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Big GEs in the South side of the american continent

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  • Member since
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Big GEs in the South side of the american continent
Posted by Mario_v on Wednesday, May 29, 2013 9:22 AM

Hello all ;

Here's a video of brasilian operator MRS, wixh more or less specialises itself in huge and heavy (16.000 tons) iron ore trains. Traction is mostly in the 'hands' of big C44Emi engines (let us see if anyone cans see the difference from a 'normal' AC4400), but some older units still appear (C30s, C36, even 'secondhand SD40-2 that came from the US and a veteran SD18). Curiously or not, down there, the 'tabletop' control stand 'Amtrak style' has been favoured. It's just anoother american railroad, that even uses DPU and locotrol. 

watch?v=6MCwIaN5pJg

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Posted by lone geep on Friday, May 31, 2013 4:23 PM

The only difference I see between Brazilian and the American railroading is that the Brazilian railroading is in Portuguese(and also how the rail is secured to the ties)  

Lone Geep 

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Saturday, June 1, 2013 6:42 AM

There is a gauge difference (meter or 5'3") and it can look different when you get a lash-up of North American and export models (C30-7 with U20C or DDM45 with G16).

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
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Posted by Mario_v on Saturday, June 1, 2013 7:52 AM

lone geep

The only difference I see between Brazilian and the American railroading is that the Brazilian railroading is in Portuguese(and also how the rail is secured to the ties)  

There is a little difference in the cab sides that are slitly slanted (most of these GEs are built localy by GEVISa - GEs brasilian branch). Other less visible are the fact that brazilians use the metric sistem, so trains 'move' in kilometres per hour rather than mph. Ah, and the gauge of course, wich is broader - 1600 mm. All else is purely american, just like the rest of the continent

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Posted by Mario_v on Saturday, June 1, 2013 8:04 AM

CSSHEGEWISCH

There is a gauge difference (meter or 5'3") and it can look different when you get a lash-up of North American and export models (C30-7 with U20C or DDM45 with G16).

There's off course a difference, in Brazil, the gauge used is broader - 1600 mm - except in the EFC, Estrada de Ferro de Carajás, or Carajas Railroad, wich is standard gauge (and uses SD70Ms), but broader gauges there are a minority, since 83 % of the rail system is metre gauge. The fact of being metre gauge is the origin of  several 'regaugements' of big american engines, such as C307s, wich were wether converted to DDs or simply regauged, depending of the maximum axleload allowed. However, a big C30 or SD40 e metre gaue looks like an HO model in a TT layout, as it can be seen here :

watch?v=efU1g3T8W5w

Just for the record, all the engines came from the US, their heritage is the following : ex SP SD40-2  2868 + ex CP SD40-2 5600 + ex SP SD40T-2 6131, wich is something quite common. I had a roster somewere in my 'digital cemetery'. TRy to find it on of these days to post it here 

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Posted by Mario_v on Saturday, June 1, 2013 8:12 AM

This is a little piece showing the terminal to where the iron ore trains end their trip

watch?v=kCkXgn 8M8U

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