Costa Rica has no operational railroad at present. The tracks are still there though and are remains of an illustrious history. In the late 1800’s the only port of importance was Puntarenas and the Costa Rican government was looking for an easier way to reach the European market by developing the port on the Atlantic coast; the city of Limon. In 1871 the contract were signed to construct a railroad from San Jose in the Central Valley to the Province of Limon. The company to build the railroad was owned by Henry Meiggs, a New Yorker who was a known con man and entrepreneur. After leaving San Francisco where his fraudulent affairs were about to be discovered, he started a successful career as railroad builder. After building the fist railroad in Chile, he started building the railroad in Costa Rica in 1871. The first phase of the railroad from San Jose to Alajuela was completed in 1873. It took 17 more years to complete the entire track to Limon, since the railroad had to cross the mountains of one of Costa Rica’s most extensive and mountainous National Parks, the Braulio Carillo. This railroad played a prominent roll in the history of the development of banana plantations in Costa Rica and the birth of the United Fruit Company after Minor C. Keiths took over the business from his deceased uncle Meiggs in 1877. The railroad to the Pacific that connected San Jose and Puntarenas was a much easier project and was completed just thirteen years after signing the contract in 1897. In 1910 this railroad carried its first passengers and played an important role in the development of the Province of Puntarenas. In the 1990’s both railroads in Costa Rica were closed, because of financial and engineering problems. Who want to experience a virtual train ride should read Paul Theroux’s book ‘The Old Patagonian Express’, where both lines are described. Nowadays small parts of the railroad are back in use for commuter trains in the metropolitan area of San Jose. Driving through San Jose you can still see the train tracks and don’t be surprised to see a slow moving train finding its way through the morning rush hour traffic on the 10 kilometers track from Pavas to San Pedro. Close to the Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica’s Guanacaste Province you can find the work of a Swiss farmer who built a 3,5 kilometer long railroad, complete with two tunnels and bridges. Nowadays it’s operated by Hotel Los Heroes and a small track train is used to bring tourists to a revolving restaurant that offers an impressive view on the volcano. Strangely enough this is the only railroad in Costa Rica that uses its entire track as it was designed.