After Yesterdays trip I returned to Ingeniero White and this time I was able to visit Museo Ferrowhite.
I arrived early at the morning.
The building is amazing, it used to be a power plant (Usina General San Martín). Most of the museum is on what was the workshop.
There’s a bit more of history at http://ferrowhite.bahiablanca.gov.ar/ , http://ferrowhite.bahiablanca.gov.ar/afuera.htm and http://ferrowhite.bahiablanca.gov.ar/museo.htm
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Museo Ferrowhite, Ingeniero White, Buenos Aires
We were only three, a couple of girls from Brazil and me. The guides gave us a very warm welcome and invited us to help setting up a workshop for the local kids. As we walked the gardens they started to narrate the history of the place and we chit chatted about ours.
After organizing the tables, chairs and materials we returned to the main building. The private tour was very nice and at a slow pace, giving us time to ask lots of questions and to observe as we pleased.
Some of the tooling was on display, part of it was from the power plant, the rest from the trains and dockyards. Among other things there was a bandsaw made entirely of wood save for a couple of things and really big lathes.
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Wooden bandsaw. Museo Ferrowhite, Ingeniero White, Buenos Aires
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Wooden bandsaw. Museo Ferrowhite, Ingeniero White, Buenos Aires
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Wooden bandsaw. Museo Ferrowhite, Ingeniero White, Buenos Aires
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Wooden bandsaw. Museo Ferrowhite, Ingeniero White, Buenos Aires
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Wooden bandsaw. Museo Ferrowhite, Ingeniero White, Buenos Aires
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Wooden bandsaw. Museo Ferrowhite, Ingeniero White, Buenos Aires
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Lathe. Museo Ferrowhite, Ingeniero White, Buenos Aires
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Lathe. Museo Ferrowhite, Ingeniero White, Buenos Aires
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Lathe. Museo Ferrowhite, Ingeniero White, Buenos Aires
On the background of the third picture, a bit over exposed, there’s an exhibition mounted on tracks. Each one is a prop representing historical events. Behind them there’s an assortment of levers and chains, while one guide explains the other cranks a wheel to turn them into life. They were a bit rusty and we ended up panting after that part.
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Prop of Perón. “Compré cada durmiente que les muestro, cada remache inglés y todo el resto. ¿Y ven este vagón? (se emociona Perón) ¡es argentino, compañero, y nuestro! ” Museo Ferrowhite, Ingeniero White, Buenos Aires
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Máquina Carnero.
1 Trabajo instantáneo
La Máquina Carnero o RWM (Replacement Work Machine) es la solución indolora y eficaz al acuciante problema de las huelgas.
2 Basta de huelgas Accione la CHH (Coleman Heavy Handle / Gran Manija Coleman) y la Máquina Carnero se despĺazará por la red ferroviaria hasta el punto del conflicto.
3 Important safety instructions La Máquina Carnero suele ser presa fácil de agitadores. Si se le retoba recurra al STD (Servicio Técnico Disciplinante) de la LIga Patriótica Argentina. Una brigada acudirá en su ayuda.
Museo Ferrowhite, Ingeniero White, Buenos Aires
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¿Cómo se resuelve una huelga?
Una opción segura es aplicar la Ley de Residencia (4144) que permite deportar a los extranjeros que “perturben el orden público”.
En Bahía Blanca, Arthur Coleman, superintendente del Ferrocarril del Sud entre 1906 y 1948, ensaya dos respuestas: preside la Asociación Protectora del trabajo Libre, institución patronal que ofrece beneficios a los “buenos obreros”, y emplea la red ferroviaria para movilizar rompehuelgas.
¡Pero no bien llegan al puerto, los rompehuelgas se suman a la medida! Coleman está desconcertado: “en general el obrero deseaba trabajar, pero existía un misterioso poder que se lo impedía.”
Museo Ferrowhite, Ingeniero White, Buenos Aires
On an elevated set of rooms there’s a display of material related to a technical / trade school. Mostly about trains, signaling devices and part of general mechanic education.
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Cutaway models of train parts. Museo Ferrowhite, Ingeniero White, Buenos Aires
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50° Aniversario de la Fraternidad de Personal Ferroviario de Locomotoras. Museo Ferrowhite, Ingeniero White, Buenos Aires
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Escuela Gallini.
Una escuela abierta todo el día, porque los alumnos asisten cuando pueden, cuando quieren, cuando el trabajo les deja un rato libre. Una escuela con cursos sin duración fija ¿dos meses? ¿dos años? Lo que se necesite. Una escuela donde los alumnos avanzados también enseñan y de paso, repasan. ¿Qué escuela tan extraña es esa? Es la escuela Gallini de Ingeniero White, creada en 1923 por la Fraternidad; la escuela para maquinistas, la que durante casi setenta años enseñó a estudiar, conocier y conducir una locomotora.
Museo Ferrowhite, Ingeniero White, Buenos Aires
Back on the main level there’s a room that simulates part of an old train station, complete with benches and a ticket office.
There’s also a very antique phone booth. You can get inside, the phone rings and upon picking up you get to hear some historical speeches.
As we were only three the guides gave us an exclusive tour of the storage room where they keep everything not in display.
I was able to see things I never expected to in real life, lots of antique radios and naval equipment, many Atwater Kent and even a record cutting lathe!
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Antique radios and assorted electronic devices. Museo Ferrowhite, Ingeniero White, Buenos Aires
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Antique radios and assorted electronic devices. Museo Ferrowhite, Ingeniero White, Buenos Aires
After the tour I walked a bit around the dock and some abandoned buildings then I went back to the city hoping to find that stash of old documents but they were gone.
I toyed again with the steam locomotive and a light fixture, then I went back to the hostel.
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Steam locomotive “General Pueyrredón” Ingeniero White, Buenos Aires
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150 Amp fuse. Steam locomotive “General Pueyrredón” Ingeniero White, Buenos Aires
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No fuses at a light fixture. Museo Ferrowhite, Ingeniero White, Buenos Aires
Also, this flyer reminds me a lot to Romantically Apocalyptic:
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Los horrendos sureños. Ingeniero White, Buenos Aires