Ferronor Potrerillos - Llantas - Chañaral Line, Chile

The Railroad Chañaral - Potrerillos, today operated by Ferronor, actually belongs to Codelco, a state owned copper mining company. Workshop and operational centre are at Llantas a few miles up from the town of Diego de Almagro, where the line once connected with the state railway's 'longino' (longitude railroad). You may find there GR 12U struggle against the 3.9% grade, moving copper concentrate to the smelter at Potrerillos.
In Llantas, Ferronor train machines: GR12U #412 and #401, were buit by General Motors in 1962. The Unit 412 was rebuilt and newly painted 'thanks' to an accident in Argentina. The unit derailed with a freight on the Argentinan side of the Socompa pass/ 'Ramal C14' in 2006 together with unit 408. Because Belgrano Cargas, the Railroad the tracks on the Argentinan side belong to, refused to pay for the repairs, Argentinan customs confiscated the two units without further ado. After three years of inactivity, the locomotives were released upon a court decision, then repaired in Alto Cordoba (Argentina) at the expense of Belgrano Cargas and finally returned to Chile.
Most locomotives of the Ferronor Potrerillos appear rather filthy after years of continuous operation on the mountain line with its many tunnels. Also, heavy loads have to be transported uphill, since the smelter and the refinery are located at the upper end of the line, which takes its toll from the motive power.