MIFERMA Class CC 01-21

The MIFERMA Class CC 01-21 is a class of diesel locomotives built by Alstom in France between 1961 and 1965 for the Société Anonyme des Mines de Fer de Mauritanie, then the owner of the Mauritania Railway, which since its completion in 1963 has connected the iron ore mine in Zouerate with the port of Nouadhibou. They were based upon the SNCF Class CC 65000, also built by Alstom, and like those locomotives were fitted with two diesel engines, though more powerful versions, and a roof mounted skyline casing housing special filtration equipment for the dusty Saharan conditions. They used different bogies related to those of the CC 14000 and a lower carbody with cabs taken from the CC 7100, with an extra centre cab door on each end. After the assets of MIFERMA were nationalized in 1974, the railway and its locomotives were operated by SNIM. From 1981 they were supplemented by US built EMD SD40-2 locomotives, and in September 1997 they operated their last iron ore trains and were confined to passenger services.