What the heck??

[cncproadwarrior]

Look at the long front end on this 8 axle loco. Is this a custom job?

 

[julienjj]

Look at the long front end on this 8 axle loco. Is this a custom job?

yeah maybe, i didnt even know that they where 8 axles SDees

 

[MGWSY]

I forgot what country and I know it was in South America maybe Brazil. The units are modified US locos made to run on narrow gauge track.

Here are some pics I found online.

 

[MGWSY]

After a little research it is a RR in Brazil Here are more pictures.

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/locoList.aspx?id=EFVM

 

[diburning]

CSX sold most of the ex-conrail GE fleet to a company in Brazil who replaced the trucks with B-B-B-B trucks because of the narrower gauge and the weight restrictions per axle.

 

[Beachbum]

Weird - narrow gauge widecabs. Reinforces the saying that "There's a prototype for everything"...

 

[cncproadwarrior]

Man they sure look cool. Has anyone modeled one? Sure would be tricky.

 

[Rico]

Did I just hear a glove hit the floor??

 

[blownoutcylinder]

---mmmmm----i wonder -----

 

[tankist]

and while on subject of strange prototypes i'll throw another one.
russian DM62 diesel locomotive mounted on mobile strategic missle carrier chassis.
purpose - experimenting with in-wheel electric traction motors for vehicles and a mobile power plant as a bonus.

it is still sitting parked at the base in this very shape

 

[bigford]

the best pic i seen of a south american loco had armored plates
on the windows

 

[kenw]

PedroP over on railroadforums.com is in Brazil and posts often about the engines sent from the USA that will be converted to DD configurations. A lot of GE units have been sent in the past few years with a recent surge in SD40 and SD40-2 units going to Brazil, often thru Houston's port. If you go over to RRF (the proto sister-site to this site) and search for anything by PedroP, you'll find some more pics and discussion.

Often we will see what looks like a power move into Houston with a string of locos with temporary road markings, often just spray paint and stencil. A couple of years ago I saw a string moving from Mexico that eventually made it down to PedroP, they were GE units at that time.

They will be lifted off the standard gage trucks and loaded onto freighters at the Port of Houston. I'm not sure if the std gage trucks even make the trip south or if they get left behind.

The 4 axle trucks are for spreading the weight over a larger area and lighter rail. It is the same engineering that gave us 6 axle units here, just moreso...