Rusting rails in Oaxaca

[Deleted]

I can only imagine that the vast majority of these immigrants have already heard of the risk of the voyage before they even decide to go. That of course means the risk of being killed or robbed but also women deciding if their goal is so important that being raped is an "acceptable" option. One of the things that I find the most distressing is that the United States is still considered to be El Dorado to so many of these people. That would indicate that people are believing just the bits of information that they want to believe and ignoring the other details. Frankly, with some of the booming economies in South America, I wonder if any of these Central Americans are going south instead.

[bixaorellana]

I don't know that people are deliberately choosing what to believe so much as they are naive, often under-educated, and frequently from isolated rural areas. When I moved to Mexico in 1997, even fairly educated people would ask me, "Is it true you can make 50 pesos an hour in the US?" At that time, 50 pesos = $5usd. Of course it was true, but how were these people to know that was not a living wage in the US?

As far as why not SA instead of the US, that's a good point, Kerouac. I don't feel qualified to answer it, but it was raised in the comments on The Guardian article linked in #59:
akebona
04 July 2014 1:50pm
There has to be work somewhere in Honduras. Or failing that, elsewhere in South America. Why travel all the way to the US where you don't speak the language and won't be able to find legal employment?

EvosHuevos akebona
          04 July 2014 2:22pm
The American Dream is quite a powerful concept in Latin America, plus the fact that any sort of work in the US would pay considerably more than what's available in their home countries. Unfortunately the reality is somewhat different from peoples expectations, not helped by the rumours and the violence factor (plus corruption etc) mentioned in the article, which make many people decide it is a risk worth taking.
South America in theory would make more sense but it might not be that easy for Central Americas, though I'm sure is there some migration to the northern SA countries in particular. The US would also be closer and cheaper for many Central Americas to get to. There is a lot of labour movement from poorer to richer countries within South America anyway; it is relatively straightforward for people of the various trade blocks (Mercosur, Andean Community of Nations etc) to work in other member countries. Paperwork wise it would be easier for eg a Peruvian or Bolivian labourer to get work in say Chile or Argentina than it would be for a Honduran.

Incidentally, I should have mentioned that the video in #59 is subtitled in English.

[Deleted]

Coming from a railroad family on both sides, I was thrilled to see the old Oaxaca station for myself this week. But there was a major surprise in store for both Bixa and me -- everything has changed, or rather, everything is changing. There are work crews feverishly renovating the whole area -- the tracks, the rails, the station building... Therefore, a lot of what Bixa showed earlier in this report was not on display. The station was completely empty but in perfect shape with a new roof, fresh paint... waiting for things to be returned to their proper position. This is perhaps what surprised me the most and would probably surprise a lot of people: in most places, when something is being renovated, it is totally closed off so that you cannot enter. That wasn't the case here, and we were able to wander at will, unnoticed by the workers as long as we did not disturb them.

I tried Google to try to find more information on the project, but I failed even with the help of Google Translate. All I saw was that rail service to Oaxaca ended in the 1970's when passenger rail service stopped due to the condition of the tracks. It is still all abandoned, but we actually saw that new ties have been installed under some of the tracks and that the rails are in perfect condition. This might be only for displaying vintage equipment in the future, but who knows? I saw that a tourist train is set to run in Puebla again in the next decade...

Anyway, we wandered around at will.











The inside of the station building is now in perfect condition.





We let the sleeping dog lie.





Even in an abandoned train station, there is an altar at work on our souls. It may have been Saint Barbie.

[Deleted]

Rail yards are often quite vast so there was quite a bit of territory to explore.

















I would not have immediately recognised this if I had not been told that it was a wood burning water heater.





I have informed Bixaorellana that updates are expected in the coming months, and I am confident that she will do her duty.

[bixaorellana]

I'm so happy to see these pictures and very happy to accept the mission of updating the thread as the work at the station progresses.

This place really intrigues me, as you could probably tell. Your eleventh photo in Reply #63 sums up for me that sense that railroad tracks always give -- that there are places unknown to go to. Really, it's every bit as evocative as the iconic "lonesome whistle".

The sign in the first picture in #62 says that this is a work of rescuing the patrimony. The fact that it's funded by the national institute of anthropology a nd history makes me less than optimistic that it has anything to do with bringing back rail travel.

[tod2]

Thanks for pointing me to this report Bixa - I missed it completely But now can see things are a changing at the old station. Kerouac, you must have been delighted to wander around the area unhindered.
Looking forward to seeing the work progress.

[bixaorellana]

So today, approximately a month and a half after Kerouac's report above on the renovation proceedings, I returned to take a look. It turns out that some interesting innovations are afoot.

