Main line steam in Spain 2008

21st June 2008

Steam returned to the Spanish main line in May 2008 when RENFE announced that the annual spring excursion "Tren de la Fresa" (Strawberry train) would revert to steam haulage following a year of diesel/electric haulage after withdrawal of its steam locomotive. RENFE announced that they had come to an arrangement with the owners of Garratt 282F0421 to haul the "Tren de la Fresa" every Saturday and Sunday from mid-May to mid-July. The train departs from Madrid Atocha at 10:05, arriving at Aranjuez at 11:05,. The return leaves Aranjuez at 18:00, arriving in Madrid at 19:00. Cost for a return trip is just €25, including strawberries, and coaches are laid on to take visitors to places such as the Royal Gardens.
I photographed the train on the outward trip on 21st June just south of Ciempozuelos, then the locomotive undergoing servicing at Aranjuez and finally the evening departure from Aranjuez. The temperature that day was in the high nineties (fahrenheit) so th smoke effects were almost non-existant in the morning.

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