International Railroad Discussion > Newfies, GMD NF210, in Chile, a primer

When cchan006 mentioned looking up NF210s on the internet, after my earlier post,  I thought there might be interest in a quick history and photos of the 21 NF210s ('Newfies') that came to Chile.  The units were built by GMD in 1956-60
for service on Canadian National's Newfoundland lines.  The gauge was 3'6" (Cape gauge).   When CNR and successor Terra Transport closed the line,  Ferrocarril Antofagasta y Bolivia (FCAB) bought 21 of the units,  along with flatcars, 
rail and other items.  They were purchased in two batches in 1988 and 1994.  

Before entering service, all were rebuilt with Q-Tron microcontrol system,  dynamic brakes (except for No. 1425), air conditioning and other tweaks.  Gauge was changed from 42" to meter gauge of 39.37". 
All were converted to cab first operation.  Over the years,  other upgrades have been made,  including 645 power assemblies.  A few have been retired but there are at least twelve in service today
and all are now being repainted into the current FCAB white/blue livery.

Three were sold eventually to Sociedad Quimicos y Minerales (SQM),  whose railway was 42" gauge.   When SQM shut down their railway system in November 2015,  FCAB bought the three units,  which became Nos 1445-7. 
They were used  sporadically and in 2019 were put up for sale.   Painted dark blue with no markings they are still for sale, parked at the Old Station Yard in Antofagasta.

With that,  on to the photos.  All but two are my work, the others by Doug Cummings as noted

1.  No 1418 with GR12 1412 eastbound at Uribe.  11/8/94    Doug Cummings photo   The orange/black colors was the original FCAB livery.  The white roofs seems to have been a trial scheme. 
2.  1418W at Los Morros.  8/5/17.   1418 retained the orange scheme;  sort of a heritage livery.
3.   1418 at Sierra Gorda,   8/13/08



 



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 10/05/26 02:59 by masterphots.

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4.   1419W east of Sierra Gorda.  8/11/16
5.    1420 at Antofagasta.  11/10/94.   This was an early iteration of what became the standard FCAB livery for 20 years.  Dubbed the Toucan scheme, after the colorful bird,  it was replaced with the current white/blue around 2015. 
           Doug Cummings photo
6.    1420 at Prat, 4/5/17.   Until the current repainting spree,  this was the only NF210 to receive the new colors,  other than the three acquired from SQM.
 

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7.   1422E at Cumbre.  7/26/12     With the acquisition of new power in 2016,  you seldom see pure sets of these units on trains these days.  But they are on all sorts of shorter trains,  yard switchers, and helpers.
8.    1423 at Cochrane  8/13/08.   We always joked you need low light to prove these units actually have trucks.
9.    1425 at O'Higgins   8/31/09.  The only NF210 that didn't get dynamic brakes.  Who knows why



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/30/26 08:46 by masterphots.

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10.  1445,  one of the three units acquired from SQM in 2016.  Antofagasta,  4/5/17.   Seldom used, they've been for sale since June 2019.
11.   SQM (subsidiary SIT)  901 at Pedro Valdivia,  6/20/01    Became FCAB  1445.
12.   SQM 937 in final livery.  Maria de Elena,  11/23/13    Became FCAB 1446
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/30/26 08:47 by masterphots.

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Thank you for those images.  The rascals are growing on me.  I'm curious as to the shrouding (skirting?) that partially covers the truck frames.  Any idea as to why they were designed that way?

-John

The space between the wheels on this narrow gauge unit is extremely tight.  To fit a standard 567 prime mover and its generator onto such a narrow wheelbase, a heavy load-bearing outside frame was designed. 
This provided the unit with better  stability and allowed a full standard-sized cab and hood width,  while the narrow gauge trucks were far beneath the frame.  There was also more space underneath for fuel tanks,
air reservoirs and oher components.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/30/26 14:04 by masterphots.

Awesome coverage. Love the barren landscapes.

Thank you for the explanation of the "skirts", masterphots.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/30/26 16:04 by Mike6640-2.

Great post, Alan.  'Love the desert scenes.  Thanks!

Greg Stadter
Phoenix, AZ

Mike6640-2 Wrote:
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> Thank you for the explanation of the "skirts",
> masterphots.

Thanks as well.  Makes total sense.

-John

Great series, and a welcome history lesson as well. Thanks.

Now my mining background has me scratching my head regarding the trains themselves. Can you offer some details?  

march_hare Wrote:
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> Great series, and a welcome history lesson as
> well. Thanks.
>
> Now my mining background has me scratching my head
> regarding the trains themselves. Can you offer
> some details?  

FCAB hauls the following:   Sulphuric acid for export in orange tank cars.   Non-copper concentrate from mom and pop mines in Bolivia in orange boxcars.   Non-copper concentrates in round containers
from the big San Cristobol mine in Bolivia. The white pots lead; red pots manganese.   99.9% pure copper cathodes in security cages on flatcars.  Non-copper concentrates in covered gray gondolas from
a mine in Sierra Gorda.  And finally, the big one:  9000 ton trains of copper concentrate in black containers from the BHP Spence mine.

SQM hauled potassium nitrate in hopper cars and bags on flats,  used to make fertilizer.  Today,  they've tranisitioned to lithium,  no need for trains.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 10/01/26 06:22 by masterphots.

Thanks.

Fascinating units, modeling those would take some work.  But the scenery would be super simple!  

Nathan

Great set Alan, so good to know the Newfies are still part of the FCABs plans.

Very nice photos. The landscape is fantastic!

Posted from Android

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

Do you have a clean photo of the wheel trucks on these units?

GN1969 Wrote:
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> Do you have a clean photo of the wheel trucks on
> these units?

Sorry, but no

Great article and photos. I take it the heavy duty shutters are needed for the sand storms there.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

For protection from the blazing hot sun.   We don't have sand storms since the Atacama is very hard packed dirt/rocks.  There are dust flurries from various mines but that is mostly under
control these days due to various mitigation projects.  Trains used to create some dust but now all concentrate is in sealed containers.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/05/26 02:59 by masterphots.