Bulk Cement Transportation
The transportation of cement, like that of other construction materials, requires special care. It is essential to keep cement dry and free of moisture to preserve its physical and chemical properties. Because it is a very fine and powdery powder, cement requires suitable conditions during transportation. Although it is common to transport it in kraft paper bags for small consumers, this form of shipping becomes expensive and inefficient on a large scale.
To improve cement transportation, factories initially used wooden barrels and later metal drums to ship large quantities of the material. However, this method of handling was exhaustive and expensive. The industry then discovered that efficient bulk cement transportation could be achieved using stationary silos and mobile “onion silos,” small silos designed to withstand positive pressure, making them easier to unload.
Logistics researchers point to the origins of these silos as early as 1940s Europe, with the German company Hermanns Silo GmbH being one of the best-documented examples. Inspired by the way cement was stored on land, ideas arose to adapt the onion concept to trucks and railcars, with experiments beginning in 1945.
Pioneering Experiences:
In Brazil, the first records of the use of this type of implement date back to the 1950s, with the aim of meeting the growing demand of the cement industry. On the railway, companies such as Eternit and Estrada de Ferro Sorocabana adapted pneumatic vessels on platforms between 1957 and 1959.
Initially made with vessels imported from Germany, the technology was later nationalized, and a new series of wagons were adapted, this time with Santa Matilde tanks.
Wagons adapted with national vessels produced by Santa Matilde, many of these vessels were later recycled as sand traps by numerous Fepasa depots.
In the late 1960s, it was the turn of Cia Mogiana to make its own cement transport wagons, using a similar method, adapting a single, larger tank on its own planks.
Leopoldina, to serve Cimento Paraíso, also adapts its own Cobrasma tanks, resulting in tanks with a tare weight of 17 tons and transporting up to 33 tons. Unfortunately, we did not find the useful volume for these.
As technology evolved, the Brazilian railway industry, following similar practices to those in Europe, developed solid "V"-shaped tanks, with greater capacity to facilitate drainage. The road equipment industry adopted similar concepts. These tanks are loaded through the upper hatches, and, once sealed, the transported material is kept dry and with its physical and chemical characteristics preserved, protected from the elements.
The highlight of this equipment is its aeration, discharge and hermetic sealing system. For unloading, positive pressure is used: the wagon is connected to a pneumatic line that provides the pressure necessary to empty the tank and conduct the material through the hoses. Compressed air is released by the operator into the silo, who must control the pressure using pressure gauges and valves, generally operating between 1 and 2 bar. At the bottom of the tank, there are discharge pads equipped with rotary valves, and another valve releases compressed air at the outlet to ensure fluidity and conduct the material through the pipeline. This procedure must be carried out with appropriate technique and safety.
The advantages of the cebolões quickly stood out in relation to other forms of transporting bulk cement, leading to the discontinuation of the old wagons in the early years. Throughout its history, Brazilian railways had around 50 cement wagons on platforms and a robust fleet of 728 "V" tanks, distributed in 5 typologies. Marumbi Modelismo offers models of these tanks so that modelers can represent any bulk cement train that has ever circulated on our railways.
To maintain temporal continuity, we will address the "V" tanks according to their date of acquisition, resulting in a mix of metric and wide gauge wagons. In the title, we have included important information to guide you on the compatibility between the different types of wagons.
Metric Gauge
Fepasa wagons 395001 to 395150, then TPD 340100 to 340249
Later Ferroban, FSA, FCA, ALL.
Santa Matilde, 1974
Ordered by Fepasa from Cia Industrial Santa Matilde in 1975, the 150 wagons in the fleet had the “V” characteristics mentioned above. Some authors refer to this type of wagon as a “broken tank”.
With a useful volume of 48.5 m³, these wagons were an essential part of Fepasa's cement transportation. The fleet worked together with closed wagons, such as the metric-gauge Pressed Steel and the FLD “all-door” series 310, both produced by Marumbi Modelismo. The TPDs 340 were owned by Fepasa and served two main flows: the transportation of cement to the Santa Helena unit of Votorantim Cimentos, in Votorantim/SP (near Sorocaba/SP), and São Paulo/SP, and the transportation between Apiaí/SP and the Presidente Altino yard (in Osasco/SP).
Due to their arrival date, these wagons received the Fepasa paint pattern in lowercase letters and a six-digit numerical numbering. Initially, they had side stairs, which were quickly replaced by stairs at the head, with a compound curve, characteristic of the wagon. Marumbi Decalques produces this version.
With the change of Fepasa's visual identity to its best-known version, as well as the implementation of ABNT numbering (or Sumo, Fepasa's SIGO), the wagon became series 340xxx.
No unit received the third Fepasa paint standard, so these are the two predominant phases of the fleet. After privatization, the wagons were transferred to Ferroban and, when the latter was split, they were transferred to Ferrovia Sul Atlântico, where they became known as the “Ourinhos Fleet” due to an inscription on their headboards. They continued to provide services in São Paulo and also began to serve the Votorantim factory in Rio Branco do Sul/PR.
