Ferrocarriles

[Tyrn]

Hi,

I've been watching this: Chattanooga Choo Choo.

They are discussing the travel from the Pennsylvania Station (NY) to Chattanooga, Tennessee. The railroad coach says FERROCARRILES DEL ESTADO.

(1) Why in Spanish (if it's authentic)?

(2) Is the plural mandatory? That is, is the FERROCARRIL DEL ESTADO un-spanish?

[poli]

Ferrecarriles indicates a network of railroads.

[Rusty]

The full name, in Spanish, is Empresa de los Ferrocarriles del Estado. This is a Chilean institution (Venezuela uses a different name).
In English, it can be translated as the State Railways Institution.

I'm not personally familiar with this institution, but since it deals with all of the railways, it has to use the plural form in its name. And I suppose, if you are riding on a particular railway (ferrocarril) that it has a number, like Track 29 in the song. When you speak about a particular railroad, you use the singular. But the trains and the company that owns (oversees) the railways carry the 'State Railways' name.

Nothing in the video was filmed in the United States. It was filmed in Chile and the ladies who are singing Chattanooga Choo Choo (the Andrews Sisters cover of the 1941 tune) are Chilean. The train in the video is also from Chile, appropriately marked 'Ferrocarriles del Estado' (the company's name).

The ladies did a pretty good job of mimicking the southern drawl that the song begs. So did the Andrews Sisters, by the way. They were from Minnesota.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

I agree with Rusty.

Originally Posted by Tyrn

(1) Why in Spanish (if it's authentic)?

The Trío Ladies are Chilean. (Thus the name "Trío" in Spanish.) They obviously recorded the video "at home".

Originally Posted by Tyrn

(2) Is the plural mandatory? That is, is the FERROCARRIL DEL ESTADO un-spanish?

It is not "un-Spanish", but note that we're talking about the railroads, vehicles and equipment, not only a train. In many countries their administration is, or has been in the hands of a State company, like highways or maritime/aerial routes.
In Mexico the company was called Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México.