Game: Guess the train

[lifeblood]

The name of the train is "Le train du désert"...

Oh. I thought that you were looking for a model name/number.

[michael blunck]

No, o/c not. The question then would´ve been for "type/class". In this game, since ages, the question for "name" means always the name of a train.

Well, next time you´ll succeed.

regards
Michael

[DanMacK]

Desert Train, how original I saw that actually, but it didn't register as what you wanted... lol

[michael blunck]

Desert Train, how original

Yes, isn´t it?

They even wrote it on the coaches:

http://yug26.free.fr/mauritanie/ptmaur26.jpg

regards
Michael

[Flavius]

Hi Michael

Congratulations on finding a most mysterious locomotive.
I have been intrigued by this train since you posted it in the Topic. Even now, we do not know where it was constructed or its class and of course if it is heading "Le Desert du Train" today. My thoughts are that these locomotives where replaced by GE engines at some point and sidelined but not wrecked.
I dream that they are now back at work and pulling the indefatigable travellers out into the desert and to the ore mines. What a trip, hmm i would like to do it.

A landmark Post too, because this is the first time a knowledge of another language would have been useful to solve the riddle. Personally i think it was ok on this occasion as French sentences are not uncommon in English usage.
Drats I did test Google with "Train + Desert", so i was close.
Also i realize that its not necessary to solve the mystery to have fun.

I also was perplexed by the "Name of train" and decided to search for a "Name of Class of locomotives"
Personally i think the correct English is: "Named Train".
Finally the use of front end door access to the locomotive for drivers was interesting too. Clearly a salient feature to improve ventilation and air flo for personnel in tropical and/or desert regions.

[michael blunck]

Congratulations on finding a most mysterious locomotive.
I have been intrigued by this train since you posted it in the Topic. Even now, we do not know where it was constructed or its class and of course if it is heading "Le Desert du Train" today. My thoughts are that these locomotives where replaced by GE engines at some point and sidelined but not wrecked.
I dream that they are now back at work and pulling the indefatigable travellers out into the desert and to the ore mines. What a trip, hmm i would like to do it.

Hi Rollo

thanks for your kind words and your interesting contribution. As a real rail enthusiast you seem indeed to be interested as well in the more "exotic" material, kind of the way it is for me.

TRAIN DU DESERT

Considering the "Train du Désert", it is indeed still running today on the SNIM ("Société Nationale Industrielle et Minière") network, connecting the port of Nouadhibou with SNIM´s iron ore mines at Zouerate (some 500 km).

See map

The "Train du Désert" is a pure tourist train, usually composed of a sleeping coach and a single panorama car only.

Here´s a most interesting journey report:

Voyages de Marta et Jacek: Mauritania
1: Nouadhibou
2: The train
3: Zouerate
4: SNIM mine
6: Train to Chôum


TRAIN MINERALIER

Main traffic on the Nouadhibou-Zouerate route is by the "Train Minéralier" (the "iron ore train"), also one of the famous trains of the world for sure, with its length of 2.5 km, 230 cars, and 22,000 tons of iron ore loaded. It´s also possible to make the journey by this train which includes a coach two times a day, but o/c using the train du désert seems to be more adequate for foreigners.

For both trains, climatic conditions and for the train minéralier its large weight makes operating this line most difficult: sand dunes on the tracks, increased wear on track and engines and geometrical distortions of the track which is built merely on pure sand, sandstorms, high temperatures, no water, ...

The iron ore trains are usually hauled by three or four GM SLD40-2 diesels of 3300 hp each and equipped by special three-stage sand plows. There are constantly three full and three empty trains on the line.

snim.jpg (77.05 KiB) Viewed 2734 times

Here´s an interesting arcticle written by Michael J. Studney, a contractor to GM, involved in placing the GM diesel engines in service:

A sand-breathing diesel conquers the Sahara
Railway Age, April, 1994 by Michael J. Studney

The wind rattled the door of my small bungalow. On the floor of the foyer, small sand dunes had formed during the night in front of the door, and a fine layer of dust coated the room's furnishings. Beyond the door lay Mauritania, a vast and ancient country of the Sahara, blessed with endless sunshine but cursed with drought, endless sand, and dust so fine that it hangs in the air like a perpetual morning mist.

The environment is hostile to man and machine alike. The Mauritanians found shelter in their elegant indigo gowns and turbans, but sophisticated means had to be found to protect their lifeline--the iron ore rail line connecting Nouadhibou on the Atlantic coast to the rich mines of Zouerate, the Guelbs, and M'haoudat, more than 400 miles into the Western Sahara. The train that traverses this line is almost one and a half miles long. Its massive load of 23,000 tons is hauled by a special breed of locomotive four General Motors SDL40-2s developed by Electro-Motive for special desert operations.

