I'm sharing photos taken in Argentina of an old railway crane used for maintenance. The crane has a fixed boom, several drums for steel cables, slewing pulleys, and a gear that allows the superstructure to rotate.

The frame shows the identification C.60 and the inscription "T. 92,000 Kgs." According to railway records, it corresponds to a Hitachi GV400, of Japanese origin. The crane was reportedly in service at the General Guido station. It is now abandoned.

This type of crane was used to rerail railcars, lift heavy components, and perform railway maintenance work.

A crane may be operating every day without appearing to have any problems. That does not necessarily mean that it is safe or compliant.

In Argentina, the starting point for inspecting an overhead crane is the national occupational health and safety framework, mainly Law 19,587 and Decree 351/79. These regulations establish the employer’s responsibility to keep lifting equipment in safe operating condition and to prevent risks to workers.

Technical standards can then be used to define how the inspection should be performed. ASME B30.2 is commonly used as a technical reference for top-running bridge and gantry cranes. It provides criteria for examining structural components, wheels, brakes, hooks, wire ropes, controls, limit devices and other safety-related elements.

OSHA 29 CFR 1910.179 is also frequently mentioned, but it is important to understand its scope. OSHA is a United States regulation and does not automatically become mandatory in Argentina. It may nevertheless be useful as an additional technical benchmark, especially for companies following international safety practices.

A proper inspection should consider at least:

• The bridge structure, runway beams and end trucks.
• Hoists, trolleys, wheels and travel mechanisms.
• Hooks, latches, wire ropes, chains and drums.
• Brakes, limit switches and emergency stopping systems.
• Electrical panels, controls, pendant stations and radio remotes.
• Operating conditions, signage, maintenance records and previous defects.

An annual certificate alone should not be considered sufficient if the equipment is heavily used, operates in a demanding environment or has undergone modifications. Inspection frequency should be based on duty cycle, operating conditions, age, maintenance history and the manufacturer’s recommendations.

The most valuable inspection is not simply a document confirming that the crane was examined. It should provide traceable evidence of the equipment’s condition, identify defects according to their level of risk and clearly define the corrective actions required.

For this reason, companies should select inspectors and maintenance providers with demonstrated experience in lifting equipment, appropriate technical competence and a clear understanding of both Argentine requirements and internationally recognized crane standards.

How OSHA, ASME B30.2 and MSHA Differ

These three references should not be treated as interchangeable.

OSHA 29 CFR 1910.179 is a mandatory U.S. workplace regulation for overhead and gantry cranes. It addresses design-related requirements, rated-load markings, controls, brakes, limit switches, operating practices, maintenance and frequent or periodic inspections. OSHA also incorporates earlier editions of ANSI B30.2 for certain new crane installations.

ASME B30.2 is a consensus technical safety standard. It provides detailed guidance for the construction, installation, operation, inspection and maintenance of top-running overhead and gantry cranes. It is broader as an engineering and operational reference, but it is not automatically a law. Its legal force depends on whether it has been adopted, incorporated by reference or specified by the applicable authority, contract or manufacturer.

MSHA regulations apply specifically to mining operations. They do not replace ASME B30.2 as a complete crane design and inspection standard. Instead, they establish mandatory mine-site safety requirements, including:

• Using suitable hitches and slings and attaching taglines when suspended loads require guidance.
• Keeping people clear of suspended loads.
• Prohibiting riding on loads or hoisting hooks.
• Preventing equipment from being used beyond the manufacturer’s design capacity.
• Providing bumpers, upper-travel limit switches, warning signals and lockout provisions on operator-carrying overhead cranes.

For surface metal and nonmetal mines, these requirements are mainly found in 30 CFR Part 56, including sections 56.14205 and 56.16007 through 56.16015. Similar provisions apply to underground metal and nonmetal mines under 30 CFR Part 57.

In practical terms:

• OSHA defines enforceable workplace requirements.
• ASME B30.2 provides the detailed technical framework for crane safety.
• MSHA adds mine-specific rules focused on suspended loads, rigging, equipment capacity and mining-site hazards.

A mining operation may therefore need to apply MSHA requirements together with the applicable ASME B30 standards, manufacturer instructions and any additional site-specific procedures. Compliance with one reference does not automatically demonstrate compliance with the others.

Camilo Graña 08/2026

Its approximate geographic coordinates are 41°05' S and 71°07' W, with a maximum altitude of approximately 1,475 meters above sea level.

Un puente grúa puede continuar desplazándose y levantando cargas aun cuando algunos de sus componentes hayan comenzado a deteriorarse. Por eso, comprobar que el equipo “funciona” no es suficiente para determinar que se encuentra en condiciones seguras.

Muchas fallas evolucionan gradualmente. Antes de provocar una detención, una colisión o un daño estructural, suelen generar señales como:

• ruidos cíclicos o chirridos durante la traslación;
• vibraciones y sacudidas;
• desgaste concentrado en ruedas o pestañas;
• diferencias en la respuesta de los motores;
• aumento de la distancia de frenado;
• impactos contra los topes;
• fisuras, corrosión o deformaciones;
• chispas, calentamiento o deterioro de conductores;
• movimientos inesperados o problemas de comunicación con el mando.

El desafío de una inspección profesional consiste en relacionar estas señales con sus posibles causas y determinar si el equipo puede continuar funcionando, debe operar con restricciones o necesita ser retirado de servicio.

¿CUÁLES SON LAS PRINCIPALES ÁREAS QUE DEBEN EVALUARSE?

1. Camino de rodadura

La geometría del camino de rodadura influye directamente sobre el comportamiento del puente. Diferencias de nivel entre rieles, variaciones de trocha, empalmes defectuosos o desalineaciones pueden generar esfuerzos horizontales anormales.

Una señal frecuente es el contacto continuo de las pestañas de las ruedas contra el lateral del riel. También pueden aparecer marcas brillantes, golpes al atravesar uniones y desgaste desigual.

Cambiar las ruedas sin medir previamente la geometría de la vía puede eliminar temporalmente el síntoma, pero no necesariamente su causa.

1. Ruedas, pestañas y rodamientos

Las ruedas pueden desarrollar desgaste cónico, planos, picaduras, fisuras o diferencias de diámetro. Estas diferencias hacen que cada extremo del puente recorra una distancia distinta durante una misma cantidad de revoluciones.

El resultado puede ser un desplazamiento irregular, mayores esfuerzos sobre los testeros y una tendencia del puente a cruzarse respecto de los rieles.

La evaluación debe considerar el conjunto rueda–riel, los rodamientos, los ejes y las tolerancias indicadas por el fabricante.

1. Desplazamiento oblicuo o skewing

El skewing ocurre cuando ambos extremos del puente no avanzan de manera sincronizada. El equipo intenta desplazarse en diagonal y las pestañas alternan su contacto contra los rieles.

Sus causas pueden incluir:

• diferencias entre diámetros de ruedas;
• motores o frenos con respuestas desiguales;
• desalineación de ejes;
• holguras mecánicas;
• defectos geométricos del camino de rodadura;
• falta de sincronización entre accionamientos.

El skewing no es solamente un problema de ruido o desgaste. Puede generar cargas laterales repetitivas, fatiga en uniones y dificultades para posicionar la carga de manera controlada.

1. Estructura y uniones

Las fisuras estructurales suelen aparecer en zonas sometidas a concentraciones de tensión o cargas cíclicas: cambios de sección, uniones soldadas, rigidizadores, apoyos de testeros y conexiones.

