The Rail Museum of São João del Rei works at the old building of the shops and it is visited by thousands of tourists of the whole world. It consists of its acervo the first locomotive of EFOM - to number 1, with the old wagon in that Emperor D. Pedro II traveled, besides other vehicles of rare beauty, including a funeral wagon. They are also in the museum old documents used in the ferrovia, beside a historical acervo of invaluable value. The buildings of the old warehouse and almoxarifado were adapted for Center of Craft, Restaurant and Center of Conventions.

                The Round, also called coliseum, it was destroyed there is many years in a fire, being recovered totally, constituting today, beside the colonial churches, one of the most beautiful architectural monuments of São João Del-Rei.

                In its interior they meet twenty-five lines, today occupied by centennial locomotive " Baldwins ", permanently in exibition in its old " habitat ". she also Meets in exibition a locomotive to vapor cut longitudinally to the middle, so that a complete vision is had on its operation.

                The building of the shop of maintenance of locomotives, totally recovered, in whose walls the date of its construction is registered - 1882 - she keeps in its interior the same machines imported operatrizes, there is more than one century, that helped to maintain and they continue repairing the locomotives and wagons of the old Highway of Iron West of Minas - EFOM - cradle of the one that is today the Regional Superintendency of Belo Horizonte - RFFSA/SR 2. This shop, until today in operation, it represents another alive museum of our rail history.

                The whole group of buildings, divided in six modules, besides the rail connection between São João and Tiradentes, it was recovered and recuperated, with love and dedication, being observed everybody the details and minutiaes in the sense of to protect and to conserve the beautiful architectural forms of the representative centennial constructions of our rail past, that had in São João Del-Rei its rootses.

                They were necessary three years of meticulous work for the restoration and recovery of the Center of Preservation of the Rail History of Minas Gerais. The works were executed by the Regional Superintendency of Belo Horizonte, of RFFSA, with the coordination of PRESERFE - Management of Preservation of the Rail Historical Patrimony.
         
         

              SCHEDULES OF TRIP IT IS VISITS
               
        - BITOLINHA: It circulates to Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
        - Departure of São João del-Rei - 10:00 and 14:15 hs
        - Departure of Tiradentes - 13:00 hs and 17:00 hs
        - Time of trip: 30 min.
        - Distance: 12 km

        - RAIL MUSEUM: Saturdays, Sundays and holidays of 9:00 hs to the 12:00 hs and of 13:00 hs to the 17:30 hs
         
         

             LARGER INFORMATION
             
        - RFFSA - Regional Superintendency B.Horizonte
        Telephone: (031) 218-2046 - telex: (031) 1088
        FAX: (031) 218-2533 - Belo Horizonte/MG

        - RFFSA - Rail Station of São J. del-Rei
        Telephone: (032) 371-2888
        São João del-Rei - Minas Gerais - Brazil

        Source: Pamphlet of the Net Rail Federal S.A. (Regional Superintendency - Belo Horizonte/MG)

         

             
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