THE INDUSTRIAL RAILWAY RECORD

No. 17 - pp189-192

© FEBRUARY 1968

INDUSTRIAL LOCOMOTIVES
OVERSEAS     
           (7) BRASIL

D. TREVOR ROWE

    During a short holiday in April 1967 I made only two specific industrial visits, but I thought that a summary of what I learned would be of interest. It goes without saying that any further information will be most welcome.

 

COMPANHIA BRASILEIRA DE CIMENTO PORTLAND PERUS

    Trains run on a 60cm gauge line from the cement works at Perứs near Sao Paulo, to the workings – some 20km in distance, although the journey takes about an hour. A passenger coach is attached to each train for the use of employees but anyone can travel, and free of charge! At the workings I noticed another passenger train departing, well laden, in another direction. It seems the system may have further ramifications, particularly as other fairly recent visitors have reported "a large stock of steam locomotives including wood-burners" and as I saw only one tender locomotive, although others have seen "quite a number".

    Of the machines listed below, one of each type was in steam on the day of my visit, the others being out of use at the workings.

  1 2-4-2ST Alco 66404 July 1925  
  3 2-4-2ST Alco       (Noted on branch passenger train)
  4 2-4-2ST Alco 66405 July 1925  
  5 2-4-2ST Montreal 68633 1932  
  7 2-6-2                     (Working main line)
10 2-6-2T Baldwin 40675 October 1913   (Working main line)
14 2-6-2T Baldwin 40674 October 1913  
18 2-6-2T        

*           *           *

SANTOS DOCKS AUTHORITY (CDS)

    The Santos Docks are rail connected both to the metre gauge Sorocabana Railway and to the 5ft 3in gauge Santos-Jundiai Railway. Metre gauge dock shunting is handled by BoBo diesels of which 33, 35, 36 and 37 were noted. A line of derelict steam locomotives , possibly their predecessors, was noted inside the depot yard but I was unable to identify them. The Docks themselves are quite open and one can travel through by tram, but the depot is most heavily guarded. All the broad gauge shunting appears to be handled by a series of apparently identical steam, locomotives of which I saw six in service but few details were gleaned as will be seen from the list appended.

  6   0-6-0T      
  8   0-6-0T      
10   0-6-0T      
13 MESTRE ALMEIDA JUNIOR 0-6-0T Krauss 8361 1925
15 ANTONIO C. GOMEZ 0-6-0T      
16 JULIO BARRETO 0-6-0T      

Tender loco No.7 with a mixed train on the main line.

No.3 on a passenger train on the Portland Cement system.

Baldwin tank No.10 pauses alongside the cement works.

Santos Docks Authority No.13, MESTRE ALMEIDA JUNIOR.

   


    "TONQUIN COAL MINES. – A railway with a 40-inch (1 metre) gauge has been laid down between Natgotna mine and Haїphong, a distance of about four miles. Three locomotives and a hundred waggons have arrived from England, and it is expected that regular deliveries, at the maximum rate of 800 tons of coal a day, will begin in a month or two. The sleepers are all of cast steel, and the line appears to be firmly and strongly laid. The idea is to run the coal straight out of the main galleries upon Décauville railway waggons to an elevated stone-faced platform; dump it into the larger waggons below; carry it to the port jetty, and thence, by means of powerful cranes, drop it into the steamer holds. … Chinese, chiefly converted pirates, are employed on the navvy work at the rate of 25 cents a day, finding their own food. The directing engineer will allow none but Annamese to work in the mines, for they are more docile than the Chinese; they are paid by the piece, and can earn 15 to 25 cents a day."

    ("Iron", 18th September 1891. This account is based on an original report from the Consul at Kiungchow. Can anyone identify the locomotives?).