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International Railroad Discussion > Rocha Dias loop - Brazil

Some pics of MRS loop at Rocha Dias siding. The location is in country side of Santos Dumont, MG Brazil. The siding is in the Mantiqueira Hill, a steep grade of up to 4%. The location is a big horse shoe curve with two tunnels inside and one in the upper end. The difference of levels from one side to other is about 47 meters.
Mantiqueira hill has many beautiful locations like this.

1 - Me admiring the big horse shoe curve from tunnel 24 (at left) to the end of the siding (at right). Tunnel 26 is below me at right. I am standing on a hang gliding ramp at the top of a small hill in front of the loop;

2 - Another view of the Loop. The tunnel 26 is behinf the trees in the botton (at right)

Pedro Rezende
Vespasiano MG,




Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 03/29/16 17:08 by pedrop.

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Here are some pics of MRS empty ore trains going up the hill. This line is used only by train running up the hill. They are entering tunnel 24.

 

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



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/29/16 16:21 by pedrop.

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An empty ore train arrives in the upper level of Rocha Dias siding. I a few moments it will run through Tunel 26 and face the steepest grade in Mantiqueira hill, comprised between tunel 26 and the Summit at João Aires siding.

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

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An AC44i is facing the south entrance of tunnel 26 at the end of Rocha Dias siding. From now on, the couple of GE´s will battle with Mantiqueira hill until reach the summit at João Aires. The difference of sea level from the botton to the summit are 172.921 meters, that are  separated by 10,278 meters of tracks.

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



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/29/16 16:15 by pedrop.

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An empty ore train reaches the end of Rocha Dias siding. The difference of level from this point to the tracks seen far below is 47 meters, that were covered in 3,154 meters of tracks

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

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This picture show the location from where I took the first pics in this thread. Note the hang gliding ramp near the old church. it´sa perfect spot to watch the trains. 

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



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/30/16 19:18 by pedrop.

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Another empty ore entering tinnel 26. Note hang gliding ramp is seen abve the roof of the cab of locomotive seen in the foreground.

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

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This map from old RFFSA (MRS predecessor) will help you understand MRS ore trains roundabout:

The LOADED ore trains are represented by the yellow line. The EMPTIES  are represented by the red line. The empties departures Guaiba island  bound to Barra do Piraí,where they take to the right and, heading north, takes the old Centro line of former Central of Brazil railroad (EFCB) to reaches Joaquim Murtinho yard. In this way they climb Mantiqueira hill at Santos Dumont.  At Joaquim Murtinho, the trains takes a connection to Jeceaba, where they reach the Ferrovia do Aço (Stell Railroad). Then, they go to the mines in Itabirito or along Paraopena line that links Joaquim Murtinho, Jeceaba and Belo Horizonte.
The loaded ore train takes the Paraopeba line or Ferrovia do Aço to Jeceaba, and then they head south to Barra Mansa by Ferrovia do Aço. There, some ore train serves CSN steel mill and others go to Guaiba island to unload. In this way, the roundabout is done, with the empty trains running to the mines by Centro line, and returning loaded by Ferrovia do Aço. That´s why on Mantiqueira hill we only see trains going up the hill. Even the merchandise trains do this roundabout to not disturb the ore movement.

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

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More pics at Rocha Dias siding

1 - A a view of tunnel 26. This tunnels is at the end of the siding.
2 and 3 -  Railfans waiting for a train. From that location we see the train approaching in a distance of almost 8 km. The final approach happens in a streach of tracks 47 meter below the point where the railfans are.

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

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A Google view of the tracks from Cabangu to tunnel 26

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

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Another view of the curves at Cabangu and Rocha Dias siding

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

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A view of the hill with the hang gliding ramp and the location from where I took the first pics in this thread

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

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