With palletization and the decline in bulk cement transportation in the 2010s, some of these wagons were converted into conventional tanks for transporting vegetable oil, ensuring a survival of a few more years. Some wagons went to FCA, but currently (2024), no TPD 340s are in operation anymore.
Broad Gauge
Ciminas TCPE 34101 to 34210 wagons
Then TPS 010400 to 010509 Ciminas, Holcim, CSN Cement.
Santa Matilde, 1974
In 1974, it was the turn of the broad gauge to receive similar tanks. Both Liz, which will be discussed below, and Ciminas - Cimento Nacional de Minas, located in Pedro Leopoldo/MG, purchased camel-type wagons from Santa Matilde. As soon as the first units were delivered, Ciminas expressed its satisfaction with the model, highlighting that the tanks could be unloaded in just 15 minutes at its terminals, such as the distribution centers in Marechal Hermes/RJ and Santo André/SP.
In the construction of these wagons, Santa Matilde used technology and components supplied by the company Möllers. Santa Matilde's responsibility included the boilermaking and the adaptation of the project to the gauge conditions and railway components already produced by the national industry.
Ciminas used two very iconic locomotives in its maneuvers in Pedro Leopoldo/MG, a “hybrid” GE 244 and an ex-Paulista RSC3. The RSC-3 was recently launched (September 2024) by Frateschi, and the modeler was invited to create the composition at the factory.
In 2022, the cement division of Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional (CSN) acquired the Brazilian cement operations of the Swiss group Lafarge-Holcim, including the plants and wagons from Ciminas. With this new chapter, a new look appears in the history of the TPS and TPD/TPR wagons, which began to be implemented at the end of 2023. CSN signed a contract with MRS Logística to guarantee the movement of bulk cement until 2041, which means that these wagons should continue to circulate for several years.
A train of the same flow, at the other end of the service. In Santos, unloading took place. Note the Cutrale sign. Finally, with the arrival of new, higher-capacity wagons like the FE (FRS) on the EFSJ and the changing economic characteristics of the railway and the state of São Paulo, these vehicles eventually lost their significance, being considered obsolete and downgraded to non-revenue uses, where they provided good service for several years to SR-4.
Currently, one preserved example exists at the ABPF in Campinas, on meter-gauge trucks, which was rescued from this situation.
Broad Gauge
LIZ TCPE 34501 to 34568 wagons
Later TPS 012000 to 012067
Santa Matilde, 1974
Liz began its activities in 1918 in Portugal, in the city of the same name. After a period of intense growth, the company expanded its operations to Brazil in 1969, starting as Soeicom - Sociedade de Empreendimentos Industriais, Comerciais e Mineração S/A. The company began operating mines and building its first factory in the city of Vespasiano/MG, which was inaugurated in 1976 with an announced capacity of half a million tons. In addition to serving the regional market of Minas Gerais, Liz aimed to reach the markets of the two main Brazilian cities, so it ordered broad-gauge railcars that could run on the RFFSA - Central lines, reaching São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
The sixty-eight “TPS” type railcars were ordered from Santa Matilde in 1974, before the factory was inaugurated, and are the same model received by Ciminas. Each one has 65 m³ of useful volume and 100 tons of gross weight. They were delivered with SOEICOM paintwork and TCPE coding, a phase that was rarely photographed.
Liz's wagons are perhaps the most historically consistent, as they continue to transport bulk cement to this day, and remain known as Soeicom/Liz. However, this has not prevented them from undergoing the same visual identity updates as their owner over time. In this article, we will not discuss the paint changes on Liz's wagons, since these changes are always minor layout variations.
We will simply show a photo by Pedro Rezende, dated July 2006, which illustrates one of the company's paint patterns. Liz currently has 98 railcars in operation, which include not only the originals, but also some railcars incorporated later into the fleet. The most recent railcars have a solid upper walkway and are welded on the side of the tank, a feature that differentiates them from the railcars manufactured by Santa Matilde.
Broad Gauge
Tupi Cement Wagons HTPF 01000 to 01079
Later TPT 013000 to 013079
Cobrasma-FNV, 1976
Cimento Tupi, formerly known as Cia de Cimento do Vale do Paraíba, began its activities in 1949 as an auxiliary factory, using basic blast furnace slag, a byproduct of CSN.
In 1976, Tupi undertook an ambitious project with the inauguration of the new Pedra do Sino plant, located in the municipality of Carandaí/MG. Production was geared towards the São Paulo market, and Tupi built a cement distribution center in Mogi das Cruzes/SP. Bulk cement was transported between the factories in São Paulo using special high-capacity wagons. In this context, the largest wagons of this type in Brazil were manufactured: 80 units produced through the collaboration between Cobrasma and Fábrica Nacional de Vagões. With a gross weight of 119 tons and a useful volume of 75 m³, Cimento Tupi's wagons are considered giants of this type to this day.
Initially, the wagons received a code that predated the ABNT numbering, and were identified by the HTPF series, according to their axle sleeve. The factory paint job lasted only a short time, and was quickly replaced by the company's new visual identity.
