To start at the beginning. From time to time in the past couple of years we have seen some posts of US Locomotives going to export in Brazil . Conventional, US engines, with B_+B and C=C wheel arrangement). Pedro form Brazil has posted pctures of those engines being rebuilt to B+B+B+B wheel arrangements for use in Brazil. A search on YouTube shows any number of videos of these engines in operation, both Standard gauge and Narrow gauge.
The carriers main cargoes are minerals, of which, iron ore plays a major role for their bottom line. The lines are built for heavy haulage by rail with purpose bult cars (100tons or better) capacities.
In Canada the QNS&L RR hauls iron ore and concentrates some 418 KM Labrador City, Labrador (prov. Newfoundland) to ship from Sept Isles(sic) in Quebec. The RR has some 46 locomotives and some 1381 rail cars of 100 ton cap.
Video of one of the QNS&L’s 240 car trains with three Units to on head end and one in DPU in the train:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYxw06mT7mM&NR=1
The numbers are staggering for the Canadian operation. The company is called Rio Tinto. Their website is pretty interesting:
http://www.riotintoironore.com/ENG/operations/301_labrador_city_sept-iles.asp
This company also operates in Australia, as well as other locations.
In Brazil the company is VALE (pronounced Valley) and their operations are amazing as well. From their website:
Link: http://www.vale.com/en-us/o-que-fazemos/logistica/ferrovias/pages/default.aspx
“…Transporting more than just minerals”
Vale’s logistics infrastructure in Brazil include