In the 1860s, Ecuador began building a railway line to connect the coastal city of Guayaquil with the capital city of Quito. The line would cover 280 miles and reduce travel time from the coast to the capital from two weeks to 12 hours. The railway would pass through the rugged Andes mountains and it was nicknamed “The Most Difficult Railway in the World”.

Building this railroad was difficult due to frequent earthquakes, heavy rainfall, jaguars, poisonous snakes, malaria, dysentery, and yellow fever. Four thousand men worked to construct the line and an estimated 2,000 died before it was completed.

The most difficult section of the route was a sheer rock face known as Nariz del Diablo (Devil’s Nose) that stood between the small towns of Alausi and Sibambe. The ascent between these two towns is over 1,600 feet. To climb the mountain a series of steep switchbacks were carved out of the rock allowing the train to climb the cliff.

Finally, forty years after construction began, the line was completed in 1902. The rail line continued operation until 1997 when landslides during El Niño devastated the tracks, effectively shutting down the line.

Today, six small sections of the line are operational for tourists. The most popular section is the line from Alausi to Sibambe which takes tourists through beautiful mountain scenery and the descent over Devil’s Nose.

Last weekend we drove to the town of Alausi three hours north of Cuenca to take a thrill ride on the train. There are four rail cars and one diesel locomotive to pull the cars up, over the cliffs. Each car has a tour guide to explain points of interest along the way.

The rail car was very comfortable, with big open windows to view the cliffs and valley. As we descended into the valley the engineering accomplishment that went into designing and building the rail line and switchbacks became apparent.

We could see the tracks below and wondered how the train would descend to them.  The train went past the first switch back and stopped. A crew member then hopped off the train, switched the track and the train started moving in reverse, slowly descending to the next switch back.

At the station indigenous dancers greeted us. And, there was a small museum which explained the culture of the people and a restaurant serving traditional Ecuadorian food.

We spent an hour at the station allowing the crew to uncouple the engine and switch it to the other end of the train. We spent the time climbing on the train which reminded me of my youth, although when I climbed on trains as a kid the trains were moving.

If only Kathy could have convinced the crew to start up the train. However, they were relaxing before heading back to our starting point.

The ride lasted three hours and gave us time to enjoy the gorgeous scenery, relax and imagine life on the railroad. All Aboard!