International Railroad Discussion > Abandoned Nitrate Mine Ruins and FCAB Trains

The afternoon of April 22, 2019 found us having chased a westbound Conchi mine train to the ruins of the town of Salinas (Goggle shows the area as "Central") in Chile. Wanting to get a shot with the ruins, we set up in Salinas, only to have a train of eastbound Newfies come through "town" first. Although the light was better to stay with the westbound, all our stuff was still in the hotel in Calama, so we decided on chasing the eastbound back, hoping it would meet some westbounds. We were not disappointed as three westbounds were east of us and everyone one would require a siding meet. Our first stop was the siding across from the Pampa Ruins, where two copper cathode trains would pass (one of them the transload train with the Tunnel Motor). From there we headed up to Chela where we found a train with a Newife and a Clyde both in the new paint scheme. Light was perfect so we shot away, and with this train waiting for our eastbound Newfies, we were able to get a shot (not a great shot, but great light at lest) of all three Newfie paint schemes in one frame. From there we headed back to Mina Spence where we were in the way of a very unfriendly mine truck driver. We kept heading east, doing a lot of back and forth in the Cerritos Bayos area, hoping to get just one more train, but sundown got us first. Well, what are you going to do? We shot sundown.

Images one and two are of the Newfie eastbound heading through the runins in Salinas.


 

---

---

Images three and four are of the Conchi empties also passing by the Salinas ruins.

---

---

Image five is now up by the Pampa Union ruins (which were on the other side of the highway). The Newfie train is in the siding waiting for two westbounds.

---

Images six through nine are of train 242 passing by the Pampa Ruins. Last shot is a roster of the GT42AC (sounded like an SD70ACe).

---

---

---

Images ten and eleven are of the second westbound, the one that worked the transload near Sierra Gorda, now returning with loads. Second unit is a Tunnel Motor. First unit, rostered in the second image, is a GR12.

---

---

Images 12 through 14 are now near Chela as a copper cathode train pointed west waits for the eastbound Newfies we've been chasing. Last image is a roster of the lead Newfie, in the new paint scheme.

---

---

---

Image 15 is of the two trains meeting, with all three FCAB Newfie schemes on display.

Images 16 and 17 are up at Mina Spence as the mine truck (for whomt this crossing was created, I'm sure) heads by us with a quite unfriendly, unhappy, un-whatever driver.

 

---

---

---

Last two images are of sunset at Cerritos Bayos.

 

---

---

All photos in this tread are fantastic, specially these last too.

Pedro


erielackawanna Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Last two images are of sunset at Cerritos Bayos.
>
>  

Posted from Android

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

This desert give us an idea of how Mars is ...

Posted from Android

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

What are the "fins" that extend to the front of the dynamic brakes? Is their purpose to deflect the dynamic brake heat upwards and away from the cab?