La presencia de pintura agrietada, óxido lineal, soldaduras reparadas sin documentación, tornillos flojos o deformaciones permanentes debe investigarse.

Una fisura no debería cubrirse con pintura ni repararse mediante soldadura sin conocer previamente:

• su origen;
• su extensión;
• los esfuerzos que actúan sobre la zona;
• el procedimiento de reparación aplicable;
• las verificaciones necesarias antes de liberar el equipo.

Cuando la inspección visual no permite definir el alcance del daño, pueden ser necesarios ensayos no destructivos y una evaluación de ingeniería.

1. Topes, amortiguadores y finales de recorrido

Los topes y amortiguadores están destinados a limitar las consecuencias de un sobre-recorrido. No deberían utilizarse como medio habitual de detención.

Los impactos frecuentes contra los extremos de la vía pueden indicar:

• problemas de operación;
• distancia insuficiente de frenado;
• defectos en los límites de carrera;
• regulación incorrecta;
• velocidad inadecuada;
• fallas en el sistema de control.

También debe comprobarse que los amortiguadores contacten correctamente y que sus fijaciones puedan transmitir los esfuerzos sin desprendimientos.

1. Frenos, reductores y acoplamientos de traslación

Un puente grúa debe iniciar, mantener y detener el movimiento de forma previsible.

La deriva después de soltar el mando, los golpes en acoplamientos, las fugas de lubricante, los ruidos de engranajes y las diferencias de frenado entre ambos extremos pueden anticipar una falla mecánica.

Las pruebas funcionales deben realizarse en una zona controlada, sin personas expuestas y bajo un procedimiento seguro. Si un freno no puede detener el movimiento en condiciones previsibles, el equipo no debería continuar operando hasta determinar y corregir la causa.

1. Alimentación eléctrica y puesta a tierra

Las barras conductoras, colectores, festones y cables flexibles están sometidos permanentemente a desplazamientos, vibraciones, polvo, humedad y cambios térmicos.

Entre las señales que requieren atención se encuentran:

• aislación cuarteada;
• conductores tensos o atrapados;
• colectores desgastados;
• chispas o decoloración por temperatura;
• gabinetes abiertos;
• ménsulas flojas;
• continuidad de puesta a tierra no verificada.

Antes de intervenir deben aplicarse procedimientos de aislamiento, bloqueo, etiquetado y verificación de ausencia de tensión.

1. Mandos, señalización y sistemas anticolisión

Un mando remoto con pulsadores pegados, identificación incorrecta, pérdida intermitente de comunicación o baterías deficientes puede provocar órdenes inesperadas.

Cuando dos o más puentes grúa operan sobre la misma vía, los sensores anticolisión deben detectar la proximidad con suficiente anticipación para detener los equipos de forma segura.

No es suficiente confirmar que el sensor “enciende”. Debe verificarse la distancia real de detención considerando la velocidad, la respuesta de los frenos y las condiciones de operación.

¿CUÁNDO CORRESPONDE DETENER EL EQUIPO?

El puente grúa debe retirarse preventivamente de servicio cuando exista una condición capaz de comprometer:

• la integridad estructural;
• el guiado sobre los rieles;
• la capacidad de frenado;
• el control del movimiento;
• la protección eléctrica;
• la seguridad de operadores y terceros.

La liberación posterior debería basarse en una inspección documentada, una reparación técnicamente aprobada y las pruebas correspondientes.

Una prueba breve sin carga puede demostrar que el equipo se mueve, pero no necesariamente que sea seguro para continuar en servicio.

INSPECCIONAR EL SISTEMA, NO SOLAMENTE EL COMPONENTE

Una de las conclusiones más importantes es que las fallas de un puente grúa suelen estar relacionadas.

Una rueda desgastada puede ser consecuencia de una vía desalineada. Una diferencia de frenado puede producir skewing. Los impactos contra los topes pueden originarse en una falla de control. Una fisura puede estar asociada a cargas laterales repetitivas.

Por esa razón, reemplazar el componente visiblemente deteriorado sin investigar la causa raíz puede trasladar el problema a otra parte del equipo.

La inspección debe considerar el puente grúa como un sistema formado por estructura, camino de rodadura, ruedas, accionamientos, frenos, alimentación eléctrica y dispositivos de seguridad.

En la siguiente nota técnica de TRHON desarrollamos las fallas más frecuentes, sus señales tempranas, consecuencias y acciones preventivas:

https://trhon.com/blog/fallas-comunes-en-puentes-grua/

#PuentesGrúa #SeguridadIndustrial #IngenieríaMecánica #MantenimientoIndustrial #InspecciónTécnica #EquiposDeIzaje #MantenimientoPreventivo #SeguridadLaboral #ASME #IndustriaMinera

The Desdémona is grounded on the Atlantic coast of Tierra del Fuego province, Argentina, near Cape San Pablo. Its exact coordinates are 54°17′53″ S latitude and 66°41′58″ W longitude.

Hello travelers,

This is my first time traveling to Ushuaia, Argentina (south of the Strait of Magellan). I'm sharing photos from my trip. I spent a week there. Since it's a fairly isolated region (it's practically the end of the world), travel prices are very high.

For those arriving in Buenos Aires, I recommend not spending too much time in the city. If possible, just have a layover at the airport on your way to Ushuaia, which is a 3.5-hour flight south.

I recommend this place to anyone looking to experience nature and a harsh climate. The people are very friendly.

Recommended Places

• Tierra del Fuego National Park
• Park trails (very easy to navigate)
• End of the World Train (like a steam engine)
• Trekking to Vinciguerra Glacier (very demanding - 10 hours round trip to see a glacier)
• Trekking to Martial Glacier (much easier, moderate difficulty and route)
• Sailing on the Beagle Channel. You can see penguins, seals, and elephant seals.
• Visit one of the shipwrecks or beached vessels (there are quite a few).

Tips:

• Be careful with the weather. It changes several times a day.
• It's always windy. Book your boat trip on your first day of arrival. It's quite common for it to be canceled due to the weather. Don't leave it until the last day.
• Vehicle rental: depending on the time of year, request tire chains.
• Best time to travel. January and February (Although it's summer, the maximum temperatures don't reach 17 degrees Celsius, and the minimum temperatures at night can reach 0 degrees Celsius)

Enjoy!

Steel wire ropes are critical load-bearing components in overhead cranes and electric hoists. Their condition directly affects equipment reliability, operational continuity, and workplace safety.

Damage is not always obvious. A rope may still appear functional while already presenting fatigue, internal corrosion, diameter reduction, broken wires, crushing, kinks, birdcaging, or core extrusion.

A proper inspection should evaluate not only the rope itself, but also the complete reeving system, including:

• Drums and sheaves
• Groove condition and alignment
• Rope terminations
• Lubrication
• Spooling and winding patterns
• Signs of mechanical, thermal, or electrical damage

Replacing the wire rope without correcting damaged sheaves, poor alignment, or incorrect winding conditions may result in premature failure of the new rope.

Discard criteria should never be based on a single visual defect or a universal percentage. The assessment must consider rope construction, the number and distribution of broken wires, diameter loss, corrosion, deformation, operating conditions, and the combined effect of all detected damage. At Trhon, we assess all the probabilities of failure in steel cables during inspection.

When severe deformation, a broken strand, heat damage, exposed core, or uncertain structural integrity is identified, the lifting equipment should be removed from service until it is evaluated by a qualified professional.

The History of the Column

This Corinthian-style column was originally erected between the 1st and 3rd centuries AD, forming part of the monumental architecture of the city's ancient forum. After the fall of the Roman Empire and well into the Middle Ages, the column was repurposed and transformed into a public pillory.

