International Railroad Discussion > VLI Grain Trains ( Brazil)

Hi, I opened this thread to show the VLI grain trains in the south system (narrow gauge) tracks of VLI - Valor da Logistca Integrada. VLI (logotype VL!) is a company that operates on fca (Ferrovia Centro Atlantica) tracks in the southeast of Brazil. Enjoy!

Grain train passing by Juatuba (Juatuba, MG) siding on November 16, 2013. BB36-7 734 is former Conrail B36-7 5025. BB40-2 4813 is former UP SD40-2 3335.
Nowadays, the BB36-7 were sent to the limestone corridor and the new GE´s BB40-9WM´s and EMD GT40ACe and SD70ACe-BB´s are been more common. The old BB40-2 and BB40-3 won´t last much.

Pedro Rezende
Vespasiano MG,




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/11/16 18:33 by pedrop.

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1 - VLi 4813 (ex UP SD40-2 3335);

2 - VLI 8152 (former ex US SD40-2);

3 - fca 8111 (fomer ex US SD40T-2).

I don´t  know the original number of units in 81xx series.

Pedro Rezende
Vespasiano MG,
https://youtube.com/c/minasgeraisrailways1



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/11/16 19:26 by pedrop.

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That first picture looks like a model.Keep sending. Is that a tripod
I see in the lower left? I also like to see part of your country that
is around the trains.I would like to go there.

Uncle Joe,Seffner,Fl.

Hi, Yes it is my tripod. I use to Record videos while railfaning. If you come here I will be happy to show you The trains around here.

retcsxcfm Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> That first picture looks like a model.Keep
> sending. Is that a tripod
> I see in the lower left? I also like to see part
> of your country that
> is around the trains.I would like to go there.
>
> Uncle Joe,Seffner,Fl.
 

Pedro Rezende
Vespasiano MG,
https://youtube.com/c/minasgeraisrailways1

A grain train class J approaching Santanense siding (Itauna, MG):

1 and 2-  The leading units EMD BB40-3 8158 and 8125 (both ex US SD40-2);

3 -  The first DPU section had EMD BB40-2 4810 (former MoPac 6061) and GE BB36-7 745 (former Seabord 7076) as motive power;
 

Pedro Rezende
Vespasiano MG,
https://youtube.com/c/minasgeraisrailways1



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/11/16 19:07 by pedrop.

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Unfortunately, the poles were too close to the train. We call these train "Tricotrol" (locotrol in three sections), since they have three groups of DPU. 

1 - The first DUP: GE BB36-7 745 and BB40-3 4810;

2  and 3-  The second DPU group: EMD BB40-3 8131 and EMD BB40-2 4811 (former CP 5645). 

Pedro Rezende
Vespasiano MG,
https://youtube.com/c/minasgeraisrailways1

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The third and last DPU unit is EMD BB40T-2 4828 (fomer DRGW 5345) entering Santanense siding.

Pedro Rezende
Vespasiano MG,
https://youtube.com/c/minasgeraisrailways1



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/11/16 19:08 by pedrop.

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The same train stopped at Padre Eustaquio siding for a crossing, so we could get more pics of it. Here are two views of the huge front porch of BB40T-2 4828.

Pedro Rezende
Vespasiano MG,
https://youtube.com/c/minasgeraisrailways1



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/11/16 19:27 by pedrop.

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The crossing at Padre Eustaquio siding:

1 - BB40-3 6505 leading the empty grain with other three units;

2 - BB40-3 6505 and 8117 entering the siding to cross with the loaded grain we followed;

3 - BB36-7 735 (former Conrail 5029) and BB40T-2 4825 (former DRGW 5347) are the dead units is this empty grain returning to the soybean fields.

Pedro Rezende
Vespasiano MG,
https://youtube.com/c/minasgeraisrailways1

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Well done. Looking forward to more!
Cheers,
Jack

Very neat stuff! Thanks for sharing the pictures.

Wow!  Fantastic.

KG

Great pictures Pedro, many thanks.

I sure like the looks of the bb trucks under those units. That's quite the dance floor on the SD40!

Posted from Android

Good stuff Rezende.

YY
 

Thanks to all that replied this thread. It´s good to see people is enjoying our post.

1 - More pics taken at Padre Estaquio siding. Now I use some pics from Google to show how is the shape of the tracks there before to post the next pics. Note the line is very sinuous, climbing the hills around. Thta´s why fca locomotives with BB trucks. The sising is in the botomm of one of the many hills in trat area.

2 and 3 - The loaded trains bound to Belo Hozizonte (BH) need to do a sharp horse shoe curve with steep grade when leaving the siding, as we can see here and in the next post.
 

Pedro Rezende
Vespasiano MG,
https://youtube.com/c/minasgeraisrailways1

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1 - The loaded train in the siding while waiting the crossing with the empty one. This high wall is in the center of the siding.

2 - Railfan Alexandre talking to the engineer that is preparing to departure with the grain bound to BH;

3 - The grain leaving the siding. 

Pedro Rezende
Vespasiano MG,
https://youtube.com/c/minasgeraisrailways1

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1 - The leading units doing the sharp horse shoe curve. It is nice to hear them in the full throttle .

2 - The leading units reaching the highest point of the curve in front of the siding, about 30 meter above the tracks were I was taking the pictures.

3 - The first section of DPU´s  reaching the high end of the horse shoe curve.

Pedro Rezende
Vespasiano MG,
https://youtube.com/c/minasgeraisrailways1

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1 -  The grain train at the high level of the curve. Pic taken from the track level in the siding;

2 - A couple of DPU. Note the grade of the tracks at that point.

3 - The tail helper.

Pedro Rezende
Vespasiano MG,
https://youtube.com/c/minasgeraisrailways1

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I know I shoud started this thread with a map, but I realized on this now, so here it is. 

VLI narrow gauge grain corridors is divided into three track systems. Of course, there are other locations where the trains are loaded near Araguari, like Uberaba and Uberlandia. But we use Araguari as the main point to start the corridors. 

1- The Paulista corridor, from Araguari MG to Santos SP. This is the easiest connection from the plantations in Minas and Goias states to the sea. Good tracks and easy curves. But the hill at Santos is a bottleneck these days. 

2 - Centro corridor, from Araguari to BH and then to Vitoria ES. It is a connection to Vale mining tracks around BH. The line has big grades and sharpe curves before reach the Vale tracks, specially in the Serra do Tigre (Tiger´s hill). 

3 - Pirapora corridor, from Pirapora to Pedro Leopldo, and then to Vitoria ES by Vale tracks. This corridor has old tracks and accept only the narrow gauge GE U20C . VLI intends to do an upgrade  in the line to accept the big BB´s or GT46´s in 2017.

Pedro Rezende
Vespasiano MG,
https://youtube.com/c/minasgeraisrailways1

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