History of rail transport in Paraguay

[dubious – discuss] On August 9 of the same year, with the still primitive machine called "Bull" imported from England, was made the first journey of this locomotive that pulled three small coaches with a capacity of only six passengers each.

In 1834 the construction of a railway that would connect La Habana with Guinness (Unión) commenced; it covered 142 kilometres (88 mi) and was opened four years later, in 1838.

On February 22, 1862, started the work to build a railway that would go from Buenos Aires to Ensenada, and the person in charge was once again the Engineer Wheelwright.

On June 14, 1861, was made the first journey from the station to the port of Asunción, so it could be said that the railway in Paraguay was one of the first to function in South America.

Between 1857 and 1859 the engineers George Thompson, Henry Valpy and Percy Burrell were incorporated in the project, which helped to speed the work.

The first local railway line started working in June 1861; it went on a short track from the central station in Asunción to Trinidad.

Of the public buildings that were finished before the war of 1870, the most noticeable are the Palace of Government and the Railway Station, which are still nowadays true icons of Asunción City.

On July 30 of the same year, the journal also described a ball that took place in the main hall of the station, offered by chiefs and officers in honor to the President on his birthday.

Six trams were purchased from Società Italiana Ernesto Breda, in Italy, in the 1920s, and later from the American manufacturer J. G. Brill Company and in the 1930s and 1940s from Argentinian builders.

[1] The system reached its maximum extent in the 1930s, with 37 km of track served by 10 routes, worked by a fleet of 33 motor trams and 26 trailers.