International Railroad Discussion > FCAB downtown Antofagasta Line to Port

We stayed in Antofagasta proper on our last day in Chile. The morning was about shooting the local that runs from the yard in Antofagasta right past our hotel on its way to the port. Two of us got up early and walked down to the gate at the FCAB station. After about an hour-long wait, we got a train of copper cathodes heading west behind an orange FCAB GA8. I wasn't that happy with the photos, so I enlisted a couple of the rest of the group to walk over to the port (with no idea if there was any view in). Turned out to be a bike path with a slat fence that gave a nice view. It was even big enough to slip a camera through. Managed to roster the heck out of the GA8. Waited for it to leave for a shot under the port gate sign. We were then surprised by another train of cathodes with another GA8 (this one in the new scheme) that must have been waiting at the station. Based on the two hours the first one spent in the port, we headed back to the hotel, intending to go back over and shoot the second one returning from the street. It surprised us again, coming back much sooner, hence my only images are from my hotel room. 

Image one is of the FCAB station/office building.

Images two and three are of the first cathode training heading out of the station area.

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Images four through seven (last one on the next post) are my rosters of the EMD GA8.

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Images eight is of the train returning to the yard now with empty flats.

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Images nine and ten are of the second westbound copper cathode train. This one surprised us, but the sun was pretty bad for a westbound no matter what side you were on.

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Last two images are of the white and blue GA8 returning to the yard with empty flats. Had intended to be back on the ground to shoot this, but it showed up an hour before I expected it, so was just able to grab these from the hotel room.

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Thank you for sharing your trip with us. Question, do you think they got those mufflers on the GA8s from the local Midas shop? :)

Do you have any idea how much one of those copper plates weigh?
 

250 to 300lb range.