By José Manuel Serrano Esparza
The Old Obejo Train Station and its surrounding area belonging to the Córdoba-Almorchón Railway make up one of the most beautiful locations of the European railroads ever built.
Roughly half a kilometer before reaching the mythical Obejo Old Train Station, sweat flows profusely, and walking through the gorgeous Córdoba-Almorchón railway becomes a slog, because of the high temperature and the stony ground.
But it has been worth. Visiting this place is something that can´t be easily explained with words, since time seems to have stopped 150 years ago, both at the station and in its nearby zone, which were inaugurated nothing less than in 1873.
Vertical image of the water crane column standpipe spout to fill the boilers of steam locomotives of the Córdoba-Almorchón Railway trains.
Utterly made in forged iron one century and a half ago, its vintage aesthetics, sturdiness and elegance are a riveting sight. In the background you can glimpse the upper profile of the Obejo Old Train Station and its adjacent tower of light.
A praiseworthy manufacturing accuracy can be verified in every metallic component,
both the grooved shaft, the square supporting base
and the folding spout,
(coupled to the main shaft by means of a round component with highly resistant nuts),
through which water passed to every steam locomotive.
Detail of the water supply crank of the water crane column standpipe spout (which was opened by the engineer or stoker to fill the steam locomotives boilers of the Córdoba-Almorchón railroad) located around 300 meters before reaching the Obejo Old Train Station, coming from Cerro Muriano. In the background, slightly out of focus, you can see some holm oaks wholly marking out the area of this jewel of the XIX and XX centuries Spanish and European railways.
Something being furtherly confirmed by this lateral image of the aforementioned water crane column standpipe spout,
whose presence as a state-of-the-art engineering work for its time and unutterable beauty (which has beheld the evolution of six generations of Cordoba province inhabitants since its start-up in 1873, almost 150 years ago) will thrill any enthusiast of model trains and railways accessories who have enjoyed or keep on relishing gorgeous classic trains with steam locomotives from top-notch firms like Marklin, Ibertren, Fleischmann, Payá, TT Zeuke, Roco, Weinert, Trix, Liliput, Gützold, Sommerfeldt, Brawa and others, making them think about the halcyon days of this means of transport that became the core of the first industrial revolution.
and find some vestiges of this wonderful Córdoba-Almorchón Railway, whose overall length is 133 km and worked as a passenger transport for 101 years, until April 1, 1974, being used since then for conveyance of military vehicles and goods.
A railway that was instrumental for turning the Guadiato Valley (Córdoba province) into one of the most thriving areas in the south of Spain throughout the last decades of XIX Century and first ones of XX, to such an extent that it exported thousands of tons of mineral to a number of countries.
We continue the march, already being at very few meters from the Obejo Old Train Station,
and come across some screws that have over time come loose from their insertion area, so we pay homage with them to this amazing railway being a part of the cultural heritage of both Andalusia and Extremadura and going on currently being, already well within XXI Century, one of the international benchmarks in terms of beauty, landscape richness and history in its scope.
We have just walked through the last bend before the Obejo Old Train Station (coming from Cerro Muriano village), whose contours and its coterminous tower of electric light are now completely visible from a distance of approximately 120 meters.
We keep on advancing and arrived at it.
The Obejo Old Train Station is clearly deteriorated by the many years elapsed since its construction, but it still greatly preserves its aura and unmistakable appearance of XIX Century.
It was during a hundred and one years, between 1873 and 1974, a meeting point for people from all over Cordoba province who travelled either to Cerro Muriano, La Balanzona, Los Pradillos and Mirabueno (stopping place in Córdoba City) or to villages more in the north like El Vacar-Villaharta, Cabeza de Vaca, Bélmez, Peñarroya-Pueblo Nuevo, La Granjuela, Valsequillo, Zújar de Córdoba, up to Almorchón (Badajoz), which was the first station to be inaugurated on November 29, 1866 and where the Ciudad Real-Badajoz railway also converged.
Tracks of the Córdoba-Almorchón railway, featuring an Iberian width of 1688 mm, next to the Obejo Old Train Station.
This Córdoba-Almorchón railway was fundamental to provide an outlet for the top quality coal drawn from the mines in the north of Córdoba province and boost its expansion both at a national and international level, something that was underpinned even more after the acquisition of the stretch Córdoba-Bélmez by the Company of Andalusian Railways in 1880.
Tower of electric light, on whose upper area there was a transformer. The station hadn´t got electric light or water until 1960, so lanterns were used as a lighting source. The electric wires for both the station and the small houses for railways workers came out from the metallic structure visible on the top area.
