Ecuador Steam 2003 part 7 Riobamba to Urbina

A RTC charter on the Guayaquil & Quito Railway to travel all operable parts of the line in September 2003
After many decades of service the railway was severely damaged by heavy rainfall during the El Niño in 1997 and 1998 but in 2008 the president Rafael Correa named the railroad a "national cultural patrimony" and indicated that it would be restored. The government of Ecuador started to rehabilitate the railway and service was restored between Guayaquil and Quito by 2013. However in 2020, after a change of president, all railway services ceased and by presidential decree the liquidation of the railway company commenced.
Part 7 shot on 10-09-2003 takes a trip from Riobamba to Urbina (31.3 km 19.5 miles)
Urbina is the highest point on the G&Q at 3609m or 11841ft above sea level.
There were no scheduled services to Urbina and the track condition was poor in places, we had two derailments which were quickly sorted out using rerailing ramps and pieces of wood even though at one point the engine had all four driving wheels off the track.
Featured are
Onboard and runpast footage of the trip
Details of the rerailing efforts
Locos seen are
G&Q Baldwin 2-8-0 53 (1953)
S&C Baldwin 2-8-0 15 (1935)
Autoferro 98