Astarsa facts for kids
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Aerial view of the factory (1967)
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| S.A. | |
| Industry | Civil Engineering Transport |
| Founded | 1927 |
| Defunct | 1994 |
| Headquarters | , |
| Products | Locomotives Ships |
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Number of employees
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1,500 (1972) |
Astarsa was a big company in Argentina that built and fixed ships and trains. Its full name was Astilleros Argentinos Río de La Plata S.A., which means 'Argentine Shipyards of the Río de la Plata'. Besides ships and trains, Astarsa also made things like pipes, factory machines, and even tractors! The company started a long time ago but closed down in 1994.
History of Astarsa
Astarsa's story began in the 1920s. It started as a company called Sociedad Colectiva Hansen y Puccini. Astarsa built the first ship in Argentina that weighed over 1,000 tons. This large ship was made for a company called Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales (YPF).
The Astarsa shipyard was located in Tigre, a city north of Greater Buenos Aires. It was right on the Luján River. At its busiest time, around 1972, about 1,500 people worked there. These workers built ships and worked with metals.
What Astarsa Made
Even though Astarsa was mostly known for building ships, it also worked on trains. The company helped make and fix diesel locomotives for big train companies like EMD, Werkspoor, and Alsthom. They also did major repairs on both diesel and steam locomotives for the state-owned railway company, Ferrocarriles Argentinos.
Between 1976 and 1991, Astarsa built 267 locomotives. These were made under a special agreement with General Motors. Most of these trains were for Argentina, but some were also sent to countries like South Africa and Saudi Arabia.
In the early 1970s, Astarsa also made large machines for factories. They did this with permission from an American company called Caterpillar.
Challenges and Closure
During the 1970s, workers at Astarsa spoke up about many accidents happening in the factory. These accidents had sadly caused several deaths. In 1973, the workers even went on strike to protest.
On March 24, 1976, a new military dictatorship took over the government in Argentina. The Argentine Army then took control of the Astarsa factory and other shipyards nearby. During this time, many workers faced difficulties, and some were even taken away and never seen again.
In the 1980s, the number of ships traveling in Argentina started to decrease. Then, in the 1990s, the government began selling off many state-owned companies. These changes made it very hard for Astarsa to keep going.
In 1994, Astarsa finally closed down. They left behind trains that were new or being fixed inside their workshops. By 1997, the company officially went bankrupt, and by 2000, the factory was being sold off.
See Also
In Spanish: Astarsa para niños
- List of shipyards of Argentina
- Transport in Argentina
- Rail transport in Argentina