As an independent contractor to GM, I had the honor of placing these massive machines in service. Having known French West Africa for many years, I knew this would be another adventure.
read more ...

In addition, there´s also a video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXXFZCsuQPk

And a couple of Google maps:

A long iron ore train in Mauretania

The Zouerate mines

The harbour of Nouadibhou

A landmark Post too, because this is the first time a knowledge of another language would have been useful to solve the riddle. Personally i think it was ok on this occasion as French sentences are not uncommon in English usage.
Drats I did test Google with "Train + Desert", so i was close.
Also i realize that its not necessary to solve the mystery to have fun.

I also was perplexed by the "Name of train" and decided to search for a "Name of Class of locomotives"
Personally i think the correct English is: "Named Train".
Finally the use of front end door access to the locomotive for drivers was interesting too. Clearly a salient feature to improve ventilation and air flo for personnel.

ALSTOM

Regarding those Alstom diesels, it´s indeed very hard to find information about them. There is almost no information on the internet, neither on french web pages nor in the french railway news groups. Even books are very rare. I´ve been searching information by checking old volumes of the french railway magazine "La vie du rail d´outre-mer", which deals exclusively with french railway material in former french colonies and departments (mainly in Africa). Very interesting, but it´s out of print since years and you´ll have to look it up on some very few public libraries.

In consequence, I´m not sure about the exact type of that Alsthom engine, besides it being an Alsthom CC xxx, delivered in 1961 to SNIM. These were first used for the iron ore train, until SNIM introduced the GE engines for that purpose.

Here´s another picture showing those phantastic extra sand filters on the roof:

snim2.jpg (139.93 KiB) Viewed 2737 times

regards
Michael

[DanMacK]

Excellent information Michael We can alweays count on your research. learning more about your posts is more fun than finding out what they are

That coach behind the locl, looks sort of like a double decker. Very odd and cool.

Thanks for the wealth of info

[Bad Hair Day]

That was quite interesting, especially the article by the contractor. Cheers for that Micheal.

I love heavy freight. (-:

[michael blunck]

Excellent information Michael

Thanks, guys.

[...] the article by the contractor

Glad you liked it.

Sanding the rails is a well-known technique for improving traction. However, [...] the task here is to get the sand off the rails.

BTW, would somebody like to post a new one?

regards
Michael

[Flavius]

Country:
Company:
Builder:
Class:
Wheel Arrangement:
Entered service:
Gauge:

[michael blunck]

Mystery Locomotive.jpg

Nobody interested than me?

regards
Michael

[DanMacK]

I am, just haven't had a chance to research it yet. Let's see...

Country: South Africa
Company: Natal Railway
Builder: GE?
Class:
Wheel Arrangement: Bo-Bo
Entered service: 1923
Gauge: 3'6"

[Flavius]

Country: South Africa [DanMack]
Company:
Builder:
Class:
Wheel Arrangement: Bo-Bo [DanMack]
Entered service:
Gauge: 3'6" [DanMack]

[michael blunck]

Country: South Africa [DanMack]
Company: SAR (South African Railways)
Builder: Metropolitan-Vickers/UK & SLM/Switzerland
Class: 1E
Wheel Arrangement: Bo-Bo [DanMack]
Entered service: 1925
Gauge: 3'6" [DanMack]

line: Natal Railway Glencoe-Pietermaritzburg
Foto: Richard Niven
Location: Natal 1972

Nice choice, Rollo.

regards
Michael

[Flavius]

Hi Michael

Country: South Africa [DanMack]
Company: SAR (South African Railways) [michael blunck]
Builder: Metropolitan-Vickers/UK & SLM/Switzerland [michael blunck]
Class: 1E [michael blunck]
Wheel Arrangement: Bo-Bo [DanMack]
Entered service: 1925 [michael blunck]
Gauge: 3'6" [DanMack]

Well done and thank you for kind comments. Clues from DanMack too much, i think so.
Once again over to you.

[michael blunck]

Here´s something more modern and easier to guess:

country: ???
company: ???
line: ???
type/class: ???
builder: ???
year: ???

regards
Michael

[DanMacK]

I'm thinking Middle Eastern. Saudi or Iranian maybe?

[michael blunck]

Good guessing so far.

regards
Michael

[RFT]

the yellow and green makes me think Iraq, but I'm not sure of that as the livery's not quite right.


the nose and headlights look like the electroputere/alco things used by Iran (LDE 2640 HP-IR), but those had buffers, not buckeyes.

it;s a tricky one.

[michael blunck]

yellow and green [...] Iraq [...] livery [...] headlights [...] Iran [...] buffers [...] buckeyes

Mmh, yes. Interesting observations. Just carry on.

it;s a tricky one.

I wasn´t aware of that when posting. But now that you mention it ...

regards
Michael