In addition to serving the flow to São Paulo, mainly from the Volta Redonda factory, Tupi also operated a transport flow between Volta Redonda and Pedra do Sino and Rio de Janeiro. Like its competitors, Tupi aimed to serve the large consumer centers of its commodity using rail transport.
Another interesting and unique feature of this series is that to achieve the desired volume, it was necessary to “taper” the end of the tank on its upper face, otherwise it would exceed the maximum gauge allowed by RFFSA for its broad gauge lines.
Photo by Sérgio Martire taken in Cachoeira Paulista/SP in 1981. Tupi wagons being pulled by a U23C. Another train that can be easily modeled using the material available on the market and Marumbi Modelismo wagons.
Like Liz, Tupi maintains an independent visual identity and, over the years of operation of its TPT fleet, has presented several paintings. In this article, we do not have space to detail each of the small layout changes, their dates and specifications. Instead, we include a current photo of the wagon, taken by Guilherme Stabelin in Murtinho/MG, in August 2009, to illustrate its most recent appearance. Photo by Guilherme Stabelin in Murtinho/MG in August 2009.
Metric and Broad Gauge
Ciminas TPD/TPR wagons 010000 to 010229
Later Holcim, CSN Cement.
CCC, 1983
In 1982, Cimento Ciminas acquired a new batch of this type of wagon, this time with a capacity of 80 tons and designed to operate on both metric and wide gauge. With 60 m³ of usable volume and a very small gauge, its manufacturers — a partnership between Cobrasma and Fábrica Nacional de Vagões (FNV) — opted to lengthen the wagon, making it the longest of all cement tanks in both gauges.
The reduced gauge was a solution to allow the wagon to circulate without restrictions on all metric gauge lines of RFFSA and Fepasa. Thus, theoretically, the wagon had the capacity to reach any point on the national railway network.
The 230 units produced by Cobrasma began arriving in 1983, consolidating Ciminas as the largest operator of this type of wagon in Brazil. The main flow of cargo was between the Ciminas plant in Pedro Leopoldo/MG and the cities of Uberlândia/MG and Ribeirão Preto/SP. Due to this flow, the wagons needed to be certified to meet the requirements of both Fepasa and RFFSA.
Towards the year 2000, Ciminas wagons began to carry out regular transports to the Presidente Altino station in Osasco/SP, and their appearances in the interior of São Paulo became quite frequent, even operating in conjunction with cement tanks from Fepasa/Ferroban.
In the photo below, taken by Arthur Bilheri, it is possible to see a composition with TPS and TPD tanks, marked as TPR, all in broad gauge, in the first years of circulation by MRS. The image also highlights the differences in gauge adopted by the different types of wagons. This variation offers an interesting suggestion for modelers, adding dynamism to the train.
Just like Ciminas' TPS, the TPD/TPR wagons have undergone several changes in their visual identity over time. They received the Holcim standards, as illustrated in the photos above, and, more recently, in 2023, they began to adopt the CSN standard, known as "the purple bag cement", as the company itself defines it.
With the end of metric gauge operations for bulk cement, all old TPD wagons are currently operating on the broad gauge of MRS Logística, along with the TPS and TPT of Tupi, Liz and CSN Cimentos itself.
Metric Gauge
Fepasa TPC wagons 318300 to 318339
Later Ferroban, FSA, ALL.
CCC, 1983
The Itaú de Minas unit has always been one of Votorantim's largest factories in terms of production. In 1981, motivated by the desire to improve the rail transportation of bulk cement, the group, in partnership with Fepasa, began a study to optimize this operation. The factory, which already had loading facilities adapted for the old Cia. Mogiana flatbed wagons, was now looking to renew its fleet based on the positive results of the TPDs operated at the Santa Helena unit in Votorantim/SP.
Fepasa developed a project to requalify the wagons. Forty old cage wagons, which at the time did not have a transportation contract, were sent to Cia. Comércio e Construções to be rebuilt as bulk cement tanks.
The Itaú de Minas unit has always been one of Votorantim's largest factories in terms of production. In 1981, motivated by the desire to improve the rail transportation of bulk cement, the group, in partnership with Fepasa, began a study to optimize this operation. The factory, which already had loading facilities adapted for the old Cia. Mogiana flatbed wagons, was now looking to renew its fleet based on the positive results of the TPDs operated at the Santa Helena unit in Votorantim/SP.
Fepasa developed a project to requalify the wagons. Forty old cage wagons, which at the time did not have a transportation contract, were sent to Cia. Comércio e Construções to be rebuilt as bulk cement tanks.
The wagons returned in 1983, as 35m³ tanks, and began operating between Itaú de Minas and Ribeirão Preto/SP. At a certain point, the TPC and TPD tanks began to circulate together, indiscriminately in all flows.
Like Fepasa's TPDs, the TPCs went to Ferroban and FSA. Many were converted to transport vegetable oil and demolished in the early 2020s. Currently, no more TPCs are in operation.