Thieves and citizens who committed minor offenses were brought here and chained to the shaft of the column. The main punishment consisted of public humiliation, exposing the offenders to the gaze and judgment of the rest of the inhabitants.If you pay attention to the lower half of the column in the photograph, you can still see the holes and the remains of thick, rusted metal hooks where shackles and chains were once attached.

The place where the column stands is the Roman Forum, whose construction was commissioned by the first emperor, Augustus, and began in the 1st century BC. With an approximate size of 95 by 45 meters, it is the largest Roman forum in all of Croatia.

During Roman times, this square functioned as the absolute epicenter of the city. It was a completely open space where citizens met daily to debate politics, administer justice, carry out religious ceremonies, and exchange goods in the markets.Starting in the 4th century (in Late Antiquity), the life of the square began to mutate. The areas that previously housed pagan temples were occupied by Christian monuments, allowing the city to continue its medieval development using the ancient forum as a physical and social foundation.

Argentina: t was manufactured in 1995 at the Winson Engineering workshops in England. It measures 6.20 meters long.

Its design evokes an old model that was very popular in England at the end of the 19th century, and it is one of the locomotives that provides daily service.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio: Military Engineer of Imperial Rome

A Military Engineer between the Republic and the Empire

Vitruvius lived during one of Rome's most turbulent periods: the civil wars that brought an end to the Republic and the establishment of Augustus's imperial regime. He was likely born around the first decades of the 1st century BC and developed part of his career as a military technician in the service of Julius Caesar.

Vitruvius himself provides the most reliable information about his career. In the preface to Book I, he explains that he had been in charge, along with Marcus Aurelius, Publius Minidius, and Gnaeus Cornelius, of supplying and repairing ballistae, scorpiones, and other artillery engines. He also claims to have received rewards for his services and to have continued enjoying certain benefits after Caesar's death, thanks to the recognition of Octavia, Augustus's sister.

This data allows him to be more accurately defined as a military architect and engineer, accustomed not only to design but also to equipment maintenance, material selection, mechanism assembly, and solving practical problems in the field.

In Roman terminology, the word architectus had a broader meaning than it does today. An architect could deal with buildings, fortifications, hydraulic conduits, lifting machines, harbor works, clocks, measuring instruments, and military machinery. For Vitruvius, architecture comprised three major areas: the construction of buildings, the making of clocks, and the construction of machines.

Cranes and Lifting Machines Described by Vitruvius

One of the most technically valuable chapters of De architectura is the one dedicated to lifting machines. There, Vitruvius describes different systems used to lift stones, columns, blocks, and other heavy materials.

These machines were mainly built with large wooden beams held together by ironwork and ropes. Their operating principle was based on the mechanical advantage obtained through pulleys, tackles, winches, and drive wheels.

• The Single-Mast Machine: It was a relatively simple structure composed of an inclined beam or mast supported by stay cables. Pulleys were installed at its upper end, through which the hoisting rope passed. The effort could be applied by men pulling directly on the rope or by using a horizontal winch. It was suitable for moderate loads and tasks requiring rapid assembly.
• The Two-Mast Crane: For heavier loads, two beams arranged to form an "A"-like structure were used. The pulley system was installed at the top, while the lower legs rested firmly on the ground. This arrangement provided greater lateral stability than the single mast and allowed the mounting of tackles with multiple pulleys, multiplying the applied force.
• Machines with Large Drive Wheels: In the most powerful configurations, the rope was wound around a drum moved by a large wheel. One or several operators walked inside it, similar to a treadmill. The weight of the workers and the radius of the wheel generated a considerable moment on the drum. Combined with a multi-pulley system, the machine could lift large blocks with relatively little human effort.

From a modern standpoint, these machines applied elementary but effective principles:

• Multiplication of force through tackles.
• Transformation of rotary motion into linear displacement.
• Increase of torque through large drive radii.
• Stabilization by means of guy lines and anchors.
• Distribution of loads over triangulated structures.

It is important to clarify that Vitruvius describes and systemizes these cranes, but he does not claim to have invented all of them. Many originated from a long Greek and Hellenistic tradition. Nor can it be proven that all the machines included in the treatise were personally built by him. His merit lies in having recorded their configuration, operation, and assembly criteria in technical language.

Julius Caesar and Military Engineering

Vitruvius's experience with Julius Caesar likely took place within the technical units responsible for maintaining war machines. Roman legions depended on specialists capable of building camps, fortifications, bridges, ramps, siege towers, and artillery equipment.

The ballistas and scorpions mentioned by Vitruvius were torsion engines. They used bundles of twisted fibers as energy accumulation elements. The arms that propelled projectiles, bolts, or stones were inserted into them.

Maintaining these machines required controlling:

• The condition of the torsion bundles.
• The symmetry of the arms.
• The strength of the wooden parts.
• The alignment of the frame.
• The tensioning and firing mechanisms.
• The influence of moisture on the fibers.
• The availability of spare parts during the campaign.

Therefore, Vitruvius's service under Caesar would not have been merely administrative. It involved knowledge of materials, assembly, adjustment, logistics, and mechanical behavior.

Julius Caesar's Bridge over the Rhine

One of Julius Caesar's most famous engineering achievements was the construction of a wooden bridge over the Rhine River during the campaign of 55 BC. Caesar described the work in Book IV of De bello Gallico.

His goal was not solely to cross the river. The bridge was meant to demonstrate that Rome could penetrate Germanic territory whenever it deemed necessary. Caesar rejected crossing by boats because he considered it neither safe enough nor compatible with the prestige of the Roman army.

The project had to overcome highly demanding conditions:

• A wide and deep river.
• A swift current.
• A difficult riverbed.
• Heavy military loads.
• The need for accelerated construction.
• The risk of enemy attacks or the impact of floating logs carried by the water.

The Structural System According to Caesar's description, pairs of wooden piles approximately one and a half feet thick were used. The piles were driven into the bed using machines and were inclined in the opposite direction of the current.

About forty feet away, another pair was installed, oriented against the direction of the water. Transverse beams were placed between the pairs, fastened by joining elements and bracing. Joists, secondary pieces, planks, and a pavement capable of supporting the passage of troops were laid over them.

The opposing inclination of the piles formed a resistant system that utilized geometry itself to counter horizontal thrusts. It was not simply a platform resting on vertical posts; it constituted a braced structure designed to withstand vertical loads, hydraulic current, vibrations, and potential impacts.

Upstream, additional piles were installed as defenses. Their function was to intercept logs or boats that the enemy might launch to destroy the bridge.

Caesar states that, from the start of material gathering, construction was completed in just ten days. After crossing the Rhine and fulfilling his military objective, he returned and ordered the bridge to be dismantled.

Was Vitruvius the designer of the bridge over the Rhine River? There is no ancient source that attributes the design or direction of the Rhine bridge to Vitruvius.

Vitruvius served in Caesar's technical environment and possessed knowledge compatible with a project of that nature, making his participation imaginable. However, Caesar does not mention his name when describing the bridge, and Vitruvius does not credit himself with the work in De architectura.

The bridge was built by the engineers and legionaries of Julius Caesar's army. Vitruvius belonged to the sphere of Caesarian military engineering, but his personal involvement in that work is undocumented.

Vitruvius in the Service of Augustus

Following the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 BC, Vitruvius maintained a position linked to the new power. In the preface of his treatise, he acknowledges Octavia's protection and addresses his work to Augustus.

