Disused railroad material is also sometimes reused in Mauritania. Here at Ben Amira station, the building on the right is made from a former MIFERMA freight train carriage. The building on the lef... (more)

The mauritanian iron ore railway passes Africa's largest monolith Ben Amira, which is 540 meter a.s.l. or rises about 370 meter above the desert. The about 2 kilometer long loaded iron ore train M... (more)

Both empty and loaded ore trains on the 652-kilometer route in Mauritania usually also carry other wagons, usually at the front or rear of the train. Here we see the loaded delayed train “M6” ... (more)

About 10 kilometers (7 miles) east of the village of Ben Amira there is a small rocky hill from where the long trains of the Mauritanian ore railway line can be observed well, while otherwise the ... (more)

The “Train du Désert” with the tour group from Switzerland arrived in Ben Amira from Zouérate while it was still dark. Meanwhile, it is slowly getting light and the largest monolith in Afric... (more)

When the “train du Désert” arrived at Ben Amira at 05.14 AM after the night journey from Zouérate, the empty ore train V3 from Nouadhibou to Zouérate was waiting there for the crossing and ... (more)

A train around two kilometers long takes a few minutes to pass by.

The SDL40-2 CC # 118 built by EMD in 1997 pulls the about 2 kilometer long loaded ore train M6 of the SNIM (Société Nationale Industrielle et Minière) from Zouérate to the port of Nouadhibou a... (more)

The SDL40-2 CC # 118 was delivered to the SNIM in Mauritania in the last order in 1997 (# 117 to # 121). In total there were 21 SDL40-2 built between 1981 and 1997, all are in operation to this da... (more)

Empty ore train "V5" including some loaded water tankers running through Ben Amira at PK 394 of the 652 kilometer long single track railroad from Nouadhibou on the Atlantic coast to the mine area ... (more)

It is easy to imagine that drifting sand plays a major role on a railroad line through the Sahara desert. The track maintenance teams use shovels and manpower or, as here, a bulldozer. They will s... (more)

The evening before at about 6 PM or so, the empty ore train "V5" began its 652-klometer long journey from Nouadhibou on the Atlantic coast to the ore mines around Zouérate. The about 2 ... (more)

About 3 kilometers north of the railroad line through the Mauritanian desert lies the largest monolith in Africa, Ben Amira, the second largest in the world. Its height is given as 633 meters, but... (more)

Morning meal is served in the saloon car of the “Train du Désert” at 08 AM. The double-decker vehicle was originally a diesel railcar, with the engine compartment located behind the blinds on... (more)

All 44 SNIM locomotives in Mauritania are equipped with special sand plows. These are located behind the permanently mounted plows, are attached to the frame of the bogies and can be lowered hydra... (more)