International Railroad Discussion > Visiting Santa Helena yard (Brazil)

Hi, my friend Rony was visiting  Ferrovia Norte e Sul - FNS (North & South rwy) in Santa Helena de Goiás, GO (PSG in Rumo system) in the West. This line is been built by Rumo railroad after win an auction from the federal government to built the South section that will link with the North section operated by VLI. The North section is connected to Vale north system (Carajás rwy - EFC). The South section is connected with Rumo system in Mato Grosso and São Paulo states. The end of the job will happen in June 2022. The railroad will have 4,155 km long and will be a grain corridor in both directions. Other big railroads are been built to cross with FNS from East to West too, so we will have a new broad gauge network for grain and ore in areas never served by trains before. 

1 - 2) The Santa Helena yard is empty now, but in a few months will receive Rumo grain trains;

3) Brand new Brado well cars are stored at Santa Helena waiting the line openning to connect with VLI narrow gauge system in Anapolis, GO where they will get containers.

Pedro Rezende
Vespasiano MG,




Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/07/22 08:19 by pedrop.

---

---

---

4 - 5) Brado well cars stored in the yard;
6) One of the locomotives used to built the railroad. I couldn't identify the model, but it looks a B23-7 bought second hand in US market like other that arrived here since 2003.

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

---

---

---

7 - 9)  More views of unit 3609.

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

---

---

---

10) A Google view of the Santa Helena yard PSG. Less than 10 Km away there is another big yard and load Facility called Ouro Verde (PSO);

11) A view of the Ouro Verde junction: 
A - To the south (linking Rumo rr),
B - Anapolis branch,
C - to the North (linking VLI and Vale).

That's all for now.

Pedro

 

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



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/07/22 08:24 by pedrop.

---

---

It is amazing that so much railroad is being built these days, especially the new narrow gauge.  



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/07/22 09:19 by tomstp.

Nice and interesting look at the new Santa Helena yard and surroundings Pedro. Like the new equipment.

Larry

tomstp Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It is amazing that so much railroad is being built
> these days, especially the new narrow gauge.  

I'm a fan of the meter gauge networks in Brazil. It's been fascinating to see how they've upgraded and expanded along with all the wildly different rolling stock.

My guess would be that's former ATSF B36-7 #7492 / BCOL #3609.   The angle on the rock lights (it originally had pedistal mounted ditch lights above the front walkway), the bell on the front of the cab, nose headlights etc. all match up. 

Impressive infrastructure and a great presentation, Pedro.

Just out of curiosity, who is paying for all of this new development?  I understand that the "federal government" is awarding contracts, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it is the sole financial source.  Any foreign investments, etc.?

Greg Stadter
Phoenix, AZ



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/09/22 10:00 by E25.

Thanks for the information. I have no data about this unit and what you said make sense.

NDHolmes Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> My guess would be that's former ATSF B36-7 #7492 /
> BCOL #3609.   The angle on the rock lights (it
> originally had pedistal mounted ditch lights above
> the front walkway), the bell on the front of the
> cab, nose headlights etc. all match up. 

Posted from Android

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

All the investiment was done by BNDS (National Bank for Social Delopment), but the president Bolsonaro government created a new way to manage the construction of these new railroads that is done selling in auctions the rights for operation the railroads for a period of thirty years, so the owner of these rights are putting their money to finish the railroads that the government started years ago. This new way was created to prevent the corruption that uses to eat the money and delay the construction. Some of these railroads constructions were stopped for more than twelve years, and now they are almost done. The FNS was sold before the end of the construction, so Rumo railroad is finishing the construction itself since 2020. FIOL (East to West Railroad) was divided in three parts and the first section was sold to a BAMIN mining group that will finish the cobstruction until 2026. This is the second biggest railroad in construction nowadays. The other two section will be sold in auctions in 2023.

12) FIOL map. The orange section is almost ready and was sold in 2020. The dashed line shows the section under construction that will be sold in 2023. The red line is FNS railroad.;
13 - 14) Two of the many big bridges under construction.


E25 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Impressive infrastructure and a great
> presentation, Pedro.
>
> Just out of curiosity, who is paying for all of
> this new development?  I understand that the
> "federal government" is awarding contracts, but
> that doesn't necessarily mean that it is the sole
> financial source.  Any foreign investments, etc.?

Posted from Android

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



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/09/22 11:33 by pedrop.

---

---

---

Thanks for putting that explantion together, Pedro.

I was curious to see if there were any "foreign sources" involved.

Greg Stadter
Phoenix, AZ



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/11/22 02:22 by E25.

Well, the group that bought the rights of FIOL 1st section is called
Eurasian Resources Group (ERG) and they are a strong company in ore mining. They got the rights and are finishing the construction of the tracks and will built the port in Ilhéus BA to export the ore and grains.

FNS are divided in two parts, and both are controlled by Brazilian companies that owns VLI and Rumo railroads.

VLI group: Vale (29,6%), Brookfield Brasil (25,5%), Brasil Port Holdings L.P. (1%), Mitsui & Co. (20%),

Rumo group: Cosan, Shell, and Raízen.

E25 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks for putting that explantion together,
> Pedro.
>
> I was curious to see if there were any "foreign
> sources" involved.

Posted from Android

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



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/11/22 05:39 by pedrop.

Great photographs, and great info on the area.

I have really enjoyed your posts here.

Pedro, one more question.  That snow plow on the front of the engine.  Will it be running in snow or is it for rocks?  Or did it just come with it?

It came with it, like others that arrived in 2003. Most had the plow removed when rebuilt by the new companies like MRS, Vale and former fca.

tomstp Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Pedro, one more question.  That snow plow on the
> front of the engine.  Will it be running in snow
> or is it for rocks?  Or did it just come with it?

Posted from Android

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