ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | MAY/JUNE 2023 19 The railroads have been of great importance for the growth and prosperity of the Cuyo region of Argentina. A recent metallographic and historical analysis of two pieces from the Buenos Aires to Pacific Railroad (BA&P) railway looked at possible manufacturing techniques of the parts in question. The information collected is useful for comparison with techniques and materials used at that time as well as with current techniques. The analysis questioned whether the material itself has varied or evolved from the metallurgical point of view, and confirmed the quality of raw material used to construct the historic railway line. The information obtained sheds light on how the pieces were manufactured and their similarity to some steels that are currently used for the same purposes, that is, to support large loads. ARGENTINIAN RAIL HISTORY The Buenos Aires Pacific Railway (BA&P) was the British capital company that operated a network of wide gauge railways (1676 m) in Argentina during the latter part of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. Its objective was to unite the city of Buenos Aires with the Pacific Ocean, specifically, the Port of Valparaíso, Chile. For this, it acquired the existing company of the Great Western Argentine Railroad in 1907. The Argentine Great Western Railway was created in 1887, the same year in which it acquired the state-owned Andean Railroad, which held 518 km of railways between Saint Louis and Mendoza (Fig. 1). This network expansion in this region facilitated an easier way to transport regional fruits and vegetables products. In this way, the railway transformed itself into a regional system that met the needs of the area[1,2]. The Buenos Aires Pacific Railroad was called to be prosperous, crossing the provinces of Buenos Aires, Santa Fe, Córdoba, San Luis, and Mendoza. It played a key role in the emergence of dozens of towns and cities, in agricultural activity and, especially, in the wine industry of the province of Mendoza. The arrival of the railroad contributed to the colonization of the provincial south and its development due to a fast and economic connection with the rest of the country. Prior to the expansion of the railways in Argentina, the main means of transport consisted of carts that circulated on roads to transport the products of the country and from other places. It took approximately 60 days to get from Mendoza to Buenos Aires. The trains, on the other hand, shortened these times to 36 hours and accelerated international transit between Chile and Argentina. In addition, having reduced transport times for passengers, another way in which trains managed to integrate the localities was through postal services. ARCHAEOMETALLURGICAL STUDY OF ARGENTINIAN RAILWAY PARTS Analysis of two historical railway parts reveals the techniques and treatments used on these metals that helped them endure centuries of use. Patricia Silvana Carrizo,* National Technological University Mendoza Regional Faculty, Argentina *Member of ASM International Fig. 1 – The emblematic Palermo station in Buenos Aires in 1930. Note the inscription “BAP” after the name.
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