OCR

General Compania Constructora Emkay Del Peru, co-venturer in the construction of Toquepala project, directed the building of the single main, standard gauge railroad connecting the Smelter on the coast through the Ilo Port with the Mill at Toquepala. Personnel began arriving at the job-site in July 1956, and earthwork actually commenced around September 1, 1956. The line was officially completed on November 17, 1958. Mainline trackage totalled 185.775 kilometers: however, additional trackage installed — permanent sidings, passing tracks, and yard trackage in the Smelter, Ilo Port, and Mill areas — increased the grand total trackage age to 212.5 kilometers, or just under 132 miles. The railroad, in rising from sea level elevation at Ilo and the Smelter to elevation 3,140 meters. (10,300 ft.) at the Mill, passes trough five distinct areas of varying soil characteristics, which can be geologically described, briefly and in ascending order, us follows: Beach Strip — Fairly compact beach sands with occasional hard rock outcrops and gravel deposits. Surface material largely line and salt cemented. Remains of several mud flows 1 to 2 motors thick containing largo quantities of boulders traverse this section. Coastal Strip — Hard rock outcrops to gain the coastal pampa, which consists of sand, broken rock, and caliche, the caliche decreasing and sand changing to silty sand and silt as hills approach. Hills and ridges of hard rock and cemented sedimentary material to gain the central pampa section. Pampa Section — Generally consists of 1 to 2 feet of loose, fine sand overlying deep deposits of compacted, well-rounded gravel, weakly cemented in places. Moquegua formation — Primary composition of the western slopes of the lower Andes between elevations 4,000 and 7,000 ft. Consists of mixture of sandstone, claystone, siltstone, conglomerate, unconsolidated sand lenses, and occasional lenses of caliche. Material ranges from soft to medium hard.