The dedication had both a technical and political meaning. Augustus promoted a vast program of urban reconstruction, temples, roads, aqueducts, and public buildings. Vitruvius intended to offer him an organized body of knowledge that could serve to judge the quality, utility, and correctness of those works.

His vision of architecture is routinely summarized in three principles:

• firmitas, stability and strength.
• utilitas, utility and functional adequacy.
• venustas, beauty and harmony.

These criteria should not be understood as separate requirements. A good work had to be simultaneously stable, useful, and beautiful. A sturdy but useless building was flawed; a functional but unstable one was dangerous; and one that was solid and practical but lacked proportion was incomplete as an architectural work.

Works Built by Vitruvius The only work that Vitruvius clearly credits himself with is a basilica built in the Roman colony of Fano, in modern-day Italy. He describes it in Book V, explaining its proportions and interior organization. The remains of this construction were discovered in 2026.

Outside of that basilica, attributions are uncertain. There is insufficient evidence to assign him famous temples, palaces of Augustus, major aqueducts, or the machines described in his treatise.

This poses a paradox: the most influential architect of Antiquity is also one of the ancient architects whose material production we know the least about.

His true monument was not a building, but a book.

Leonardo da Vinci and the Vitruvian Man

The most famous link between Vitruvius and the Renaissance appears in Leonardo da Vinci's drawing known as the Vitruvian Man, created around 1490.

Leonardo did not choose Vitruvius by chance. In Book III of De architectura, the Roman argues that temples must maintain proportional relationships similar to those existing between the parts of the human body. He describes, for instance, the proportions of the head, face, foot, forearm, and chest.

Vitruvius further states that a man lying down with arms and legs extended can be inscribed within a circle whose center is the navel. He also notes that the height of the body is roughly equal to the distance between the ends of the extended arms, allowing the human figure to be related to a square.

Leonardo transformed this written description into a graphical investigation. He drew a male figure in two superimposed positions, inscribed simultaneously in a circle and a square. The notes accompanying the drawing are explicitly based on Vitruvius's text.

However, Leonardo did not limit himself to copying it. He studied real bodies, compared measurements, and adjusted certain proportions. He also solved a fundamental geometric problem: the circle and the square do not share the exact same center. In his drawing, the circle is centered approximately at the navel, while the square is organized using a lower area of the body as a reference.

Leonardo chose Vitruvius because his text established a bridge between three fields that the artist considered inseparable:

• Anatomy.
• Geometry.
• Architecture.

The human body thus became a sort of measurement module. The proportion of the building could be derived, both symbolically and mathematically, from the proportion of man.

The Vitruvian Man is not merely an anatomical illustration. It represents the Renaissance idea of the human being as a microcosm: a structure in which the body, nature, and geometry respond to a common order.

It is also worth noting that the drawing does not constitute a direct demonstration of the golden ratio, as is sometimes claimed. The proportions described by Vitruvius are mainly based on simple fractions and modular relationships. The automatic identification of the drawing with the golden number is a subsequent and debated interpretation.

Camilo Graña 2026

Sources

Cranes in Roman Empire

Fano Basilic Marco Vitruvio

History of Cranes

When looking at the Parthenon in Athens or the awe-inspiring dome of the Pantheon in Rome, one cannot help but wonder how these towering structures were built. Behind these architectural wonders lies one of the most significant technological revolutions of antiquity: the invention and refinement of the crane.

Before this machinery emerged, civilizations like the Egyptians and Assyrians relied on immense earthen ramps and sheer brute force to elevate stone blocks. Constructing a pyramid required an army of thousands of workers and a volume of earth for the ramps almost as massive as the building itself. The Greeks, and later the Romans, completely shifted this paradigm. By replacing brute force with mechanical advantage, they transformed the history of construction forever, making architecture taller, slenderer, and far more efficient.

The Greeks and the Birth of the Crane

The archaeological record suggests that the crane was invented in Ancient Greece during the late 6th century BC. Unlike the Egyptians, the Greeks lived in a mountainous geography where space was limited, and labor—while abundant—did not reach the massive numbers available to Middle Eastern empires. They needed to build great temples without relying on gigantic expanses of land to construct ramps.

Although the wooden cranes of that era have long since rotted away, the Greeks left evidence of their machinery carved into the stone itself. On the temple blocks of this period, such as the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, archaeologists began discovering peculiar markings: U-shaped grooves and deep rectangular cuts right in the center of the blocks.

These markings were specifically designed to fit lifting tools. The central cuts were used to insert a metallic tool called a lewis iron (known as loba in Spanish). The lewis consisted of several iron wedges inserted into a hole carved in a dovetail shape.

When the crane pulled the upper ring, the wedges expanded outward, gripping the stone with extreme security by sheer friction and gravity. This innovation allowed blocks to be lifted perfectly vertically and set in place with high precision—a feat impossible to achieve by pushing stones up a ramp.

What Were the First Greek Cranes Like?

The basic design of the Greek crane relied on two fundamental physical principles: the windlass (or winch) and the pulley.

The Greeks developed several types of cranes, classified by the number of pulleys they utilized:

• The Tripastos: A crane that used a three-pulley system. Its design consisted of a wooden mast (or two joined in an "A-frame" shape) held by guy ropes. With a tripastos, a single man operating a manual windlass could lift approximately 150 kilograms, representing a three-to-one effort advantage compared to what he could lift on his own.
• The Pentapastos: A five-pulley system that allowed for even heavier loads, ideal for the architraves and columns of classical temples.

This technological leap revolutionized architecture. The Greeks shifted away from the massive, monolithic blocks of the Mycenaean era to smaller, standardized ashlar blocks. It was much cheaper and faster to cut and lift ten 300-kg blocks with a crane than to drag a single 3,000-kg block up a ramp.

Rome and Imperial Scale: The Magna Rota

While the Greeks invented the crane, the Romans scaled it up to unprecedented industrial proportions. Much of what we know today about Roman machinery comes from the treatise De Architectura, written by Vitruvius, a Roman architect and engineer of the 1st century BC. Vitruvius meticulously documented how to build and operate the machines that were transforming the Empire.

The Romans adopted the Greek tripastos and pentapastos, but they soon needed to lift much heavier loads for their massive public buildings, aqueducts, and amphitheaters. To achieve this, they created the Polyspastos, a system combining multiple pulley blocks. However, the true Roman revolution lay not in adding more pulleys, but in the power source driving the crane: the invention of the treadwheel or magna rota (also known as a calcatoria or squirrel cage).

Instead of using arms to turn the cranks of a windlass, Roman engineers built immense, hollow wooden wheels. Two or more men stepped inside and began walking, acting as a giant human motor (similar to a massive hamster wheel).

The mechanical advantage of the magna rota was enormous due to the difference in diameters. If the wheel where the men walked had a diameter of 4 meters and the axle where the rope was wound was only half a meter, the wheel alone multiplied the workers' force by eight. When combined with a polyspastos pulley system, two men walking inside the wheel could lift up to 3,000 kilograms (3 tons). This meant the Roman crane was sixty times more efficient than the direct physical effort of those same men.

The Extreme Challenge: Trajans Column

The pinnacle of this technology can be seen in highly complex projects, the most famous being the construction of Trajan's Column in Rome, inaugurated in 113 AD under the direction of the engineer Apollodorus of Damascus.

The column is composed of solid marble cylindrical drums, each weighing approximately 32 tons, and culminates with a capital weighing an astonishing 53 tons. These stones had to be lifted to a height of nearly 40 meters.

