2016-03-21)."Viagem pela antiga Estrada de Ferro Leopoldina resta apenas na memória".Estado de Minas.Retrieved2024-01-03.
- ^"LEI nº 1.826, de 10/10/1871".Minas Gerais State Government.Retrieved2024-01-19.
- ^abc"Patrimônio Ferroviário em Minas Gerais - Bens Imóveis"(PDF).IPHAN.
- ^"DECRETO Nº 4.914, DE 27 DE MARÇO DE 1872".Federal Government of Brazil.Retrieved2024-01-19.
- ^"DECRETO Nº 4.976, DE 5 DE JUNHO DE 1872".Federal Government of Brazil.Retrieved2024-01-19.
- ^abcdeSiqueira, Edmundo (1938).Resumo Histórico de The Leopoldina Railway Co. LTD(PDF).Gráfica Editora Carioca.
- ^abcdPaula, Dilma Andrade (2000)."Fim de linha: a extinção de ramais da Estrada de Ferro Leopoldina, 1955-1974".UFF.
- ^abcdAlvim, Plinio Fajardo (2020-03-19)."Estrada de Ferro Leopoldina em Leopoldina -MG".Jornal Leopoldinense.Retrieved2024-01-03.
- ^Guimarães, Benicio (1993)."O Vapor Nas Ferrovias do Brasil".Editora Gráfica Jornal da Cidade.
- ^"Decreto nº 2.797, de 14 de Janeiro de 1898".Federal Government of Brazil.Retrieved2024-01-19.
- ^Bogossian, Francis; Suevo, Helio (2018-10-02)."O Museu Ferroviário Nacional Barão de Mauá".Jornal do Brasil.Retrieved2024-01-19.
- ^Gonçalves, Jéssica (2022-02-18)."História Hoje: Estação Ferroviária Leopoldina foi tombada há 31 anos".Agência Brasil.Retrieved2024-01-19.
- ^Schilling, Voltaire (2013-12-28)."O Barão de Mauá e sua estrada-de-ferro".Terra.Retrieved2024-01-19.
- ^"Estação Barão de Mauá".AENFER.Archived fromthe originalon 2017-04-24.Retrieved2024-01-03.
- ^"LEI Nº 1.288, DE 20 DE DEZEMBRO DE 1950".Federal Government of Brazil.Retrieved2024-01-19.
- ^"Estações de Trem – a história conta nosso passado em trilhos".Casa Fluminense.2017-11-19.Retrieved2024-01-19.
- ^Prochnow, Lucas (2014)."O IPHAN e o patrimônio ferroviário: a memória ferroviária como instrumento de preservação"(PDF).IPHAN.
- ^Cavalcanti, Flavio."1991: SR-8 - Campos (RJ) Abrangência e mapa dos trilhos".VFCO.Retrieved2024-01-06.
- ^abcdefghijklCarvalho, André (2021)."O novo mapa da Estrada de Ferro Leopoldina".Terra Brasilis(15).doi:10.4000/terrabrasilis.9219.
- ^"Estação Ferroviária de Matilde - Alfredo Chaves (ES)".IPHAN.Retrieved2024-01-19.