Image of the Obejo Old Train Station captured from around 50 meters beyond its location, towards El Vacar and Villaharta. The tower of electric light featuring a transformer next to it and an adjacent electric light post can be seen. The integral lighting of the station, the railway men´s little dwellings and the nearby stretches of tracks was made in 1960.
Electric light post located at roughly 80 meters from the Obejo Old Train Station.
Detail of the upper zone of another electric light post placed in the vicinity of the Obejo Old Train Station.
IMPRESSIVE HANDCRAFTED WORK OF HOT FORGED IRON WITH RIVETS VISIBLE IN THE WATER TANKS
Both the water crane column standpipe spout and the two water tanks belonging to the Obejo Old Train Station were built nothing less than by the Gustave Eiffel Design Studio, which extensively used the artisan technique of hot forge with rivets that joined large pieces of iron together.
That´s to say, in the construction of both water tanks and the water crane column standpipe spout, a forge and red hot rivets, who were inserted one by one inside each corresponding hole, were used.
This method of handcrafted iron forge is the oldest one known and by far the best to optimize the mechanic traits of the materials, because the fiber is intact, oriented towards the forging and not cut as happens on mechanizing, so a far superior metallurgic quality is generated.
Water tank located at roughly 100 meters before reaching the Obejo Old Train Station, on the right of the Córdoba-Almorchón Railway, coming from Cerro Muriano, in the direction of El Vacar and Villaharta.
It can be perfectly checked how this very high level for its time (1873) railway engineering facility was made assembling different large pieces of iron through hot forging of a raft of rivets, in addition to providing each one of the metallic panels with the adequate curvature, all of it with great precision, as well as avoiding any kind of crack that could result in water loss.
Lower area of the same water tank, in which can be seen the solid stone circular base on which it rests, along with the huge quantity of rivets strengthening the perimeter of the structure lower area, in synergy with the other string of rivets putting two big metallic plates together just over it.
Photograph of the same water tank captured from another angle and in which can be seen with greater sharpness the massive figure of rivets made in forge, on the spot, through hot forging technique and which were introduced red hot, one by one, within each corresponding hole, providing the facility with remarkable assembling sturdiness and operating reliability.
The same water tank shortly before sunset. One of the biggest highlights of both the water crane column standpipe spout located at approximately 300 meters from the Obejo Old Train Station and its two water tanks is the wide range of tonalities they acquire depending on the day hour and year season, enhanced by the exceedingly lavish adjoining vegetation.
Close-up of the two levers of the upper area of the first water tank feeding the water crane column standpipe spout at roughly 300 meters from the Obejo Old Train Station. The left one is to open the water pipe and the right one is for checking the square meters of water inside the water tank.
Second water tank with shape of high cylindrical cistern supported by a metallic structure reinforced with rivets, featuring a spout to fill the boilers of the steam locomotives, and located approximately 50 meters beyond the Obejo Old Train Station, towards El Vacar and Villaharta.
It is on the left of the Córdoba-Almorchón railway, being higher and thinner than the first water tank placed around 100 meters before arriving at the station, in addition to exhibiting a greater designing complexity, a reference-class level of railway engineering for its time and all kind of solutions to achieve an outstanding sturdiness and working dependability.
Structure of metallic pillars strongly reinforced with rivets on which lies the high cylindrical cistern of the second water tank of the Obejo Old Train Station.
Inside it you can see the large pipe through which went up the water coming from a big pond located in a much more elevated position on the right of the tracks and that was channelled by means of tubes crossing one meter under them.
Vertical image of the second water tank of the Obejo Old Train Station. Boasting a spout, it fed the steam locomotives at the time.
By means of pipes and hydraulic cranes, these big metallic water tanks (exceedingly beautiful and spectacular items of railway engineering) fed the steam locomotives through the spouts.
On left half of the image can be seen the structure of iron shafts with profusion of rivets (in the same way as in the high cylindrical cistern) on which this second water tank is fixed to the ground.
Detail of the lower supporting area of the second water tank, in which can be seen the abundant forged rivets made on the spot and inserted red hot, one by one, within each matching hole to fuse different metallic pillars with a stunning level of strength and duration in time.
Though at first blush it could seem that every rivet can be drawn in the same way as a nut or a screw, it is impossible, since the handcrafted hot forge makes that once inserted, each one of them becomes a structural part of the iron surfaces it attaches, making up an indivisible whole.
On the other hand, there aren´t two identical rivets, because on having been hot forged and introduced at very high temperature, the shape acquired by each one wholly depended on the prowess and intensity of the hammering work fulfilled by the artisan at every moment, since there weren´t any hydraulic or pneumatic riveting machines at the time.
