The São Paulo Railway

The São Paulo Railway (or St. Paul's Railroad in English) was first chartered in 1859 was hailed as an engineering marvel for its time. (Right of way)

Serra Viaduct Incline old Antique Vintage Print - Harper's Weekly, 1868

It began at Santos, a port south of São Paulo, Brazil, running twelve miles north to Piassaguera. From there, it headed to Paranapiacaba by a steep grade using cable power, before reaching the plateau, and once again relying on adhesion to make its way to São Paulo and eventually Jundiaí.

Map of the São Paulo Railway, both abandoned and still in-service segments.

The cable system was replaced by a rack-and-pinion railway in 1974.

Serra Viaduct. Image: Marcus Marcellus, Google Photos

The original right of way has been abandoned, but the line itself is still in service as part of the nationalized Rede Ferroviária Federal, Sociedade Anônima network. (RFFSA)

One of the highlights of the old right of way was its many tunnels and viaducts. The most famous, Serra Viaduct, is pictured above. It's still standing, but no longer in service.

Thanks as always for reading!

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