Standard Magna Rota Cranes were not enough for this task. Roman engineers had to build colossal wooden lifting towers around the site. They utilized cranes with up to four masts, anchored to the ground with thick cables, and operated multiple treadwheels and winches simultaneously. The synchronization had to be flawless; dozens of men pushing windlasses on the ground and walking inside the wheels had to coordinate to the sound of bells or drums to avoid destabilizing the 50-ton load suspended in mid-air.

This level of logistical and mechanical engineering was so advanced that it would not be seen again in the Western world until more than five hundred years after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. We will look closer at this in future articles.

A Legacy of Wood, Stone, and Rope

With the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century, the institutional knowledge and financial capacity to organize and maintain these immense machines vanished. Construction reverted to more primitive, smaller-scale methods throughout much of the Early Middle Ages.

It wasn't until the boom of Gothic architecture in the 11th and 13th centuries, when the need to elevate heavy blocks for cathedral spires became urgent, that the treadwheel crane returned to widespread use across Europe.

Today, the fundamental principles of physics governing cranes—the counterweight, the pulley, and the winding drum—are exactly the same ones the ancient Greeks and Romans deduced over two millennia ago.

We will delve deeper into this legacy, including the construction of buildings, aqueducts, and bridges of the Roman Empire as well as medieval structures, in upcoming articles.

Sources:

TC History of Cranes in ancient Times

Vitruvius Open Library

Original article published by Camilo Graña on LinkedIn 07/2026

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The Engineering Marvel of La Mexicana Mine Cableway (Chilecito, Argentina)

The Discovery of the Vein

In 1807, a Mexican miner named Félix Amarello registered the main vein in the region. In honor of his homeland, the deposit was named "La Mexicana."

For decades, mining remained small-scale and artisanal. However, by the late 19th century, the boom of the Industrial Revolution and global market integration sparked interest from foreign investors, primarily European. The extracted ore—a complex mix of copper, silver, and gold—promised high profitability. Yet, the project faced a massive logistical hurdle: how to transport tons of rock down steep high-mountain terrain into the valleys for export? Mules were simply no longer an option.

Construction of the Ropeway System

To solve this transport dilemma, the Argentine government authorized a monumental infrastructure project in 1901 via National Law No. 4,208. The contract was awarded to the German firm Adolf Bleichert & Co., a global leader in cable transport systems and funiculars.

Construction began in 1903, becoming one of the era's greatest civil engineering feats. It covered a total distance of 34.3 kilometers (21.3 miles), connecting the Chilecito railway station (1,076 m / 3,530 ft above sea level) with the mine entrance at 4,430 m (14,534 ft).

The project required installing 260 iron towers, hand-digging a tunnel, and building 9 intermediate stations housing massive steam boilers to assist traction. The entire system was completed in a record time of just over 20 months thanks to hundreds of workers who hauled iron structures up the mountains on muleback and on their own shoulders under extreme weather conditions.

Operations (1905)

The system became fully operational at the end of 1905. It was a technical masterclass: approximately 450 buckets (vagonetas) moved at roughly 2.5 meters per second (5.6 mph), spaced about 100 meters apart.

• Descending: Loaded buckets carried up to 500 kg (1,100 lbs) of raw ore down to the Santa Florentina smelter.
• Ascending: The ropeway carried everything required for survival and operations high up in the mountain: water, tools, dynamite, food, and tons of firewood to feed the steam boilers and heat living spaces.

Life in the upper mining camps was brutal. Workers endured winter temperatures that dropped below -20°C (-4°F), particularly at Station VII (Calderita Nueva). This was compounded by low oxygen levels from extreme elevation and deep geographical isolation. (Having worked with lifting equipment at the Veladero mine in San Juan under similar high-altitude conditions, I can deeply appreciate what these crews went through).

Closure and Legacy

The golden era of La Mexicana lasted until 1927. The outbreak of World War I disrupted global metal markets. High operating costs for maintaining such complex infrastructure at extreme altitudes steadily eroded profit margins, coupled with the gradual depletion of high-grade ore veins.

The concession company permanently halted operations in 1927, leaving the site abandoned. In 1982, the cableway and mine ruins were declared a National Historic Monument. Today, the site has transitioned into adventure tourism and industrial archaeology. At the time of its construction, it was the longest and highest ropeway system in the world.

The 1950s Technical Reactivation for Cinema

The movie El hombre que debía una muerte (The Man Who Owed a Death), released in March 1955, was directed by Mario Soffici and starred Amelia Bence and Carlos Cores. Shot between 1953 and 1954 in Chilecito, La Rioja, it required the inactive ropeway to move once again.

To accomplish this without rebuilding the entire megastructure, Soffici collaborated with engineers and former La Mexicana miners on a clever solution:

• Local Expertise: They hired retired technicians and operators who had worked at the mine before its closure. They knew every gear, brake system, and lubrication point of the German Bleichert machinery by heart.
• Targeted Section: Filming focused on the most accessible and scenic stretch: between Station I (Chilecito) and Station II (El Durazno).
• Power Adaptation: After nearly 30 years of abandonment, the original boilers were unusable. To drive the traction cable over short filming stretches, they adapted auxiliary combustion engines and winches connected directly to the driving drums/pulleys at the lower station.
• Manual Control: The German system used mechanical clamps to grip the moving cable. Operators manually clamped the buckets at the station, advanced them for the shot, and applied mechanical counterweight brakes when the scene finished.

This shoot was one of the very few moments in the 20th century when the ropeway moved officially after its industrial closure. (In the 1990s, brief tourist runs were attempted, but a fatal accident led to its permanent shutdown).

Technical Breakdown: How it Worked

A single 35-kilometer continuous cable system was impossible due to physical limits. Adolf Bleichert & Co. designed a bicable system: fixed, thick carrying cables supported the weight of the buckets, while a thinner moving traction cable pulled them.

The entire line was divided into 8 autonomous sections, interconnected via a bypass system across 9 stations.

The 9 Stations & Their Roles:

1. Station I: Chilecito (1,076 m / 3,530 ft) – Base Terminal & Logistics: Ore discharge directly into railway cars, main maintenance workshops, and storage yards.
2. Station II: El Durazno (1,539 m / 5,049 ft) – Tension & Traction: Located 6.5 km from base where steepness increases. Contained engines and boilers to regulate sections 1 and 2. (Primary filming location for the 1955 movie).
3. Station III: Parrón (1,974 m / 6,476 ft) – Relay & Tension: Housed massive concrete and iron counterweights to maintain optimal cable tension under load.
4. Station IV: Siete Cuestas (2,538 m / 8,326 ft) – Main Traction: Featured one of the largest steam engine rooms to push buckets up steeper inclines.
5. Station V: Cueva de Romero (2,689 m / 8,822 ft) – Intermediate Support: Located in complex geology; served mainly to fraction traction cable tension.
6. Station VI: El Cielito (3,244 m / 10,643 ft) – Traction Station: Steam boiler and engine providing power to higher sections.
7. Station VII: Calderita Nueva (3,941 m / 12,929 ft) – Traction, Control & Communications: Powered cable sections, housed tensioning devices, and contained a telephone booth linked to the line network for dispatch coordination.Note: The span between Station VI and VII features the longest unsupported cable jump in the system—a free span of over 600 meters (1,968 ft) suspended high above deep ravines.
8. Station VIII: Los Bayos (4,371 m / 14,340 ft) – Angular Direction Change: Designed to absorb a sharp turn in the ropeway trajectory towards the mine entrance. Included traction boilers, phone access, and living quarters for operators in extreme weather.
9. Station IX: La Mexicana (4,602 m / 15,100 ft) – Upper Terminal & Ore Loading: Featured a hopper where miners dumped raw ore straight from tunnels. Empty buckets looped on a semicircular rail, loaded up, and started their descent.

