International Railroad Discussion > Current RR situation in Columbia

A friend will go to Columbia soon, mostly to see railroads. The info in my 2003 Janie's railways id rather old now. Other than the standard gauge heavy haul coal RR in the very northeast Peninsula what is the status of Columbia's old narrow gauge network, what is it use for and is it abandoned or used by locals with motorized carts. Is any section actually used as a traditional common carrier railroad?

If you're referring to Drummond Coal out of Port Drummond it's 3 foot gauge.   The other coal hauler is Carrejon (former Exxon),  not sure the gauge.  Engine terminal at Albania.   I think both are still operating.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/14/16 09:49 by masterphots.

There's a lot more rail traffic than before actually. You can find some videos of both the coal lines (one 3 foot gauge, the other standard) along with the 3 foot lines that run through the mountains. I unfortunately don't have much more information - I'm curious too!

The heavy haul Drummond operation the port for which is near Santa Marta is 3-foot gauge (914mm).  My understanding is that this is the highest-tonnage line in the world which is less than meter gauge (1000mm). The Cerrejon in standard gauge.  There is a steam passenger train out of Bogata every Sunday which is 3 foot gauge also.  Brujita railcars operate west of Buenaventura on 3-foot gauge.

Louis Cerny

Vale mining also had properties of coal there. I do not know how is it nowadays.

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

Any chance the thread title could spell ColOmbia correctly? ColUmbia is either a District in the East of the US, also known as Washington DC, or a province in Canada named British Columbia, to make it clear it is not part of the USA.

LTCerny Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The heavy haul Drummond operation the port for
> which is near Santa Marta is 3-foot gauge
> (914mm).  My understanding is that this is the
> highest-tonnage line in the world which is less
> than meter gauge (1000mm). The Cerrejon in
> standard gauge.  There is a steam passenger train
> out of Bogata every Sunday which is 3 foot gauge
> also.  Brujita railcars operate west of
> Buenaventura on 3-foot gauge.
>
> Louis Cerny

Louis,
Thanks for the gauge correction for Drummond.  Corrected my post.

Sorry for the mispelling. Yes it is Colombia and I hope their Amabassador to the USA will forgive me. Usually I read and post things on TO in the evening when I am also doing other things. I do not know how to correct this heading. Other than not being able to spell, I also cannot type. But thanks to others for the useful RR info for COLOMBIA, and I welcome more.   

Western line Buenaventuara-Cali (3') http://www.fdp.com.co/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/131033254@N07/17076360437/in/photolist-s1YP2x-dsUKnY-dTVe9N-irgFRm-bkJhvx-AnV287-nhLYFH-beGoCK-xj2efh-xBf5De-EqoXd6-sQonAV-ohtFYj-xawkGs-uhjL3w-xnwhfJ-wrsjoK-wriACs-xkZYrC-tgXiRR-tC52VX-AZrybx-dsUEef-p4k84M-uhk2Fs-xnevyE-wVAjwD-cUZd6E-ur3vsd-vkKijJ-cCu41S-Agtfkr-xFjNp1-sZuvSt-sjXDLE-teBQ1w-sT6Y5q-th2fDg-teCTZb-th1SQg-sZo3v7-sZmUv9-teEaSS-tgZUQv-sjXP9C-tgZeRT-teEkhy-sZnrc9-t9JNUU-tmroSj/lightbox/
has 4 new 7FDl-12 powered GL22SCN built by Grindrod in South Africa, around 16 locos in total
http://www.vanguard.co.za/images/igallery/original/401-500/GRINDROD_LOCOMOTIVES_97_T__12_-483.jpg
http://www.vanguard.co.za/images/igallery/original/401-500/GRINDROD_LOCOMOTIVES_97_T__14_-477.jpg
http://www.vanguard.co.za/images/igallery/original/401-500/GRINDROD_LOCOMOTIVES_97_T__6_-480.jpg

Mainly tourist shit in Bogota
http://www.drehscheibe-online.de/foren/read.php?30,7459205
http://www.drehscheibe-online.de/foren/read.php?30,7454998
http://www.drehscheibe-online.de/foren/read.php?30,7457764
http://www.drehscheibe-online.de/foren/read.php?30,7457391
http://www.drehscheibe-online.de/foren/read.php?30,7464954

The 3' systen that moves coal to the Carribean, Ferrocarriles del Norte de Colombia S.A. (FENOCO), is a JV owned by the coal producers
http://www.fenoco.com.co/
Individual coal producers operate their own trains over what is a semi open access network, latest locos are C21-EMP from GE do Brazil, around 40 received in the last 5 years
http://www.carboandes.com.co/site2/index.php/es/fenoco

Colombia exported just over 80 million tonnes of thermal coal in 2015, and over 90% of this is railed to the ports, so the lines are buisy

Go onto Youtube to watch the 3' gauge coal drags, 3 locos and up to 110 gondolas at 90 kph. Search using Spanish

The standard gauge locos are interesting, most have armoured cabs. The local lefties in this region use the engineers for target practice, don't like the Yankee capitalists pinching their resources
 

Missidentified as for Bolivia http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?6,3849829
Loco is actually Drunnond Coal Colombia 2113, a C21-EMP
Standard Drummond livery

Similar to this loco https://www.flickr.com/photos/patrickhurley/8401433833/in/album-72157632574637995/lightbox/

For an overview of one of the mines feeding the 3' gauge, this album from a Goldman Sachs security goon
https://www.flickr.com/photos/patrickhurley/albums/72157632574637995/page1
 

Here's a video of Prodeco's new coal port at Cienaga, Magdalena, Colombia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5F4wrO-fw4

The railway from the mine to this and two other ports handles about 40 trains per day [20 load, 20 empty] on a mostly double-track line - with about 50 km of single track, which has 3 2000m sidings. About 200 km from mines to ports. The railway is operated by Fenoco [Ferrocariiles del Norte de Colombia], with the three mine companies operating their trains with their crews, power, and cars.  9000-tons; 1800m; 80 km/h maximum speed. A version of Manual Block, now being replaced by a TWC-like system. 24x7 security at every level crossing. You'll see that in the video below - he's the guy with the hardhat.

It is a modern railway. Just not as wide as some!

An example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBZGYy-nPTM

GE spec sheet for Colombian C21EMP
http://media.getransportation.com/sites/default/files/C21EMP.pdf

 

Just click on the original post, click edit, then change, then save.

Victor A. Baird
​http://www.erstwhilepublications.com

tp117 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Sorry for the mispelling. Yes it is Colombia
> and I hope their Amabassador to the USA will
> forgive me. Usually I read and post things on TO
> in the evening when I am also doing other things.
> I do not know how to correct this heading. Other
> than not being able to spell, I also cannot type.
> But thanks to others for the useful RR info for
> COLOMBIA, and I welcome more.