Of course I found time to spend a couple of mornings watching trains on Ferromex's Distrito Huichipan between Queretaro and Mexico City. For more information on this mountainous mainline, follow this link;
Above Tequisquipan, a southbound vehicle train is down to a crawl as it climbs the steep grade toward the Quretaro-Hidalgo state line. Turning southward, this short canyon leads to one of two summits between Queretaro and Mexico City.
A southbound Metalero from Alzada, Colima to Puebla is approaching the tunnel at the summit of the grade, passing underneath the Queretaro-Hidalgo state line. Notice how the tracks dip through the tunnel, a result of a project to lower the tracks in order to allow clearance for double-stacked containers.
The same metalero exiting the tunnel.
At the bottom of the Huchipan Valley, a northbound manifest train crosses over Barranca de los Muertos.
Splitting a pair of intermediate signals, a southbound vehicle train is climbing the grade above Huichiapan. This is part of a 180 degree loop around the town of San Jose Atan.
Between Huichipan and Nopala, the tracks pass through a series of loops in order to gain elevation while climbing out of the Huichipan Valley. Here, the southbound metalero is seen negotiating the first curve.
The mid-train DPU is seen passing through the first curve.
Above the loops, a southbound manifest is slowly grinding up the grade toward Nopala. I was pleasantly surprised to find consists of Super 7's once again running into Mexico City. For a couple of years, AC44CW's and ES44AC's have been the regular locomotives in this region.
The southbound metalero approaching the highway crossing near Nopala.
At Escandon, the metalero is transitioning into dynamic braking as it begins the final descent into Valle de Mexico and Mexico city.
The train is quickly gaining speed as the DPU approaches in full dynamic braking.
Also at Escandon, the same vehicle train is rolling fast as it begins the long descent.
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