It was Sunday, the day of the little food tianguis which has always been in the tree-shaded area to the right of the entrance.
But today people were directed to go to the left side instead ~

Not a great view while dining, but it gives an idea of how much old rail has been taken up and replaced ~



No poking around inside the station today ~



"Hey Mom -- it's time to let us off the leashes ~



Nice new expanse of roof here ~



I hate to be critical, but .... wouldn't it have made sense to get rid of the dying eucalyptus instead of building around it?



Let's go look inside the Science Wagon ~









The little scientists have a fun alternate way to exit ~

[bixaorellana]

The roof fairly gleams with newness. Maybe it will get mellower looking in the rainy season ~

New rails going in here ~



and here ~



I asked the supervisor of this work crew if any trains would be reinstated. He said no, that the rails are just for the hand-driven car ~











"Without adventure, there is no photo"

[bixaorellana]

A workman told me that the slab-like new buildings are to be a museum. He said I could go in, but I had the dogs with me, so missed out ~

It's what's behind the fence, in the long space between the rails and the street that is exciting. A big drawback of Oaxaca is that there are hardly any playgrounds for kids and very, very little playground equipment. This is a great place for a playground and the equipment looks sturdy and really fun ~

A zipline for little kids!









Time for us to head home, but we'll be back!

[Deleted]

Things have really progressed a lot. I am amazed that they would replace the rails and ties with such diligence for just using a handcar, or even the roof along the platform. Maybe somebody knows something they're not telling.

[tod2]

Lovely to see such encouraging progress Bixa! It makes me wish some of our old stations were not in 'bad' areas - by that I mean among low cost housing or old dilapidated buildings. With our crime rate folks would be loathe to go there not matter how good the facilities.

Thanks for keeping us up to date - maybe next will be the inside of the new museum!

[bixaorellana]

Kerouac, the man told me the rails were for the "carrito", so maybe it will be something mechanized. I don't see any working engines on the grounds, though.

Tod, in Kerouac's Strasbourg thread he shows an old industrialized area that was completely repurposed. It would be wonderful if more cities could do that without gentrifying the area so much that lower income people would be shoved out. What I love about putting the playground on the rail museum grounds is that there is a great deal of foot traffic on that very busy street out front. Also, it's right next door to one of the public health units, so there are usually bored healthy kids there who came with family members. What a boon that will be for them.

[Deleted]

If they are going to have some sort of minor recreational rail service, it seems like they should at least put the tracks into a loop, but from what I saw, it did not appear possible. All they were doing was renovating some of the existing rails.

[bixaorellana]

Since it appears to be at least partially funded by the federal government, maybe we're only seeing the tip of the iceberg. I assume that dirt road with the rails on it that borders that ad hoc, probably squatted upon residential area you show in #63 is railroad property. The rails curve in one of the photos & there is certainly space to build a loop. Also, there is some very cool stuff back there which should really be incorporated into the outdoor part of the museum -- certainly the old water tower and those sturdy little block buildings.

[bixaorellana]

A little after noon today I was all set to go off on my weekly quest for succulents when a friend posted a news article that there was to be an inauguration of the railroad museum today at twelve. I figured it wouldn't be a tragedy to have missed some of the speeches, but did want to see the latest developments at the rail yard, so off I went.

Here is the news article: www.nvinoticias.com/nota/52895/abre-el-primer-museo-dedicado-la-educacion-patrimonial-en-oaxaca, which I have kindly run through google translate & put into a spoiler for you. Click on this headline to open the article:

SPOILER: Click to show

{The first museum dedicated to heritage education opens in Oaxaca}The first cultural complex dedicated to heritage education in the state will open its doors today at noon. Called the Children's Museum of Oaxaca (MIO), the rescue and rehabilitation project that began four years ago will finally begin operations by the Alfredo Harp Helú Foundation in Oaxaca (FAHHO), a civil association that has it in indefinite lending by the Municipality of Oaxaca de Juárez.

In an interview, Waldini Ortega, director of the MIO and the Railroad Museum, reports on the entire work process that began in 2013. The complex will host a library for children - extension of the BS Children's Library of Oaxaca, as well as a Bebeteca - temporary and permanent exhibition halls, an auditorium, spaces for workshops, the so-called enchanted forest - destined to the physical culture, theme cars, a train, a farm and administrative offices.

With an approximate budget of $ 44 million that ministered different instances like the Program of Support to the Cultural Infrastructure of the States (PAICE) and the National Fund for the Culture and the Arts (FONCA) it was possible to concretize the rehabilitation of this building.

"The MIO will give a line and follow up on the other projects, such as the Railroad Museum." The theme of heritage rescue, addressed from the perspective of children, will be discussed later in this new phase and we intend to give it a more multidisciplinary approach and listen The proposals of the ex-railroaders who worked with the museum project beforehand.With them we would be planning exhibitions, conferences, book presentations and other activities. "

Waldini Ortega later planned to rescue the railroad heritage and the collection, since it is in bad condition, the records are not even in boxes, so with the respective classification they can send them to stabilization and later to the installation of the collection, to Forming a library and a heritage museum.