Longitudinal low angle view of the second water tank over its frame of pillars fixing it to the ground and making up its base. It´s visible the great quantity of rivets all over the surface of the iron plates that made possible their assemblage, along with the exceptional proficiency to give them the suitable curvature.
Just over the very robust metallic arc (in whose middle area you can see ten large rivets) with which starts the ascending trajectory of the iron high cylindrical cistern made up by the different metallic plates setting up the second water tank featuring a spout, there is a complete row of rivets utterly surrounding and strengthening the whole structure.
Detail of the aforementioned area of beginning of the high cylindrical cistern of the second water tank, just over its metallic frame fixing it to the ground. Besides, over the ten rivets of its middle area, you can see part of the row with other very abundant rivets outlining all the water tank circumference and greatly reinforcing its solidness.
Each one of these rivets was made up by a head and its rod, the latter being introduced red hot within its corresponding hole.
This hot forging was a first-class handcrafted work for the time, because a hundred percentage of the labour was manual and required many hours of slog, together with deep knowledge and experience previously gleaned by the persons doing it (a minimum of two and sometimes three), particularly the one handling the hammer (which had the shape of the rivet on a side and a chisel on the other one), who had to give shape to the rivets.
Image from a low angle of the upper area of the second water tank (higher than the round one located near the water crane column standpipe spout placed at roughly 300 meters from the station), in which can be seen in its middle zone the very long tube preventing the water from overflowing the rim if the cistern mechanism failed, and on the left the access metallic ladder that railway workers regularly went up to check the condition of the water tank inner area.
Picture in which can be seen both the upper zone of the supporting structure with metallic pillars of the water tank and its vertical cylindrical cistern, with its anti overflowing very long tube and the access ladder.
On the left can be seen the water spout, which was usually folded and was turned towards the track to connect it to the boilers of the steam locomotives of the Córdoba-Almorchón railway train.
Close-up of four of the very abundant rivets around the whole circumference of the second water tank (featuring a spout) on its lower area, just over the frame of pillars fixing it to the ground and making up its base, hugely beefing up its solidness. It can be corroborated how the handcrafted labor of hot forging made almost 150 years ago in an utterly manual way, inserting the red hot rivets within every matching hole, has brought about that each one of them fuses with the iron plate on which it rests, becoming a part of it.
Image of the iron vertical cylindrical cistern of the second water tank (featuring a spout) of the Obejo Old Train Station, on which you can see the chain used to activate the entrance of water to the spout.
Another image of the spout of the second water tank of the Obejo Old Train Station, in which can be seen once more the integral fusion that the almost 150 years elapsed has spawn between the elements of railway engineering at its best for the time and the nature of the zone, which on its turn generates exceedingly beautiful surrounding landscapes.
Big supporting metallic piece of the crane that made feasible to turn the water spout towards the track and feed the steam locomotives of the Córdoba-Almorchón railway trains. It stands out because of its robustness and the abundant nuts joining it to the iron vertical cylindrical cistern of the second water tank, together with other ones assembling the three thick iron plates making up its base.
Detail of the sturdy pipe with clamps going from the second water tank to the spout.
Perpendicular image of the second water tank spout. It can be seen the superb work of hot forging and the commendable curvature of this very large and mobile spout that fed the boilers of the steam locomotives of the Córdoba-Almorchón railway trains.
Detail of the joining area of two big tubes departing from the low zone of the vertical iron cylindrical cistern of the second water tank up to the foldable water spout. You can observe both the toughness of both metallic round rings and the sturdiness of the nuts. On the left of the image are visible two of the rivets of the wide lower ring of the cylindrical cistern, that in the same one as the rest of them that can be found all over the water tank and its supporting metallic pillars, were previously manufactured in forge by the ancient technique of hot forging, inserting them at very high temperature, one by one, inside each corresponding hole.
Detail of the lower area of the vertical cylindrical cistern of the second water tank of the Obejo Old Train Station and its supporting zone to the ground made up by metallic pillars assembled with rivets. On the right of the picture can be seen the chain that was used to move the crane of the water spout, making it turn towards the track where it supplied the steam locomotives boilers of the Córdoba-Almorchón railway trains with water.
Detail of one of the zones of the metallic supporting frame of the second water tank vertical cylindrical cistern of the Obejo Old Train Station showing the craftsman´s work of iron hot forging made with a great quantity of rivets that were inserted at very high temperature, one by one, within each matching hole to join thick metallic pillars with remarkable strength. The image reveals the two heads of a rivet, whose rod, inserted between both surfaces of the iron plates, has inextricably joined them together.
