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, AC44
CW's and ES44
AC'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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