The Associação Brasileira de Preservação Ferroviária (ABPF) (Brazilian Association of Railway Preservation) is a non profit organization and was founded in 1977[1] by Frenchman Patrick Henri Ferdinand Dollinger, and brings together those interested in preserving and disseminating the history of Brazilian railroad. Fond of steam locomotives and railways, Patrick came to Brazil in 1966 and concerned with the abandonment of the Brazilian railway history, decided to create an entity preservation, similar to those existing in Europe and the United States.
In 1979 ABPF received from São Paulo state government the concession to use and operate a 24 km deactivated branch of Fepasa Railway in Campinas city. The society started the restoration of stations and tracks. Soon it started gathering rolling stock all around the country, that were borrowed by the government. This later became the Viação Ferrea Campinas Jaguariuna (Campinas Jaguariuna Railroad).
ABPF is split in several local chapters, known as regionals. The current chapters are:
ABPF is the largest steam operator of heritage railways in Brazil.