Honor the legacy of Rodolfo Morales

"We will open the railway museum with a more childlike approach, we pretend that children who do not know the theme of the train transport, will be able to live here through ludic experiences. Besides being the first museum of heritage education in Oaxaca We have inspired artists who have given much to Oaxaca, such as Rodolfo Morales, this year we dedicate all our programming to his work.

Inspiration in the ocoteco painter will guide the MIO, where they will be programmed every month with modeling workshops in chocolate, bakery, gastronomy, catering, folk art, collage, art and painting, among others.

"We are settled in a unique space, with a lot of history, we want to recover the essence of the neighborhood and above all prioritize the care of children, we will ensure that there is security throughout the complex." From the old station to the cargo hold, groups of children and teenagers will be taken care of, from year one to age 16, in activities for the whole family.

From the old railway warehouse to the station, it covers the complex, as well as the exhibition hall and the tower, which will house offices, the future library and the lobby, for temporary exhibitions. In the space named enchanted forest will be dedicated to the subject of physical culture of children and there will be scheduled permanent activities.

The old winery will host the MIO, with various educational programs, workshops and guided tours. They share space with an auditorium that will house cinema screenings, theater, performing arts, concerts, book presentations and presentations.

Directly in front of it are three restored wagons, which are an extension of the MIO. Each one will have a theme: one will be devoted to archeology and heritage rescue, the next will be the postal car and the last will be multidisciplinary.

"We will start with the theme of environmental education, we will have orchards and we will also have a farm, goats, chickens, rabbits and chickens," said MIO director, who also stressed that 90 percent of the workshops will be free, . In a second stage is intended to rescue other spaces, such as the machine shop.

Although the sky was very blue, little of it could be seen on this very overcast day. The clouds and the fact that it was quite breezy made for pleasant walking, so I'll include a few sights seen along the way ~

[bixaorellana]

And here we are. It's definitely livelier than the last time ~

This model is in the wide middle foyer ~





One of the rooms is given over to historical photographs ~



The picture on the left was taken near Tlacolula, the second is Engine #900, built in 1936 ~



Another room, with enlarged photos and rail artifacts ~









Preparations for the farewell to the last narrow gauge train, 1952 ~

Maybe I shouldn't say this, but I feel these new displays lack the character of the old ones shown way back at the beginning of this thread.
Still, there is work yet to be done, so possibly the displays will get chunked up with more artifacts.

[Deleted]

A lot of times when an old artifact museum closes, the contents are sold to other museums or associations. It's possible that the items that used to be there have been dispersed or possibly even destroyed.

The renovation looks nice.

[bixaorellana]

It's pretty windy and dusty out there!

Look at the gorgeous new children's library ~









It's a little hard to tell, since this is essentially a photo of glass, but no expense was spared on the quality of the renovation materials ~



There were quite a few old men around, many of them wearing railroad caps or insignia. Unfortunately for me they were all either in groups or already engaged in conversation, as I would have loved to have buttonholed a couple of them in hopes of hearing them reminisce ~



In the unrenovated section, children were being put through a drill, lock-stepping to the commands of a little martinet. (martinette?) ~









There is a great deal more to show, but I have to go to bed now. Tune in tomorrow, please.

[bixaorellana]

Kerouac, I had the feeling they were scrambling to get the place ready for the inauguration.
That, & the fact that there are phases left to be completed give me hope that they'll drag more choo-choo treasures out later.
The renovation is very nice. All the stuff for children is absolutely wonderful, as you will see further along in the thread.

Some of the displays showing the project, including future stages ~





Some "before" shots ~



There was a display of excellent photographs.
On the other side of the fence behind the pictures is the playground shown in my last update, back in December ~



Can't get into that playground today because of all the kids, lots and lots of kids ~





A giant lotería board -- the Mexican form of Bingo ~







I don't know what it is, but I like it.

[bixaorellana]

Moving along past one of the many items being given away, in this case Choco Mio chocolate shakes from Mayordomo.
I snagged one & it was divinely delicious.
You can see the kids all sporting t-shirts, and I saw several with the baseball paraphernalia. Most of them (or their parents) are carrying goody bags, and there were various foods and drinks provided. By the time I got there, most of it was ravaged, with the purveyors looking pretty frazzled.

I am kicking myself for having missed out on seeing inside this building last time I was here, as it was all closed up this time.
Maybe this is where all the great stuff from the old museum is stored.





