MIFERMA Class CC 01-21

The MIFERMA Class CC 01-21 diesel locomotives were built by Alsthom in France between 1961 and 1965. The locomotives had been commissioned by the Sociéte Anonyme des Mines de Fer de Mauritanie (MIFERMA), then the owner of the Mauritania Railway, which, since its completion in 1963, has connected the iron ore mine in Zouerate with the port of Nouadhibou, Mauritania.

MIFERMA Class CC 01-21
Locomotive CC 05, photographed in 1994.
Type and origin
Power typeDiesel
BuilderAlsthom (now Alstom)
Build dateCC 01-11: 1961-62
CC 12-21: 1965[1]
Total produced21[1]
Specifications
Configuration:
  UICCo′Co′
Gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8 12 in)
Bogies2
Length22,732 mm (74 ft 7 in)[1]
Loco weightCC 01-11: 126 tonnes (277,800 lb)
CC 12-21: 138 tonnes (304,200 lb)[1]
Prime mover2× diesel
Performance figures
Maximum speedCC 01-11: 70 km/h (43 mph)
CC 12-21: 60 km/h (37 mph)[1]
Power output1,030 kW (1,380 hp) each engine[1]
Career
OperatorsMauritania Railway
Number in class21
NumbersCC 01-21
LocaleMauritania
Delivered1961–65[1]

The CC Class 01-21 locomotives were based upon the SNCF Class CC 65000, also built by Alstom.[1]

Like the CC 65000s, the MIFERMA locomotives were fitted with two diesel engines. However, the MIFERMA locomotives had more powerful versions of the engines.[1] They were also equipped with a roof mounted "skyline casing", which housed special filtration equipment, to deal with the unusually sandy and dusty Saharan atmospheric conditions.

Unlike the CC 65000s, they had different trucks (related to the CC 14000s trucks) and a lower carbody with cabs taken from the CC 7100s (but with a center door on each end).[2]

In 1974, the assets of MIFERMA were nationalized. Thereafter, the Mauritania Railway and its locomotives were owned and operated by the parastatal Société Nationale Industrielle et Minière (SNIM).

Beginning in 1981, the CC Class 01-21s were supplemented by US built EMD SDL40-2s.[3] In September 1997, they operated their last iron ore trains. Subsequently, they were confined to SNIM's passenger train services.[1]

See also

References

  1. Koch, Karl-W (January 2001). "10.000 Pferde durchwühlen den Sand". Fern-Express (in German). Förderverein Dampf&Reise e.V (69): 4–9. Retrieved 23 June 2011.
  2. "Diesel Alsthom CC en Mauritanie - Forums LR PRESSE". forum.e-train.fr (in French). Retrieved 2019-07-11.
  3. Studney, Michael J (April 1994). "A sand-breathing diesel conquers the Sahara - locomotive". Railway Age. Retrieved 23 June 2011.
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