Energy Efficiency: Driven by Gravity

The genius of the Bleichert design lay in potential energy. Loaded buckets descending carried tons of rock, while ascending buckets were lightweight or empty. As a result, the system was self-propelled on several sections!

The downward weight helped pull ascending buckets upward. Steam engines at key stations weren't constantly hauling the full load; they acted primarily as speed regulators, auxiliary brakes, or power boosters when hauling heavy equipment or spare parts up the mountain.

Sources & References

Archival footage of the cableway operation (YouTube) 

The Engineering Marvel of La Mexicana Mine Cableway (Chilecito, Argentina)

The Discovery of the Vein

In 1807, a Mexican miner named Félix Amarello registered the main vein in the region. In honor of his homeland, the deposit was named "La Mexicana."

For decades, mining remained small-scale and artisanal. However, by the late 19th century, the boom of the Industrial Revolution and global market integration sparked interest from foreign investors, primarily European. The extracted ore—a complex mix of copper, silver, and gold—promised high profitability. Yet, the project faced a massive logistical hurdle: how to transport tons of rock down steep high-mountain terrain into the valleys for export? Mules were simply no longer an option.

Construction of the Ropeway System

To solve this transport dilemma, the Argentine government authorized a monumental infrastructure project in 1901 via National Law No. 4,208. The contract was awarded to the German firm Adolf Bleichert & Co., a global leader in cable transport systems and funiculars.

Construction began in 1903, becoming one of the era's greatest civil engineering feats. It covered a total distance of 34.3 kilometers (21.3 miles), connecting the Chilecito railway station (1,076 m / 3,530 ft above sea level) with the mine entrance at 4,430 m (14,534 ft).

The project required installing 260 iron towers, hand-digging a tunnel, and building 9 intermediate stations housing massive steam boilers to assist traction. The entire system was completed in a record time of just over 20 months thanks to hundreds of workers who hauled iron structures up the mountains on muleback and on their own shoulders under extreme weather conditions.

Operations (1905)

The system became fully operational at the end of 1905. It was a technical masterclass: approximately 450 buckets (vagonetas) moved at roughly 2.5 meters per second (5.6 mph), spaced about 100 meters apart.

• Descending: Loaded buckets carried up to 500 kg (1,100 lbs) of raw ore down to the Santa Florentina smelter.
• Ascending: The ropeway carried everything required for survival and operations high up in the mountain: water, tools, dynamite, food, and tons of firewood to feed the steam boilers and heat living spaces.

Life in the upper mining camps was brutal. Workers endured winter temperatures that dropped below -20°C (-4°F), particularly at Station VII (Calderita Nueva). This was compounded by low oxygen levels from extreme elevation and deep geographical isolation. (Having worked with lifting equipment at the Veladero mine in San Juan under similar high-altitude conditions, I can deeply appreciate what these crews went through).

Closure and Legacy

The golden era of La Mexicana lasted until 1927. The outbreak of World War I disrupted global metal markets. High operating costs for maintaining such complex infrastructure at extreme altitudes steadily eroded profit margins, coupled with the gradual depletion of high-grade ore veins.

The concession company permanently halted operations in 1927, leaving the site abandoned. In 1982, the cableway and mine ruins were declared a National Historic Monument. Today, the site has transitioned into adventure tourism and industrial archaeology. At the time of its construction, it was the longest and highest ropeway system in the world.

The 1950s Technical Reactivation for Cinema

The movie El hombre que debía una muerte (The Man Who Owed a Death), released in March 1955, was directed by Mario Soffici and starred Amelia Bence and Carlos Cores. Shot between 1953 and 1954 in Chilecito, La Rioja, it required the inactive ropeway to move once again.

To accomplish this without rebuilding the entire megastructure, Soffici collaborated with engineers and former La Mexicana miners on a clever solution:

• Local Expertise: They hired retired technicians and operators who had worked at the mine before its closure. They knew every gear, brake system, and lubrication point of the German Bleichert machinery by heart.
• Targeted Section: Filming focused on the most accessible and scenic stretch: between Station I (Chilecito) and Station II (El Durazno).
• Power Adaptation: After nearly 30 years of abandonment, the original boilers were unusable. To drive the traction cable over short filming stretches, they adapted auxiliary combustion engines and winches connected directly to the driving drums/pulleys at the lower station.
• Manual Control: The German system used mechanical clamps to grip the moving cable. Operators manually clamped the buckets at the station, advanced them for the shot, and applied mechanical counterweight brakes when the scene finished.

This shoot was one of the very few moments in the 20th century when the ropeway moved officially after its industrial closure. (In the 1990s, brief tourist runs were attempted, but a fatal accident led to its permanent shutdown).

Technical Breakdown: How it Worked

A single 35-kilometer continuous cable system was impossible due to physical limits. Adolf Bleichert & Co. designed a bicable system: fixed, thick carrying cables supported the weight of the buckets, while a thinner moving traction cable pulled them.

The entire line was divided into 8 autonomous sections, interconnected via a bypass system across 9 stations.

The 9 Stations & Their Roles:

1. Station I: Chilecito (1,076 m / 3,530 ft) – Base Terminal & Logistics: Ore discharge directly into railway cars, main maintenance workshops, and storage yards.
2. Station II: El Durazno (1,539 m / 5,049 ft) – Tension & Traction: Located 6.5 km from base where steepness increases. Contained engines and boilers to regulate sections 1 and 2. (Primary filming location for the 1955 movie).
3. Station III: Parrón (1,974 m / 6,476 ft) – Relay & Tension: Housed massive concrete and iron counterweights to maintain optimal cable tension under load.
4. Station IV: Siete Cuestas (2,538 m / 8,326 ft) – Main Traction: Featured one of the largest steam engine rooms to push buckets up steeper inclines.
5. Station V: Cueva de Romero (2,689 m / 8,822 ft) – Intermediate Support: Located in complex geology; served mainly to fraction traction cable tension.
6. Station VI: El Cielito (3,244 m / 10,643 ft) – Traction Station: Steam boiler and engine providing power to higher sections.
7. Station VII: Calderita Nueva (3,941 m / 12,929 ft) – Traction, Control & Communications: Powered cable sections, housed tensioning devices, and contained a telephone booth linked to the line network for dispatch coordination.Note: The span between Station VI and VII features the longest unsupported cable jump in the system—a free span of over 600 meters (1,968 ft) suspended high above deep ravines.
8. Station VIII: Los Bayos (4,371 m / 14,340 ft) – Angular Direction Change: Designed to absorb a sharp turn in the ropeway trajectory towards the mine entrance. Included traction boilers, phone access, and living quarters for operators in extreme weather.
9. Station IX: La Mexicana (4,602 m / 15,100 ft) – Upper Terminal & Ore Loading: Featured a hopper where miners dumped raw ore straight from tunnels. Empty buckets looped on a semicircular rail, loaded up, and started their descent.

Energy Efficiency: Driven by Gravity

The genius of the Bleichert design lay in potential energy. Loaded buckets descending carried tons of rock, while ascending buckets were lightweight or empty. As a result, the system was self-propelled on several sections!

The downward weight helped pull ascending buckets upward. Steam engines at key stations weren't constantly hauling the full load; they acted primarily as speed regulators, auxiliary brakes, or power boosters when hauling heavy equipment or spare parts up the mountain.

