International Railroad Discussion > FCAB Newfies and GR12s

The last hours of light on Thursday April 18 found us watching a train off in the distance as it went west through Prat, Chile. We were still close to Gaviota and hoping it would come our way. As it passed through the wye in Prat it became clear it was staying on the main and heading towards O'Higgins. As we also realized it had a GR12 (which we had started calling SD9s) we raced down the highway towards O'Higgens. As we staked out the overpass, we saw our train slowing to a stop in distance. Of course, we were surprised by a single NF210 (Newfie) with some odd metal plates, heading east. Soon after our train comes towards us. We grabbed some shots and chased it to Portezuelo, where it would meet a train with two GR12s and a string of tankcars. After getting the meet, we went back to the overpass near O'Higgens to get the trankcar train in last light, but once again were surprised by a train going the other way with a single Newfie. I was so surprised I was only able to pull of a roster, but how often do you get to see the trucks of a Newfie lit? The GR12 train still hadn't come by the time we lost the light, so we headed back to the hotel, exhuasted, and ready for another day.

Images one and two are of the surprise Newfie at the underpass near O'Higgins. Anyone know what those loads are?

 

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Images three through five are the GR12/NF210 train heading west that we were orignally chasing. Five is a roster of the GR12.

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Copper anodes loaded differently?

Images six through eight are of the tank train at Portezuelo (which was heading east, so backlit). First two images are roster grabs. Last one is of the whole train.

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Image nine is of the meet at Portezuelo.

Imge ten is the roster shot of the last Newfie at the overpass near O'Higgins.

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Amazing photos of an amazing landscape and trains. Thank you for posting them. Why to the FCAB locomotives have the louvered screens over the side windows?

Sun screens, FCAB use acrylic instead of glass, so windows are not meshed, however side windows generally left open for ventilation, so screens offer projectile protection.

FCAB periodically clean out the gormless and hopeless squatting on their right of way. Their own goons plus a half company of Carabineros riot police if the build up is excessive, or the squatters Bolshie.

Security sweep is backed up by wheeled loaders and dump trucks to demolish and dispose of any structures, possessions, rubbish.

FCAB are quite proud of these cleanups, backed up by track side homeowners associations, who dislike the riffraff on their patch, even do press releases.

The company provides homeowners associations with plants, support and irrigation, to plant nature strips along the right of way in settled areas, the only chance most of these people have to garden.

What a railfan trip! Thanks for sharing! That second pic looks like a Railway on Mars! Rough landscape. Hope there is more to the posts before your journey ended. Really getting into some of this export unit maddness
, never really payed much attention to those locomotives.Really  some interesting kitbashing on a 1:1 scale. Take a GP 7/9 hood, a section of GP38 filter box section, switcher cab, lower the profile, add 3 axle flex-coil trucks with a short wheel base and whalla! An export unit on meter gauge! Bet those Newfie units never thought they would be running in a moon scape environment!
Thanks again, great series of photos and info.
CM80.46

Interesting pics....

The loads look like copper cathodes, like this

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Thank you.

Wonderful shots! Not seeing any in recent posts from the area, do you know if FCAB's ex Queensland GL26's were retired with the arrival of the GT42AC's?

-Zach

z-trains Wrote:
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> Wonderful shots! Not seeing any in recent posts
> from the area, do you know if FCAB's ex Queensland
> GL26's were retired with the arrival of the
> GT42AC's?
>
> -Zach

All still in service. Nos  2002-11, of which four now have 12-645 turbos



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/06/19 12:34 by utwazoo.