International Railroad Discussion > Vale new 440 ore cars trains (Brazil)

Hi, Vale mining started to operate a new standard ore train in its broad gauge system in North ( Carajás railroad) comprised of 440 GDU class gondolas , with 150 gross tons each, and pulled by four GE ES58Aci, distributed at each 110 cars. It is the biggest train in Brazil for while, but it can be surpassed by the huge grain train of 600 HFT class hoppers with 130 gross tons each planned to start operation by VLI in FNS railroad (broad gauge) soon. 

Pedro Rezende
Vespasiano MG,




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/26/17 16:38 by pedrop.

Pedro ,are the new ore cars locally made.One of the Last big order for ore cars down here in Australia  were from China.
Regards,DK

Hi, yes the GDU are made in Southeast by Maxion, Randon and Usiminas and are delived by truck to EFC system since it doesn´t have connection to it for while. Soon the FNS will be completed and the cars can be send by rail. MRS also have GDU class cars.

1- GDU on the road in Sao Paulo state. Pic by my friend Vanderlei Zago, on Feb 2017;

2 - GDU at Uberlandia, MG on Dec 7, 2014. Pic by Johanes J Smit;

3 - GDU at Uberlandia, MG on Jan 22, 2012. Pic by Johanes J Smit.

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

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1 - MRS GDU class gondola made by Usiminas at  Jeceaba, MG on July 28, 2013. Pic by Helton Amaral;

2 - MRS GDU class gondola made by Maxion at Mario Campos, MG on August 21, 2015;

3 -  MRS GDU class gondola made by Randon at Itabirito, MG on August 23, 2014.

 

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

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Pedro,

Thanks for you post. What you say may be the heaviest, and among the longest, trains operated in the world. Please advise dimensions of the cars. I can convert meters to feet (3.28084 ft per meter); and the various types of 'tons'. I know the 'GDU' ore gons may vary a bit by manufacturer; but what would be the average length of all classes in meters? Also the  'HFT' grain cars, their length? And, please, what type of 'tons' do you use in Brazil; USA 'short tons of 2000 pounds per ton, long tons, often used by marine companies, or metric tons, about 2250 lbs if I remember. Anyway, have tables.

I regularly see a connection between your country of Brazil (which fascinates me) and the East Coast of USA. We have a large alumina or aluminum ore (I can never remember which), In Massena, NY. Massena is almost Canada in the very NW part of the state. Alcoa has a huge aluminum plant there next to the St Lawrence Seaway. Ore has been moving to that plant by rail from the mid-1960s to the present. First it came to Norfolk, VA; now it goes to Baltimore, MD. I believe it used to come from Jamaica. But now, using Google earth, I have found out some of it is coming from Brazil. A port of Alumana? Brazil. Google shows it near Sao Luis in NE Brazil, almost the same terminal where the Carajas ore RR ends, where these big ore trains will go??? But I think it is a separate RR due to Google earth, not going as far. Found ship PATHFINDER II at Baltimore last month, but now it is going to Jamaica. So Brazilian aluminum ore comes to USA and we need it. Hope our 'leader's plan to kill NAFTA does not doom it. John  in DE.

Hi John,

In Brazil we use the metric system, so our "ton" means metric ton (1,000 kg). I couldn´t find a good photo of Vale GDU cars, but I have many pics of the ones used by MRS. They measures 10.5 meters long from the end of the couplers, 3.021 meters high, 3.168 meters wide,  capacity of 50 cubic meters , 144 tons of gross weight (not 150 as the initial project). 
GDU: G for Gondola, D for use in car Dumper, U for capacity of 120 metric tons per axles.

The HFT hoppers are 18.072 meters long, 3.163 meters wide, 4.30 metrs high, 130 tons of gross weight, 145 cubic meters.

We have two big aluminium project in North called Alunorte https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0Xqcjm1SAQ 
and Alumar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAMp2hOfdCo
 but there are others small project there too.

These big 440 ore cars are part of the new S11D project
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRiwTSbePRg 
 The duplication of the tracks can be seen in this video
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fz4qyVwuBro

Sorry, but the hot links do not works here. Some videosin portuguese, but you can understand just watching them.
Pedro

JLinDE Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Pedro,
>
> Thanks for you post. What you say may be the
> heaviest, and among the longest, trains operated
> in the world. Please advise dimensions of the
> cars. I can convert meters to feet (3.28084 ft per
> meter); and the various types of 'tons'. I know
> the 'GDU' ore gons may vary a bit by manufacturer;
> but what would be the average length of all
> classes in meters? Also the  'HFT' grain cars,
> their length? And, please, what type of 'tons' do
> you use in Brazil; USA 'short tons of 2000 pounds
> per ton, long tons, often used by marine
> companies, or metric tons, about 2250 lbs if I
> remember. Anyway, have tables.
>
> I regularly see a connection between your country
> of Brazil (which fascinates me) and the East Coast
> of USA. We have a large alumina or aluminum ore (I
> can never remember which), In Massena, NY. Massena
> is almost Canada in the very NW part of the state.
> Alcoa has a huge aluminum plant there next to the
> St Lawrence Seaway. Ore has been moving to that
> plant by rail from the mid-1960s to the present.
> First it came to Norfolk, VA; now it goes to
> Baltimore, MD. I believe it used to come from
> Jamaica. But now, using Google earth, I have found
> out some of it is coming from Brazil. A port of
> Alumana? Brazil. Google shows it near Sao Luis in
> NE Brazil, almost the same terminal where the
> Carajas ore RR ends, where these big ore trains
> will go??? But I think it is a separate RR due to
> Google earth, not going as far. Found ship
> PATHFINDER II at Baltimore last month, but now it
> is going to Jamaica. So Brazilian aluminum ore
> comes to USA and we need it. Hope our 'leader's
> plan to kill NAFTA does not doom it. John  in DE.

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



Edited 6 time(s). Last edit at 02/27/17 15:04 by pedrop.

Thanks, Pedro. I'll use you advice for some analysis. Cannot tonight. Good informative program on US Public Broadcasting System, which may not last much longer.................need to watch and learn, even at my age.

Pedro; sorry for slow response. With the data you have supplied converting metrics into USA measures. the 440 car ore trains of GDU cars would be 15,158 feet long excluding locomotives (probably about 73 feet in length). The 144 metric tons equals 158.73 USA tons Gross per car, so the trains would  weigh 69,841 tons? If so. that I think would be a word record, at least for ore. The grain cars you give facts for at 18.072m per car and 130 mt per car would come out to (for a 600 car train) 35,574 ft or 6.73 miles; and 85,980 tons. If ran, these trains would be the equivalent of modern day ocean freighters of the Panamax size. (ie; can still haul a lot in a ship that would be 650x106 ft. I think they WOULD qualify as the largest trains in the world, certainly the grain trains. my calculations are subject to review certainly if I made any mistakes. Please correct. And Pedro, please advise when these trains start running. jl

Here is a video of the 330 ore cars. Now, the standard is 440.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXQ_PJ2SAHk

Pedro

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



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 03/08/17 06:26 by pedrop.

Many thanks for the interesting info about the Pathfinder II.  She has frequently called Baltimore over the years, often from Suriname..  The port in Brazil she is calling might be Itaqui.