"In and Around the Grussai Railroad" Grussaí Travelogue by glabah

The trains are mostly used at night - they are used to transport party-goes around the facility between dance floors, dining areas, and various other event areas within the resort. The wood burning steam locomotives look spectacular at night, as the sparks fly out of the stacks.

Locomotive in the Restoration shops.

Despite the number of locomotives at the facility, the people operating the railroad apparently feel they would like to have more locomotives. Thus, this steam locomotive undergoing restoration in the shops.

Steam locomotive with fire fighting tank car

You will notice that there is always a tank car behind the locomotive. This silver tank car also has a small steam pump, and is used for fighting fires when the locomotive sparks set the grass on fire.

Filling the locomotive tender at square water tank

Stations names and railroad equipment names are based on Minas Gerais names. This water tower, for filling the steam locomotive tenders, is one example.

Meter gauge railway inspection cars, SESC railway.

These old inspection cars are also at the facility.

Compartment sleeping car used on trains at SESC

The facility has made a number of passenger cars out of the old sugar cane cars as well. This is a compartment sleeper. Note the old spoked wheels and other items that demonstrate how old the frame of this car really is.

Coach Interior of the trains used at the SESC

The interior of the cars is fairly simple, but still far better than most theme parks and amusement parks in the USA. The equipment is all built in the facilities shops, using frames and trucks from the sugar cane railways that used to blanket the area.

Tank locomotive with tender, SESC railway

There are a wide variety of steam locomotives at the facility. It is difficult to tell when some of them were built, but many of them appear to be from the late 1800's.

Other interesting railroad attractions nearby:

- The 30 inch gauge steam powered line at Sao Joao del Rei was famous among those who were tracing the last remnants of worldwide steam locomotive operation.

- The Trem das Aguas at Sao Lourenco

- The Santa Tereza Streetcar ( bonde ) in Rio de Janeiro