Ferronor Potrerillos - Llantas - Chañaral Line, Chile

The valley narrows as the line climbes further, passing the 'Quebrada del Río Salado'. (Salt River Gorge) The locomotives often run with open machine room doors, which allowed enjoying the sound of the EMD units unadulterated. This is even echoed by the Río Salado Gorge to a sondscape that could hardly have been topped!
A mechanic is constantly moving forth and back from the first unit to the second; He is waiving the photographers from the machine room of the first unit.
Also the line itself is spectacular, and new spots could be found virtually after ever corner of the valley.
Above Montandón, the line follows breathtakingly along mountain slopes and rock faces. To reach this spot about 200m above the foot of the valley, some drops of sweat were inevitable when hiking up there in the afternoon heat!