Sources & References

Pelicula "El hombre que debia una Muerte" 1955 complete in YOUTUBE

Archival footage of the cableway operation (YouTube) 

Cablewaylof the  Mina La Mexicana Expo FLICKR 100 Photos & Videos

Turismo La Rioja – Argentina

Extreme Hiking in La Mexicana

Trhon Auditores de Izaje

Secretaria Turismo Chilecito

--------------------------------------------------------------

Camilo Graña 2026

La historia de la Mina La Mexicana y su Cablecarril.

El descubrimiento de la veta

En 1807, un minero de origen mexicano llamado Félix Amarello registró la veta principal de la zona. En honor a su lugar de origen, el yacimiento fue bautizado como "La Mexicana".

Durante las décadas siguientes, la mina fue explotada de forma artesanal, pero hacia finales del siglo XIX, el auge de la Revolución Industrial y la globalización de los mercados despertaron el interés de capitales extranjeros, fundamentalmente europeos. El mineral extraído (una compleja mezcla d

El descubrimiento de la veta

En 1807, un minero de origen mexicano llamado Félix Amarello registró la veta principal de la zona. En honor a su lugar de origen, el yacimiento fue bautizado como "La Mexicana".

Durante las décadas siguientes, la mina fue explotada de forma artesanal, pero hacia finales del siglo XIX, el auge de la Revolución Industrial y la globalización de los mercados despertaron el interés de capitales extranjeros, fundamentalmente europeos. El mineral extraído (una compleja mezcla de cobre, plata y oro) prometía buena rentabilidad Sin embargo, el proyecto se enfrentaba a un gran obstáculo logístico: ¿cómo bajar toneladas de roca desde la alta montaña hasta los valles para su posterior exportación? Las mulas ya no eran opcion.

Construcción del sistema de transporte

Para solucionar el dilema del transporte, el gobierno argentino autorizó en 1901 una obra monumental mediante la  Ley Nacional Nº 4.208. La licitación fue ganada por la firma alemana Adolf Bleichert & Co., líder mundial en sistemas de transporte de cargas y funiculares.

La construcción del Cablecarril comenzó en 1903 y se convirtió en una de las mayores hazañas civiles de la época. Salvaba una distancia de 34,3 kilómetros , uniendo la estación ferroviaria de Chilecito (a 1.076 m s. n. m.) con la boca de la mina a 4.430 m s. n. m..

Se instalaron 260 torres de hierro, un túnel excavado a mano y 9 estaciones intermedias que albergaban gigantescas calderas a vapor para ayudar a la tracción del sistema. La obra se completó en un tiempo récord de poco más de 20 meses gracias al trabajo de cientos de obreros, que subieron las estructuras de hierro a lomo de mula y al hombro bajo condiciones climáticas extremas.

La mina entra en Operación - 1905

El sistema comenzó a funcionar de manera integral a finales de 1905. Su funcionamiento técnico era eficiente: contaba con unas 450 vagonetas que se desplazaban a 2,5 metros por segundo aprox., separadas entre sí por poco más de 100 metros.

En sentido descendente, las vagonetas bajaban cargadas con hasta 500 kg de mineral crudo hacia la fundición de Santa Florentina. En sentido ascendente, el cablecarril transportaba todo lo necesario para la supervivencia en la mina: agua, herramientas, dinamita, alimentos y toneladas de leña para abastecer las calderas y calefaccionar las viviendas y lugares de trabajo.

La vida en los campamentos mineros superiores era dura. Los trabajadores soportaban jornadas con temperaturas que en invierno caían por debajo de los 20 grados bajo cero (especialmente en la Estación VII, Calderita Nueva). A esto se sumaba la constante disminucion de oxígeno por la altura y el aislamiento geográfico. Como he trabajado en equipos de izar en Veladero San Juan en condiciones similares, lo entiendo de una manera particular.

El cierre de la mina La Mexicana

La época dorada (literal) de La Mexicana duró hasta 1927. El estallido de la Primera Guerra Mundial alteró los mercados globales de metales. Los costos operativos de mantener una infraestructura tan compleja a semejante altitud comenzaron a disminuir los márgenes de utilidad. Tambien le sumamos el progresivo agotamiento de las vetas de mineral de alta ley (las más ricas y fáciles de extraer),

La empresa concesionaria detuvo definitivamente las operaciones en 1927. Las instalaciones quedaron abandonadas. En 1982, el Cablecarril y las ruinas de la mina fueron declarados Monumento Histórico Nacional. Hoy en día, el sitio ha experimentado una reconversión hacia el turismo de aventura y la arqueología industrial. Fue en su momento el cablecarril mas largo y mas alto del mundo. ( y lo sigue siendo hasta hoy)

Reactivación técnica puntual para la Pelicula

La película El hombre que debía una muerte (aqui se puede ver completa) estrenada en marzo de 1955), dirigida por Mario Soffici y protagonizada por Amelia Bence y Carlos Cores. Fue rodada entre 1953 y 1954 en la zona de Chilecito, La Rioja. Como la mina La Mejicana cesó su explotación comercial hacia 1926-1927, hubo que restaurar su funcionamiento (en parte)

Para lograr mover el cablecarril en 1953-1954 (durante el rodaje de El hombre que debía una muerte), la producción no necesitó resucitar toda la megaestructura. Se usó un método muy pragmático ideado por el director Mario Soffici junto a ingenieros y ex mineros de La Mexicana.

La producción contrató a antiguos ex técnicos y operarios riojanos que habían trabajado en la mina hasta su cierre en los años 20. Ellos conocían de memoria cada engranaje, sistema de freno y punto de lubricación de la maquinaria alemana Bleichert.

La filmación se centró principalmente en los tramos más accesibles y vistosos: entre la Estación 1 (Chilecito) y la Estación 2 (El Durazno). 

Despues de casi 30 años de abndono, las calderas estaban inservibles. Para mover el cable tractor en trayectos cortos de rodaje, adaptaron motores auxiliares a combustión y malacates empalmados directamente a los tambores o poleas motrices de la estación inferior.

Las vagonetas del sistema alemán utilizaban una mordaza/embrague que aprisionaba el cable en movimiento. Los técnicos enganchaban manualmente las vagonetas en la estación, las hacían avanzar el trecho requerido para la escena y aplicaban los frenos mecánicos de contrapeso cuando la toma terminaba.

La filmación de 1955 fue uno de los poquísimos momentos del siglo XX en que el cablecarril volvió a moverse oficialmente tras el fin de la era minera. Décadas más tarde, en los años 90, se usó de forma muy acotada para paseos turísticos, pero ante un accidente mortal se dispuso su cierre definitivo.

Detalles Tecnicos del Cablecarril de La Mexicana

El Cablecarril de la Mina La Mexicana no podia funcionar como un funicular , con un único cable continuo de 35 kilómetros. Para resolver esto, la firma alemana Adolf Bleichert & Co. diseñó el trayecto basándose en el sistema bicable (un cable portante fijo y grueso sobre el que rodaban las vagonetas, y un cable tractor más fino que las empujaba) y dividió la obra en 8 tramos autónomos, conectados entre sí mediante un sistema de bypass en 9 estaciones. Se construyeron 260 torres simples, una torre doble mas un túnel en la traza principal

La distribución y función técnica de las 9 estaciones

Cada estación cumplía un rol específico: tensar los cables mediante contrapesos masivos, albergar los motores de tracción a vapor o funcionar como puntos de carga y descarga. A continuación, el detalle técnico de cada una en sentido ascendente:

Estación I: Chilecito (1.076 m s. n. m.)

