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Posted by Datafever on Thursday, December 28, 2006 11:03 PM
Keep the pictures coming, pedrop!  Not only are you doing a great job of educating us and showing us what things are like, but you also have a wealth of knowledge about the operating procedures and facts.  Thumbs Up [tup]  Yeah!! [yeah]
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Posted by pedrop on Friday, December 29, 2006 3:21 PM

 Datafever wrote:
Keep the pictures coming, pedrop! 

 

Hi datafever, thanks for the good words.Smile [:)]

Here is a picture of the deep pit of Socoimex iron ore mine. Note the EFVM viaduct at the background. The passenger train also passes there. Today the pit is much deeper.Shock [:O]

 

Brazil: the land of the 8 axles locomotives! Visit my web site http://minasgeraisrailways.ning.com/
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Posted by pedrop on Friday, December 29, 2006 3:25 PM

Here is a picture of old Caue mine, the oldest mine of CVRD. CVRD stopped the mining process there, but there are another two mines at the sides: Mina do Meio and Conceicao. 60 years ago this deep pit was a high and beautiful mountainSad [:(]

 

Picture from my friend Giovani carvalho 

 

Brazil: the land of the 8 axles locomotives! Visit my web site http://minasgeraisrailways.ning.com/
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Posted by pedrop on Friday, December 29, 2006 3:34 PM

Here we see a view of the huge Brucutu mine, at Barao de Cocais. Note the train loading. This mine accept locotrol with 320 cars. In this picture the mining complex wasn´t finished, but today is complete.

picture from the Estado de Minas newspaper.

 

 

 

Brazil: the land of the 8 axles locomotives! Visit my web site http://minasgeraisrailways.ning.com/
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Posted by martin.knoepfel on Saturday, December 30, 2006 11:13 AM

Hi Pedro,

is the Serra-do-Tigres-railroad the Line that leads from Curitiba to the port of Paranagua?

 And do you know anything about the actual state of the famous Serra Inclines (old and new, trains pulled by ropes) between Sao Paulo and Santos. AFAIK, the old Serra Incline has been converted to rack-and-cog-system with broad-gauge.

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Posted by RR Redneck on Saturday, December 30, 2006 1:13 PM
 Murphy Siding wrote:
 edblysard wrote:

Just to help Pedro out...by the way, that is a photo he sent me, so you can see what he is talking about.

 

    Now there's a porch!  Is the B+B set-up to reduce the axle loading on lighter track?

Just the right size for a couple lawn chairs.

Lionel collector, stuck in an N scaler's modelling space.

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Posted by JSGreen on Saturday, December 30, 2006 4:27 PM
 RR Redneck wrote:

Just the right size for a couple lawn chairs.

....and a cooler and grill....if you do it on the front porch, you cant call it Tailgating, can you?  

Would it be a Hood Party?  (Or Bonnet party, for our cousins across the pond?)

 

...I may have a one track mind, but at least it's not Narrow (gauge) Wink.....
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Posted by pedrop on Saturday, December 30, 2006 7:12 PM
 martin.knoepfel wrote:

Hi Pedro,

is the Serra-do-Tigres-railroad the Line that leads from Curitiba to the port of Paranagua?

 And do you know anything about the actual state of the famous Serra Inclines (old and new, trains pulled by ropes) between Sao Paulo and Santos. AFAIK, the old Serra Incline has been converted to rack-and-cog-system with broad-gauge.

Hi martin.knoepfel,

Serra do Tigre is at FCA line that connects the states of Minas Gerais and Goias. That line is used to transport soybean. The line that links Curitiba to Paranagua belongs to ALL  network, in the state of Parana, in the soulth.

The old cog line between Santos and Paranapiacaba is out off service since 1990´s because an old bridge is in bad condition. That line is preserved to steam operation, but the site there have no money to fix the bridge for while. MRS has a modern cog line there two, the new one. It is in plenty operation. It uses Hitachi cog locomotives there, as you can see here. I will post more pictures of that line soon.

 

Pedro 

 

Brazil: the land of the 8 axles locomotives! Visit my web site http://minasgeraisrailways.ning.com/
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Posted by pedrop on Tuesday, January 2, 2007 12:27 PM

 

Today I met this train crossing the yard here...EFVM 1249 is one of the newest BB40-9W that joined to EFVM fleet.

 

 

Brazil: the land of the 8 axles locomotives! Visit my web site http://minasgeraisrailways.ning.com/
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Posted by pedrop on Tuesday, January 2, 2007 12:48 PM

A rear view of EFVM 1249....

 

 

Brazil: the land of the 8 axles locomotives! Visit my web site http://minasgeraisrailways.ning.com/
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Posted by pedrop on Tuesday, January 2, 2007 12:50 PM

Here we see at view of DDM45 859 helping BB40-9W 1249 with that big train.

 

 

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Posted by pedrop on Wednesday, January 3, 2007 4:51 PM

Look how much space we have between a  BB40-2 and a BB40T-2.Big Smile [:D]

 

 

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Posted by pedrop on Wednesday, January 3, 2007 4:54 PM

Here we see two ex- ATSF C30-7 units on FCA broad gauge lines in Sao Paulo state

 

 

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Posted by pedrop on Monday, January 8, 2007 6:03 PM

MRS 3841 passing by Sebastiao Lacerda station. Photo from my friend Gutierrez Lhamas.

 

 

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Posted by Datafever on Monday, January 8, 2007 6:53 PM
Keep up the excellent work!  Nice photos.  I've really enjoyed learning about Brazilian operations.Thumbs Up [tup]
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Posted by pedrop on Wednesday, January 10, 2007 5:21 PM

The only RSC3 in operation condition in Brazil. Here we see it being moved by truck to EFC, where it is working now as a MOW loco in the construction of Norte e Sul line.

