Station 1
The machinery museum.
Paulakindsvater — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Kimdime — CC BY-SA 3.0 · robertobetojuarez — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Carlos Berzzi — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Carlos Berzzi — CC BY-SA 3.0
The Chilecito cablecarril, the aerial ropeway to La Mejicana mine, was one of the great engineering works of its day: a cable line built by a German firm and finished in 1905, running about 35 kilometres from Chilecito at 1,100 metres to the gold mine in the Famatina mountains at close to 4,600 metres, over 262 towers and nine stations. Its cars carried ore down and supplies and water up. The line stopped working decades ago, but its orange iron towers still climb the mountains. Station 1, at the edge of town, is a museum telling its story through documents, photographs, original machinery and mineral samples, with a guided tour. The museum is free with an optional donation. From there you can follow the higher stations: the second and third by car, the upper ones on 4x4 or mule trips with guides, long outings to high altitude.
The machinery museum.
Climbing the peaks.
By 4x4.
Station 1, National Route 40, southern entrance to Chilecito, La Rioja
No, it stopped decades ago; Station 1's museum tells its story, and the upper stations are reached by car or 4x4 trips.