Description
The small Chilean border town of Ollagüe lies at an altitude of around 3,700 metres in the Altiplano. It is best known for its location directly at the foot of the active Ollagüe volcano (5,868 m) and as an important hub for cross-border freight transport. The railway line shown in the photograph forms part of the historic FCAB (Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a Bolivia) line. To this day, this line is mainly used to transport mining cargo (such as copper, lithium and sulphuric acid) from the Bolivian mines to Chilean Pacific ports such as Antofagasta. Trains from Bolivia arrive here at the Chilean border station. This is where the locomotives are swapped between the railway companies of the two countries. – Bolivia/Chile border – 1976
