This is one of the 13 C-C diesel-hydraulic locomotives that Maschinenfabrik Esslingen, in West Germany, built for the E.F. Leopoldina in 1954. These machines had 1,900 HP of power and a maximum speed of 80 km/h. Similar machines were also supplied to Viação Férrea do Rio Grande do Sul. This photo is courtesy of Rudi Heinisch, from Munich, Germany.

Elias Pölhö, from Sweden, has additional information about these machines; an excerpt is taken here from "Diesel Railway Traction", February 1955 issue: "During the year [1954] the 23 Maschinenfabrik Esslingen 1900 bhp diesel-hydraulic locomotives of C-C type and with M.A.N. engines and Voith transmission were set to work, 10 on the Rio Grande do Sul and 13 on the old Leopoldina, both metre-gauge lines. These twin-engine 78-ton locomotives, of advanced design, were delivered through the Brazilian I.R.F.A. company (Industrias Reunidas de Ferro e Aço Ltda). Esslingen serials were 5084-5103 and 5130-5132 of 1953/54. Leopoldina # were 1001-1013 (1961/62 to VFRGS 2011-2023, deliveries started August 8, 1953) and VFRGS # 2001-2010 (deliveries started August 26, 1953). Order of serials not known.Trials in Brazil were made on Santa Maria-Pinhal with comparison to ALCO 4-8-4s (16.6 km with 300 t load single diesel in 41 minutes, ALCOs in double traction took 60 minutes). Engine: 2 x MAN W8V 22/30A @ 950 hp at 900 rpm. Transmission: 2 x Voith L36r (Voith Lot # 300 for 46 transmissions, ordered in 1952). Max speed 80 km/h, Wheel diameter 1016 mm, Weight 80 t in working order". Technical details for these Esslingen diesels in German language can be found in a) Glasers Annalen, Juni 1955, pp 200 ff or b) Von Lok zu Lok by Wolfgang Messerschmidt, Franckh 1969.