After several days of traveling through Mauritania, the group from Switzerland met the railroad for the first time at noon that day in Choum. A few minutes later, the empty ore train V5 from Nouad... (more)

In the cab of the GPL-15T BB # 207 of the SNIM in operation in front of the Train du Désert between Choum and Zouérate. All lettering on the locomotive delivered by EMD from the USA in 2004 is i... (more)

Work has been underway for several years to increase the maximum axle load of the single-track railroad line for ore transport in Mauritania from 26 to 30 tons. This involves the use of heavy conc... (more)

In Mauritania, discarded rail vehicles are not scrapped but cannibalized and left somewhere. The remains of these two former diesel vehicles, known as draisines, can be seen in Choum. On the right... (more)

Perfect precision landing in Choum. A few minutes after the Servrail tour group from Switzerland arrived in Choum in the minibuses from Atar, the empty iron ore train "V5" approached fro... (more)

Perfect precision landing in Choum. A few minutes after the Servrail tour group from Switzerland arrived in Choum in the minibuses from Atar, the empty iron ore train "V5" approached fro... (more)

Ballast cleaner machine DC # 01 of the SNIM, built by Plasser and Theurer/Austria, maybe around 1960? This was one of the only larger track maintenance machines we saw.

A train driver from Switzerland is interested in the railroad through the Mauritanian desert. The GPL-15T BB # 204 was built in 2004 in the USA for the SNIM and is located in Choum, at kilometer 4... (more)

Some kilometers north of Choum on the 704 kilometer long ore railway in Mauretania, the ties are beeing changed, from wooden to new concrete ties, fabricated in the SNIM work in Nouadhibou. A road... (more)

At Choum, at kilometer 460 of the 652 km long railroad line, the railroad makes a 90 degree turn, even before the mountain massif visible in the background, and then heads north to Zouérate inste... (more)

A view in the upper deck of the former diesel railcar A2n # 001 of the SNIM, now used as towed passenger car in the Train du Désert. The car has no air condition, but windows to open.

North of Choum old wooden ties are beeing replaced by new concrete ties. The engineer on the BB # 207 greets the track workers.

The Train du Désert with SNIM's GPL-15T BB # 207 is ready in Choum for the trip to Zouérate, the group from Servrail in Switzerland will soon board the train. On the right is the Geismar “Pick... (more)

Some kilometers north of Choum on the 704 kilometer long ore railway in Mauretania, the ties are beeing changed, from wooden to new concrete ties, fabricated in the SNIM work in Nouadhibou. A road... (more)

GPL-15T locomotive BB # 204 of the SNIM parked in Choum.