Entering 'The Devil's Nose' Through Century-Old Tracks

Dec. 3, 2008— -- Just after sunrise on a cold morning in the southern spring, hundreds of tourists from around the world clamber eagerly aboard for a ride on what might be the most famous train in South America -- and the scariest.

The fear factor comes from the unnerving combination of steep cliffs, rickety tracks and the seating: Passengers squat on the roofs of ancient boxcars as they rumble along the old tracks. This is not Amtrak. This is not a ride for the faint of heart.

The train is named after its destination: Nariz Del Diablo, which literally means "The Devil's Nose."

The trip begins in the city of Riobamba, about 9,000 feet above sea level in the Andes Mountains of Ecuador.

The trains leave three times a week. And they are always jammed. The bone-rattling journey costs $11 for foreigners. For an extra dollar, you get a pillow -- money well spent.

"No, it's not very comfortable," tourist Iris Koeiman of Holland says. "But you can see a lot -- it's fun."

Her friend Jaqueline Van Ndeuwkerk insists she's not nervous being on top of the train (there are safety rails welded onto the sides to stop passengers from sliding off). But she says the key to survival seems to be the cushion. "It's worth more than a dollar," she says with a smile.

This is clearly a journey that appeals to the adventurous. Passengers get a front-row seat to some of the most spectacular scenery on the planet: Ecuador's Central Valley, known as the Avenue of the Volcanoes.

Century-Old Tracks and Perilous Drops

As children wave at the passing train and tourists wave back, the train snakes its way from the cool highlands through cloud forests to its destination in the steamy coastal jungle. It stops a few times along the way for bathroom breaks and a little shopping.

When the narrow-gauge Trans-Andean Railway opened exactly 100 years ago, it was considered an engineering marvel, connecting Ecuador's Pacific Coast with its capital, Quito, high in the mountains. Only a fraction of the route still operates, at very low speeds. One look at the rotting wooden railway ties, and you can see why.