A map of the year 91, which shows the old railroad line , which doesn´t work any more between Ibarra - San Lorenzo. The new road isn´t shown. The red point indicates roughly the loction of Ventanas.
Sheme of the microtrain: the batteries, the alternators, the inverter,the motors and transmission are below the seats for the turists.
The "Old Train" was in former times the only way of mobilization between Ibarra in the Northern Andeans of Ecuador and San Lorenzo at the coast near the border of Colombia.
Meanwhile there is a new road constructed, so that the road transportation is replacing the train, which doesn´t work anymore on this rute. The comunity of Ventanas is located at 17,5 kilometers off the road, and because the train doesn´t work anymore, incomunicated.
The Awacachi Project, lead by NYTUA together with other institutions, is teaching and training the comunities of the project in sostainable management of their natural resources. They are also working in an Ecotourisim Project for the black comunity of Ventanas, to help them to generate economic income for the families.
The ecologic train is used for the transportation between Ventanas and Alto Tambo at the main road.
The microtrain or "trucker" works with 8 stationary accumulators or batteries MAC 12 V 150 Ah with an total of 14,4 KWh, and 3 electric motors with 24 V DC 2,5 KW. It´s got 2 alternators with 1 KW which recharge the batteries running downhill.
The micro train is working about 35 km (which depends on the load and the rute). Running downhill the alternators recharge the batteries about 30%.
The main energy source for the ecologic train, the village electricity supply and drinking water pumping is generated by a micro hydrocentral which is located at 4,5 km from the comunity. The batteries of the train are recharged during the nighthours, while it isn´t used.
The project is coexecuted by the comunity of Ventanas, CODESO and the Fundación Niño y Tierra Unidos por el Ambiente, NYTUA, Tel: (593) 6 - 780 021, correo nytua@hotmail.com.
The black comunity of Ventanas is now able to realize their ecotourism project with the train, which is rising the life level of the families.
The Ecotourism project with it´s different components helps to migrate in a direct or indirect way the problems of tropical wood lodging and gives advantage to the actions of preservation.
It is also expected to have an positive impact on the neighbour communities, it will be analized where and how they should be involved in the project, or perhaps they get their own project.
In case that YOU like to participate helping this or other communities, please don´t hesitate to contact us.
