Venezuela

Iron Mines Company of Venezuela - Bethlehem Steel subsidiary

Orinoco Mining Company - US Steel subsidiary

The Venezuelan iron ore industry was nationalized in 1975. The CVG Ferrominera Orinoco C.A. was
created by the unification of the above two North American subsidiaries

Iron Mines Company of Venezuela (IMV)

Iron Mines Co. of Venezuela was an original owner, it acquired three DRS4-4-1500s new from Baldwin.
Ordered by Bethlehem Steel, all were built with dynamic brakes and had additional air reservoirs,
under the raised cab, to operate side-dump ore cars.

Other models, two AS16s, were acquired later by Bethlehem Steel.

DRS4-4-1500

photo by: Unknown
- collection of Mark Laundry

IMV 1

DRS4-4-1500
c/n 73138, b/d 10/1947

- built as Iron Mines Co. of Venezuela #1

Ferrominera Orinoco 2002 ex. IMV 2

DRS4-4-1500
c/n 73139, b/d 7/1949

- built as Iron Mines Co. of Venezuela #2
- became Ferrominera Orinoco #2002

photo by: James Claflin - collection of Mark Laundry
San Felix Bolivar, Venezuela - Jan. 4, 1979

Ferrominera Orinoco 2003 ex. IMV 3

DRS4-4-1500
c/n 73140, b/d 3/1948

- built as Iron Mines Co. of Venezuela #3
- became Ferrominera Orinoco #2003

photo by: James Claflin - collection of Mark Laundry
San Felix Bolivar, Venezuela - Jan. 4, 1979

AS16

Sorry, no photo yet

IMV 4

AS16
c/n 76004, b/d 6/1954

- built as Missouri Pacific(St.LB&M) #4326(941)(935)
- acquired by Bethlehem Steel for Iron Mines Co. of Venezuela as #4
- became Ferrominera Orinoco #2004

Wikimapia Creative Commons photo by "patafondo"
Guayana City, Venezuela

Ferrominera Orinoco 2005 ex. IMV 5

AS16
c/n 76006, b/d 7/1954

- built as Missouri Pacific(St.LB&M) #4328(943)(937)
- acquired by Bethlehem Steel for Iron Mines Co. of Venezuela as #5
- became Ferrominera Orinoco #2005
- on display in front of the main entrance to CVG Ferrominera Orinoco
Guayana City, Venezuela

- for more photos of #2005 see Wikimapia - Locomotora (Ciudad Guayana)

Orinoco Mining Company (OMC)

Orinoco Mining Co. was an original owner, it acquired nine AS616s new from Baldwin

US Steel originaly ordered 12 AS616s for its Orinoco Mining Company but
the order was reduced to 9 numbed 1001 to 1009. [6]
Number 1008 (c/n 75444) was wrecked soon after construction. It was
rebuilt and given a new construction number, 75942, and numbered 1010. [2]

AS616

photo credit: R. H. Carlson
- collection of Mark Laundry
Puerto Ordaz Bolivar, Venezuela
Sept. 12, 1956

OMC 1001

AS616
c/n 75437, b/d 06/1952

- built as Orinoco Mining Company #1001
- became Ferrominera Orinoco #1001

photo credit: R. H. Carlson
- collection of Mark Laundry
Puerto Ordaz Bolivar, Venezuela
Nov. 25, 1957

OMC 1002

AS616
c/n 75438, b/d 06/1952

- built as Orinoco Mining Company #1002
- became Ferrominera Orinoco #1002

photo credit: R. H. Carlson
- collection of Mark Laundry
Puerto Ordaz Bolivar, Venezuela
Jan. 14, 1957

OMC 1003

AS616
c/n 75439, b/d 11/1952

- built as Orinoco Mining Company #1003
- became Ferrominera Orinoco #1003

photo credit: R. H. Carlson
- collection of Mark Laundry
Puerto Ordaz Bolivar, Venezuela
Feb. 22, 1955

OMC 1004

AS616
c/n 75440, b/d 11/1952

- built as Orinoco Mining Company #1004
- became Ferrominera Orinoco #1004

photo credit: R. H. Carlson
- collection of Mark Laundry
Puerto Ordaz Bolivar, Venezuela
May 5, 1957

OMC 1005

AS616
c/n 75441, b/d 06/1953

- built as Orinoco Mining Company #1005
- became Ferrominera Orinoco #1005

1005 & 1006

photo by: Unknown
- collection of Rich Frey

"There is no date printed or embossed on the slide, however it is a "red border" Kodachrome with the words "Kodachrome Transparency" in the tan area. That dates the slide from 1950-55. That would put it firmly in the time shortly after delivery when the paint was fresh, as it appears in the slide, probably some time in 1953 as the mine did not begin shipping ore to the US until early 1954. The presence of a power shovel in the upper right along the border, as well as the red rocks behind the loco, indicates the location is at the mine at Cerro Bolivar." - RF

photo credit: R. H. Carlson
- collection of Mark Laundry
Puerto Ordaz Bolivar, Venezuela
March 22, 1957

OMC 1006

AS616
c/n 75442, b/d 06/1953

- built as Orinoco Mining Company #1006
- became Ferrominera Orinoco #1006

photo credit: R. H. Carlson
- collection of Mark Laundry
Puerto Ordaz Bolivar, Venezuela
Sept. 14, 1956

OMC 1007

AS616
c/n 75443, b/d 07/1953

- built as Orinoco Mining Company #1007
- became Ferrominera Orinoco #1007

Sorry, no photo yet

OMC 1008

AS616
c/n 75444, b/d 07/1953

- built as Orinoco Mining Company #1008
- wrecked soon after construction [2]
- rebuilt and renumbered as #1010, see below

photo credit: R. H. Carlson
- collection of Mark Laundry
Puerto Ordaz Bolivar, Venezuela
Jan. 26, 1957

OMC 1009

AS616
c/n 75445, b/d 07/1953

- built as Orinoco Mining Company #1009
- became Ferrominera Orinoco #1009

photo by: James Claflin
- collection of Mark Laundry
Puerto Ordaz Bolivar, Venezuela
Jan. 5, 1979

Ferrominera Orinoco 1009

photo credit: R. H. Carlson
- collection of Mark Laundry
Puerto Ordaz Bolivar, Venezuela
Jan. 26, 1957

OMC 1010

AS616
c/n 75942, b/d 07/1953

- rebuilt from wrecked #1008
- assigned a new construction number
- retained same in service date (b/d)

The copyrights for all photos are assumed to rest with the photographers.

data source: [2], [6] & [11] bibliography

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