• La Función era ser la Terminal base, administración y descarga de mineral.. Aquí se recibía el material que bajaba de la montaña y se transfería directamente a los vagones del ferrocarril. Albergaba los talleres principales de mantenimiento y los galpones de acopio.

Estación II: El Durazno (1.539 m s. n. m.)

• Era una estación de tensión y tracción. Distante a unos 6,5 km de la base. Aquí comenzaba a acentuarse la pendiente. Contaba con motores y calderas que ayudaban a regular el movimiento del primer y segundo tramo. Entre la estacion i y II se rodo en 1955 la pelicula " El hombre que debia una Muerte" que contiene los unicos registros filmicos del funcionamiento del cablecarril. Como se logro el funcionamiento lo detallamas mas adelante.

Estación III: Parrón (1.974 m s. n. m.)

• Estación de relevo y tensión. Era una de las paradas mecánicas intermedias. Su función principal era albergar los enormes contrapesos de hormigón y hierro encargados de mantener la tensión óptima del cable portante para que no cediera ante el peso de las vagonetas cargadas.

Estación IV: Siete Cuestas (2.538 m s. n. m.)

• Estacion de tracción principal. Contaba con una de las salas de máquinas a vapor más grandes del tendido para impulsar las vagonetas hacia los tramos superiores, donde la inclinación se volvía crítica.

Estación V: Cueva de Romero (2.689 m s. n. m.)

• Fue una Estación intermedia de apoyo. Ubicada en una zona geológicamente compleja. Servía principalmente para fraccionar el cable tractor

Estación VI: El Cielito (3.244 m s. n. m.)

• Contaba con una caldera de vapor y un motor propio encargado de impulsar y suministrar la fuerza motriz necesaria al tramo para mover las vagonetas.

Estación VII: Calderita Nueva (3.941 m s. n. m.)

• Estación de Tracción Mecánica y Motorización: Contaba con una caldera de vapor y un motor propio encargado de impulsar y suministrar la fuerza motriz necesaria al tramo para mover las vagonetas. Tambien albergaba contrapesos y dispositivos mecánicos para regular y mantener la tensión constante de los cables de sostén y tracción, Funcionaba como punto intermedio donde el cable portante se dividía en secciones
• Punto de Control y Comunicaciones: Disponía de una cabina telefónica integrada al circuito general del sistema para coordinar la salida, velocidad, despacho de mineral y transporte de insumos o personal hacia los niveles superiores.

El tramo entre la Estación VI y la VII comprende la mayor luz libre (separación entre torres) de todo el cablecarril, con un vano suspendido de más de 600 metros a cientos de metros de altura sobre los cañadones.

Estación VIII: Los Bayos (4.371 m s. n. m.)

• Estacion clave en un Punto de Cambio Angular . Estaba diseñada específicamente para absorber una variación angular brusca en la trayectoria rectilínea del cablecarril, reorientando el tendido hacia la boca de la mina .
• Albergaba una caldera de vapor que suministraba traccion adicional para contrarrestar la resistencia de arrastre en la altura. Contaba con una cabina telefónica integrada al circuito cerrado de comunicación del cablecarril y habitáculos para albergar al personal operativo que debía vivir en condiciones climáticas rigurosas.Condición extrema:

Estación IX: La Mexicana (4.602 m s. n. m.)

• Es la Terminal superior y carga de mineral. Cuenta con una tolva l donde los mineros volcaban el mineral en bruto directamente desde los túneles y socavones. Aquí, las vagonetas vacías que subían con insumos se daban la vuelta en un riel semicircular, se cargaban y comenzaban su largo descenso hacia el valle.

El secreto de su eficiencia energética: La Gravedad

Desde el punto de vista físico, la mayor fortaleza del diseño Bleichert radicaba en el aprovechamiento de la energía potencial. Dado que las vagonetas llenas bajaban con toneladas de roca y las que subían iban considerablemente más livianas (o vacías), el sistema era autopropulsado en varios de sus tramos.

El peso descendente ayudaba a traccionar a las vagonetas ascendentes. Los motores a vapor ubicados en las estaciones clave no se usaban de forma constante para arrastrar todo el tendido, sino que actuaban principalmente como reguladores de velocidad, sistemas de frenado auxiliar o como asistencia de potencia cuando era necesario subir cargas inusualmente pesadas (como maquinaria o piezas de repuesto para los motores superiores).

Fuentes

Pelicula "El hombre que debia una Muerte" 1955 completa en YOUTUBE

Fragmentos de la peliculo donde aparece el cablecarril en youtube

CableCarril de la Mina La Mexicana Expo de mas de 100 fotos y Videos

Turismo La Rioja – Argentina

Extreme Hiking in La Mexicana

Trhon Auditores de Izaje

Secretaria Turismo Chilecito

Esta es una nota ya publicada por mi en Linkedin : https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/cablecarril-de-la-mina-mexicana-1905-1927-camilo-gra%25C3%25B1a-barreiro-slg1f/

For those of you planning a getaway to the southern coast of Portugal (Algarve), you’ve almost certainly come across photos of the Algar de Benagil. It’s a spectacular place!

Here is a brief description of what the visit is like.

Current Regulations

The maritime authority enforces strict rules as well as heavy fines😄

Swimming is strictly prohibited: You are not allowed to swim to the cave or use inflatable floats from the nearby beach (fines are high).

Stepping on the sand or disembarking on the beach is prohibited: No one is allowed onto the cave's inner beach. Both boats and kayaks must remain floating in the water throughout the visit.

No individual kayaks: Standalone kayak rentals are no longer available for going solo; access is only permitted through guided tours with authorized companies.

Guided Kayak or Boat Tour?

Guided Kayak: If you want an up-close experience (you must book an official tour). It allows you to maneuver better and admire the dome from the inside at a more peaceful pace

Boat Tour: Ideal if you want to explore the entire cliff coastline in a more comfortable way—which is what I did.

Tips

Best time for interior light: Between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM. Heading out early in the morning is recommended, as there are fewer crowds and it's less hot.

Sea conditions: If you go by boat, tour operators will notify you of any delays or cancellations due to sea conditions. In fact, when we went, tours hadn't been running for two days prior. We departed from the Albufeira Marina.

I just got back from an 8-day quick getaway to the Algarve and wanted to share my itinerary in case it helps anyone plan their own trip. Today we stayed in the Albufeira area, and the first thing we did in two days was go to Ponta da Piedade. Here's a description of those two days.

Lagos and Ponta da Piedade

Departure from Albufeira. Arrival in Lagos. We walked through the historic center, which has those typical Portuguese cobblestone streets, but didn't spend much time there. We went straight to Ponta da Piedade. It's a series of gigantic limestone cliffs with natural arches that plunge into a turquoise sea. We walked along the wooden walkways to see the landscape from above. There are several beaches, all with walkways and different rock formations. At the main beach, you can descend a staircase and reach the sea. There's no beach, just rocks crashing against the shore. On a calm day, there's no problem getting down. It filled our whole day. There are several [beaches/beaches]. Parking

On the second day, we went to Praia do Camilo and Praia de Dona Ana in the morning. We also saw wooden walkways and impressive rock formations. Praia do Camilo's stairs are broken and it's closed, so we couldn't get down to the beach that way.

In the afternoon, we went to Sagres, which is at the southern tip of Portugal. We visited the fortress and walked along the cliffs. We finished our trip at Cape St. Vincent. It was once believed that this was the end of the known world.

My advice if you go: A car is a must: public transport will waste a lot of time and is very unreliable. Wear comfortable shoes, hiking boots are even better, and bring water to stay hydrated.