Coupling spot between the vertical iron cylindrical cistern of the second water tank of the Obejo Old Station and the top area of the very long anti overflowing tube.
Detail of one of the zones of the supporting frame of the vertical cylindrical cistern made up by iron pillars joined together by means of the hot forging technique of rivets inserted at very high temperature, one by one, within each corresponding hole.
Lateral view of the big size water spout that was turned towards the track to feed the steam locomotives boilers of the Córdoba-Almorchón railways line. It can also be seen the excellent building accuracy of the metallic pillars supporting the vertical cylindrical cistern, made up by thick iron plates joined together by means of the hot forging technique of rivets inserted at very high temperature, one by one, inside each matching hole.
Needless to say that the unutterable osmosis railway engineering / nature that rules the whole area of the Obejo Old Station and its surrounding area is another of the highlights of this spellbinding location of the Córdoba-Almorchón Railway, one of the most beautiful ones ever built in Europe and whose most significant promoters and key factors regarding its preservation and knowledge have been the Cordoba Cultural Association of Railways Friends, the Cerro Muriano Train Station Association of Friends, the Extremadura Association of Railways Friends, the diachronic labour fulfilled by Pedro Cuadro Calvente (last switchman of the Obejo Old Train Station still alive, having serviced in it between 1959-1974 and now being 95 years old) and J. Ramos Vicente with his superb book " Almorchón-Bélmez-Córdoba : The Guadiato Railway " , presented on November 4, 2016 in Córdoba (with attendance of Álvaro Olivares, President of the ACAF), without forgetting the deep essays on steam locomotives in Spain made by Juan Antonio Méndez Marcos, great expert on old trains.
Detail of the middle area of the vertical cylindrical cistern of the second water tank of the Obejo Old Train Station. It is very apparent the impressive labor of handcrafted hot forging of rivets, inserted red hot, one by one, within each corresponding hole to join the different big iron plates making up this masterpiece of railway engineering, which reaches its accuracy apex in their laudable curvature.
A small iron patch can be seen in the lower zone of the image, on the left. It was put in early seventies on an area of the vertical cylindrical cistern in which there was a little crack after a hundred years of flawless operation.
Detail of the area in which the metallic piece supporting the crane arm enabling to turn the water spout up to the track and feed the steam locomotives boilers of the Córdoba-Almorchón Railway trains was attached to the vertical cylindrical cistern of the second water tank of the Obejo Old Station by means of robust nuts.
A further image of the spout of the second water tank of the Obejo Old Train Station (higher and bigger than the other one round and smaller feeding the water crane column standpipe spout placed around three hundred meters before reaching it).
The integration between nature and reference-class items of railway engineering for the time, created by the Gustave Eiffel design studio, is truly spectacular.
Close-up of the area in which a metallic patch was put on a little crack that appeared on a point of the vertical cylindrical cistern of the second water tank of the Obejo Old Train Station, after a hundred years of operation.
Detail of the middle area of the iron vertical cylindrical cistern middle area of the second water tank of the Obejo Old Train Station. You can see the massive quantity of rivets over its whole surface, which were inserted after handcrafted hot forging, one by one, at very high temperature, inside each matching hole, by means of hammer blows made by a highly experienced and skillful artisan.
This utterly manual and very time consuming labour (there weren´t any hydraulic or pneumatic riveting machines at the time) makes that there aren´t two identical rivet heads.
Image from a low angle of the upper area of the vertical cylindrical cistern of the second water tank of the Obejo Old Train Station, with its very long anti overflowing tube, whose visual symbiosis with the rows of rivets joining the different big iron plates, bent with incredible adroitness and precision, becomes an unforgettable experience for any enthusiast of the classic trains driven by steam locomotives and the old railways from XIX and XX centuries.
Rail fixing nuts in a stretch of the Cordoba-Almorchón Railway beside the Obejo Old Train Station, visible in the background of the image.
Obejo Old Train Station seen from the promontory located on the right of the Córdoba-Almorchón railway tracks, some meters over them, in the side towards Cerro Muriano and Córdoba. The almost one hundred and fifty years elapsed since its construction has made grow lavish vegetation and trees on the tracks, generating a one-off architecture / nature symbiosis, also present in the items of railway engineering surrounding the station, which was epicenter of a world of remembrances, experiences and feelings that were taken in their hearts by many generations of people from Andalusia and Extremadura who lived the heyday of this historical railway station and the iconic steam locomotives throughout XIX and XX centuries.
But almost 150 years after its construction, the Obejo Old Train Station and its surroundings go on being a magic place, making live once and again unforgettable moments to those ones visiting this jewel of the Andalusian, Spanish and European railways.