 

 

Brazil: the land of the 8 axles locomotives! Visit my web site http://minasgeraisrailways.ning.com/
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Posted by Murphy Siding on Wednesday, January 10, 2007 8:22 PM
     Why doesn't the RSC3 have *extra* axles?  Does it already have a low enough axle loading for running in Brazil?

Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Thursday, January 11, 2007 8:15 AM

 Murphy Siding wrote:
     Why doesn't the RSC3 have *extra* axles?  Does it already have a low enough axle loading for running in Brazil?

The RSC3 already has an idler axle (A1A-A1A) so extra axles would probably make it too slippery.  It may also not be assigned to meter-gauge trackage.

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 pedrop on Thursday, January 11, 2007 9:37 AM

 CSSHEGEWISCH wrote:
It may also not be assigned to meter-gauge trackage.
Yes, all brazilian RS3, RSC3, FA1 and PA2 are broad gauge. Only the hybrid Alco /GE units are meter gauge.

 

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Posted by edblysard on Thursday, January 11, 2007 11:43 AM
Thought I would rate this thread, just because of the sheer volume of great photos...Cool [8D]

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Posted by Datafever on Thursday, January 11, 2007 11:47 AM
Sign - Ditto [#ditto]
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Posted by pedrop on Thursday, January 11, 2007 5:27 PM

Here we see a Volvo front loader give a help to the truck to departure...the RSC3 traveled more than 3,000km onto the truck to reach the line of EFC...

 

 

Brazil: the land of the 8 axles locomotives! Visit my web site http://minasgeraisrailways.ning.com/
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Posted by pedrop on Thursday, January 11, 2007 5:38 PM

Here we see the small Houston locomotive that loaded the RSC3 onto the truck.

 

 

Brazil: the land of the 8 axles locomotives! Visit my web site http://minasgeraisrailways.ning.com/
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Posted by Datafever on Thursday, January 11, 2007 6:37 PM
Pedro, I'm not sure if you answered this before, but do you know how much trackage is dual gauge?  And where would be the location(s) of most of that dual gauge track?
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Posted by pedrop on Friday, January 12, 2007 4:50 PM

Hi guys,

I received this picture of Serra do Tigre line. Note the FCA train doing a "S" curve (the top of the "S" is at top right)Big Smile [:D] It´s a wonderful line.

 

Brazil: the land of the 8 axles locomotives! Visit my web site http://minasgeraisrailways.ning.com/
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Posted by pedrop on Friday, January 12, 2007 6:16 PM

 Datafever wrote:
Pedro, I'm not sure if you answered this before, but do you know how much trackage is dual gauge?  And where would be the location(s) of most of that dual gauge track?

Hi Datafever,

 

we have dual gauge line in Sao Paulo state, from the location of Boa Vista Nova to Santos, where ALL  line (meter gauge) connects to MRS (broad gauge). Some suburb lines in Sao Paulo city use dual gauge lines too. The ALL line from Pederneiras to Itapevi and Bauru is dual too. I do not know how long is the dual gauge system in Sao Paulo state, but I think is much more than here in Minas.

In the south, we have dual gauge at  Uruguaiana yard, where ALL have meter and standard gauge. The standard gauge belongs to ALL network in Argentina. I also do not know how long is the dual gauge system in ALL network in the south. 

Also we have dual gauge in northeast at EFC where its connect to CFN. I think it´s only at Sao Luiz yard. 

In Rio de Janeiro we had dual gauge lines too, but they were removed some years ago. 

Here in Minas Gerais we have dual gauge links Contagem to Sete Lagoas, and at Patrag yard. These section together have about 200 km long. The lines passes through Belo Horizonte city, the capital of Minas Gerais.

An interesting thing about dual gauge system is the fact the companies use to have 3 rails on flat lands and 4 rails on steep grades. The reason is the fact of broad gauge trains wast the rails much more than meter gauge ones. So, the companies have their own line in the steep grade sections to avoid argument among the companies. Close here, we have a section of dual gauge with 4 rails. The line belongs to EFVM but MRS also use it to reach PATRAG yard, to get steel produts at Acominas steel plant. So each company have it´s "own" rails in the same line. I will get a picture of this section to add here.

 

Pedro 

 


           
Brazil: the land of the 8 axles locomotives! Visit my web site http://minasgeraisrailways.ning.com/
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Posted by pedrop on Friday, January 12, 2007 6:20 PM

One of the special gondolas  used to switch cars on bolth gauges. We call them Maromba or Madrinha cars. Note it has one truck on meter line and the other at the broad...

 

 

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Posted by pedrop on Friday, January 12, 2007 6:28 PM

 

Some locomotives have dual gauge couplers, like SPA RSC-3. The broad gauge coupler is higher than the meter one (higher than standard gauge too) and is centered to the loco. The meter gauge coupler is located a bit to side.

 

 

Brazil: the land of the 8 axles locomotives! Visit my web site http://minasgeraisrailways.ning.com/
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Posted by pedrop on Friday, January 12, 2007 6:51 PM

...we also have gondolas with two couplers, like this FCA GFD class gondola. They use gondolas because the car must be very heavy to connect the locomotives of different gauge to the train.
 So the gondolas are full of old pieces of rails or full of stone ballast.

 

 

 

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Posted by Datafever on Friday, January 12, 2007 7:00 PM
If you get the opportunity, could you post some pictures of dual-gauge switches?  I'd like to see how that maze of trackwork looks.
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