The orchestra was excellent and lively ~





I was curious about the tree and asked a man sitting on the steps what it was.
When I expressed surprise that it was a fig tree, he helpfully picked up one of the fruits and broke it open. Sure enough!
I wondered if they were edible & he said he didn't know but it appeared the birds ruined them before they had a chance to ripen ~



This is the building behind the orchestra, taken February 2010 ~



And this is that same building from the opposite side, taken yesterday ~

[bixaorellana]

I'll be showing more of this wonderful >>second<< playground area, but first let's go see what's been done inside the old building ~





Ceramic figures by Demetrio García Aguilar ~



All the tables and chairs are scaled to kid size ~









The very long building also has an audio/visual room, plus there are spaces for children to explore various aspects of Oaxacan culture,
such as the production of chocolate. All of the rooms and areas feature railroad artifacts ~

[mich64]

Wow! The renovations are outstanding, impressive. I especially enjoyed the children's library and playground area. There does seem to be something to entertain every age group. The brightly painted chairs are very appealing and I can imagine children circling trying to pick a favorite one to sit down on.

[bixaorellana]

On out to the playground.
Not to overly sentimentalize things, but I really wish I'd managed to capture the green hood boy's smile -- he was so delighted. You all have to realize that there is hardly any playground equipment in all of Oaxaca, must less this well-designed stuff that is wheelchair accessible.

I guess the train isn't running yet. I'm pleased that they made the caboose yellow, like the real one out on the grounds. (or maybe Mexico generally has the little yellow caboose rather than the little red caboose I grew up hearing about)

A tried and true activity that never seems to get old ~





I was way less than thrilled with this feature -- baby animals on concrete flooring ~



A raised bed garden area ~

[bixaorellana]

Thanks, Mich! I was certainly impressed with the quality of the renovations and also the care and thought put into all of the equipment and activities for children.

Well, it's time for me to wrap up this rail station update.

Doubling back in the playground ~



I have to admit that I couldn't figure out this activity right away. Finally it dawned on me that it was for budding archeologists.
Mexico -- you gotta love it!



Great use of the cars, but they need more ventilation ~







What's this?



This little guy was almost as thrilled with the puppets as I was ~





This wonderful space should be a magnet for people young and old ~









~ That's it until the next update ~

[Deleted]

They have done a truly magnificent job at the station, especially when I think of how it still looked when I saw it. Now the big question is whether it will be maintained in good condition. I certainly hope so.

[bixaorellana]

Good point, especially since it seems to have gone through quite a few waves of enthusiasm followed by neglect. The renovation is a federal project and the news article sited in this update seems to have big plans. That article also says that the collection is in a neglected state, with records not even in boxes. Apparently ex-railroad men will be enlisted to help with the development of educational programs for children.

I was just looking back up the thread and enjoying again the photos you took. They really capture that wistful "this train [station] gotta disappear in railroad blues" feeling.

[bixaorellana]

Mar 5, 2017 6:19:38 GMT Kerouac2 said:

Now the big question is whether it will be maintained in good condition

So ~ seven months have passed since the last update on the train station. That report was full of fun and optimism. Yesterday, an overcast Sunday with no rain forecast, seems like a good day to go back. On the way there I was thinking that the pictures taken when Kerouac visited might be the last capturing the rusting rails aspect of the site. Hmmm. That's not exactly the case.

It rather seems that after the inaugural ribbons were cut and the bunting came down, any impetus to keep developing came down with it. The place wasn't deserted -- there were kids in the playgrounds and doing activities in the big building -- but hardly as many as might be expected. Nothing seemed to have really advanced since last time, either.

I remain fascinated by the romance and sense of history inherent in any old rail station, so will continue to document this one, come what may.

The dogs and I make a beeline past the renovated front section to the back section of abandoned cars and fenced-off service areas ~

The wild and weedy sections suit some critters very well ~

[bixaorellana]

Crossing over to the front section, you can see that the fancy fence has been extended ~



And we still know where we are and how far it is by rail to Puebla ~



Now, this is interesting.  It's the space where this (2nd, 3rd, & 4th pictures) used to be. Go figure ~





We wander over to the activity center and one of the playgrounds ~



Restricted! Caution! ~?~



Art ~



Money and time has been spent on creating maintenance signs...



... but apparently not on actual maintenance ~





Art action in part of the activities building ~

[kerouac2]

It still looks great to me. I really hope to see it again some day.

[bixaorellana]

When you come back, Kerouac, I propose that we explore further back into the old working areas of the train yard. But I hope that you'll be able to see some nice renovations as well.

Now we descend to the area with the kids' gardens and the animal prison ~

Yes, Darla -- those are strange and poorly designed steps!



An ahuehuete / Taxodium mucronatum -- the same kind of tree as the Árbol del Tule ~













I hadn't realized how urban Harley is. His first rabbit ~



His first goats ~



His first rooster