Algodor is a small settlement between Toledo and Aranjuez, Spain. The locality is within the municipal limits of Aranjuez and is in the Community of Madrid.

Algodor
Coordinates: 39°54′47″N 3°52′52″W / 39.9129552°N 3.8810376°W / 39.9129552; -3.8810376
CountrySpain
CommunityCommunity of Madrid
MunicipalityAranjuez
Population
 • Total14

Algodor developed as a railway town.[1] It has a population of 14,[2] but in its heyday in the 1920s there were more inhabitants and the community was provided with a school and a chapel.

Railway heritage

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The most significant building is the railway station, designed by Narciso Claveria in Neo-Mudéjar style.[3] Replacing a more modest facility, it was erected in the 1920s by the railway company "Ferrocarriles de Madrid a Zaragoza y Alicante" (often known by its initials MZA). The station has become redundant since the opening of the Madrid–Toledo high-speed rail line in 2005.[1] The old line between Aranjuez and Toledo has closed and there is less traffic passing through Algodor.

Between 1932 and 2000 an Italian hydraulic system, developed by Bianchi and Servettaz, was used to control points switching and signalling. Part of this system is now on display at the Railway Museum, Madrid, in a replica signal box.[4]

Ecology

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The stretch of the Tagus valley near Aranjuez is a good place to observe butterflies and other wildlife.[5] Algodor can be used as a starting point for trails exploring the area.[6]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Hernando, Silvia (January 2020). "Spain's dying railroad towns". El Pais. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  2. ^ "Nomenclátor. Relación de unidades poblacionales". Instituto Nacional de Estadística. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  3. ^ "Historia: Algodor". www.rta.com.es (Red de transportes de Aranjuez) (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 October 2018.
  4. ^ "Enclavamiento". www.museodelferrocarril.org/. Archived from the original on 6 November 2018. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
  5. ^ "LIFE Project: Recovery of urban environment and biodiversity of Aranjuez".
  6. ^ "10 rutas de senderismo". www.guiadelocio.com. Retrieved 27 October 2018.