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Track plans Boulogne Sur Mer & Outreau etc and Hoverport


Monjac
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Can anyone help me to find historic ( 1914-1980 )  track plans of Boulogne and more importantly the track layouts and sidings on the other side of the River Lianne.at Outreau, now Leclercs Hypermarket etc. In 1914-1918 , for example ,there must have been a maze of sidings to handle supplies to te Somme. . Then in 1970 the River Lianne was straightened and a new station built at Boulogne. I have spent much time on the internet but the logic of the French internet sites defeats me . Was a tunnel link built specifically for the Hoverport or did one exist .?

Any leads would be much appreciated, thankyou.

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Can anyone help me to find historic ( 1914-1980 )  track plans of Boulogne and more importantly the track layouts and sidings on the other side of the River Lianne.at Outreau, now Leclercs Hypermarket etc. In 1914-1918 , for example ,there must have been a maze of sidings to handle supplies to te Somme. . Then in 1970 the River Lianne was straightened and a new station built at Boulogne. I have spent much time on the internet but the logic of the French internet sites defeats me . Was a tunnel link built specifically for the Hoverport or did one exist .?

Any leads would be much appreciated, thankyou.

I am sure David (Pacific 231G) will be along soon and can help you with this more than I can.

 

The tunnel was already there. It led to freight sidings referred to in the 1964 SNCF Atlas as Boulogne-Maree. So for fish traffic which is not surprising as Boulogne was at one time France's biggest fishing port.

 

I think Boulogne-Ville was rebuilt earlier than 1970 (late 50s/early 60s).

 

More details on the Hover services in an SNCF Society Journal article some years ago. 

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I recollect, from the one time I used Boulogne Aeroglisseur (in the late 1970s) that freight services passed through the station, en route to the steel-works at Outreau; I suspect the line predated the hovercraft by some time.

I found these images via Google:-

 https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=gare+de+boulogne+aeroglisseur&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiPmfyDzOTYAhUBIVAKHXCjAu8QsAQIRQ&biw=1600&bih=779

https://wikivisually.com/lang-fr/wiki/Gare_de_Boulogne-A%C3%A9roglisseurs

http://www.hhvferry.com/hoverports_boulogne.html

Not sure where to look for plans; the mairie (town hall) would have the Plan Cadestral, which is like a 1/2500 OS map, showing ownership of parcels of land. It would be the Mairie d'Outreau, rather than Boulogne, which would have the originals for the hovercraft port.

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I recollect, from the one time I used Boulogne Aeroglisseur (in the late 1970s) that freight services passed through the station, en route to the steel-works at Outreau; I suspect the line predated the hovercraft by some time.

I found these images via Google:-

 https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=gare+de+boulogne+aeroglisseur&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiPmfyDzOTYAhUBIVAKHXCjAu8QsAQIRQ&biw=1600&bih=779

https://wikivisually.com/lang-fr/wiki/Gare_de_Boulogne-A%C3%A9roglisseurs

http://www.hhvferry.com/hoverports_boulogne.html

Not sure where to look for plans; the mairie (town hall) would have the Plan Cadestral, which is like a 1/2500 OS map, showing ownership of parcels of land. It would be the Mairie d'Outreau, rather than Boulogne, which would have the originals for the hovercraft port.

 

That link for wikiviusually is amazing. I will have to take my time going through the info.

 

I will follow up those leads.

 

 

 

I am sure David (Pacific 231G) will be along soon and can help you with this more than I can.

 

The tunnel was already there. It led to freight sidings referred to in the 1964 SNCF Atlas as Boulogne-Maree. So for fish traffic which is not surprising as Boulogne was at one time France's biggest fishing port.

 

I think Boulogne-Ville was rebuilt earlier than 1970 (late 50s/early 60s).

 

More details on the Hover services in an SNCF Society Journal article some years ago. 

 

Does the Atlas you mention have track plans.?

 

 

I visited the hoverport yesterday and was still amazed to see all the track in place , with signals etc. I walked into  the tunnel for over 200 metres which is clear . But then I thought I meet  some immigrants so I turned back. I need to check the tunnel entrance at the southerly end.

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"Boulogne - Aéroglisseurs" station was only a 2 track loop with a central platform. The line crosses the Ave Maria tunnel to connect the main line.

 

1950 book about lines of "réseau Nord" SNCF. Boulogne-Ville didn't exist.

 

post-27876-0-12622900-1516560238.png

 

 

 

 

1960 book Boulogne-ville was drawn

 

post-27876-0-99670200-1516560236.png

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"Boulogne - Aéroglisseurs" station was only a 2 track loop with a central platform. The line crosses the Ave Maria tunnel to connect the main line.

 

1950 book about lines of "réseau Nord" SNCF. Boulogne-Ville didn't exist.

 

attachicon.gifCapture d’écran 2018-01-21 à 19.42.51.png

 

 

 

 

1960 book Boulogne-ville was drawn

 

attachicon.gifCapture d’écran 2018-01-21 à 19.39.51.png

 

It will take some time to relate  those drawn  plans with the 1950 Geo Cartes link Mike Storey posted . I will do that on the next rainy day. So that will probably be tomorrow. 

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I hadn't realised that Boulogne Ville was so recent; I thought its modern appearance was because it had been rebuilt post WW2.

Incidentally, the steelworks at Outreau used to specialise in castings for the railway industry; amongst other things it made cast bogies and components for pointwork.

 

Like you, I had not realised that Boulogne-Ville (somewhat misnamed as it is rather out of town centre) was a completely new station. I had always assumed that it was a rebuild whereas these docs clearly show a previous terminus station on the other side of the river. That would be interesting to model.

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On that map, the Ave Maria tunnel (did they say a prayer before going through?) has a date of 1967 on the caption. Or is that the length?

 

It appears on the 1964 atlas.

 

Edit: Having taken a loook on Google Earth, I have come to the conclusion that 1967 is the length.

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That is exactly what I was after. Good detail. I will now print out and go and check on site !

 

You will have trouble relating it to the site these days (apart from the old hoverport area) as much of the old track bed is now roads, or built on. Good luck!

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Boulogne Ville was put on a new site a bit nearer town around the 60s, I think. Before that it was further out to make a Junction with the branch down to Maritime. There’s also Tintilleries, out in the Calais direction from Ville under the old town in a tunnel, and then sandwiched before another tunnel, which is about the closest to the middle of town.

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Boulogne Ville was put on a new site a bit nearer town around the 60s, I think. Before that it was further out to make a Junction with the branch down to Maritime. There’s also Tintilleries, out in the Calais direction from Ville under the old town in a tunnel, and then sandwiched before another tunnel, which is about the closest to the middle of town.

Tintelleries is much more convenient for the centre of the old town - but just a two-platform halt not served by fast trains.

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Boulogne Ville was put on a new site a bit nearer town around the 60s, I think. Before that it was further out to make a Junction with the branch down to Maritime. There’s also Tintilleries, out in the Calais direction from Ville under the old town in a tunnel, and then sandwiched before another tunnel, which is about the closest to the middle of town.

 

The old site, although across the river, is rather closer to the centre of town than the new station.

 

Found a photo of the old one: https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=train+station+boulogne+sur+mer&dcr=0&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjarrfJ5-vYAhUCL8AKHeUQDUAQ_AUICygC&biw=1366&bih=635#imgrc=VuRYkIfwV4XfAM:A nice little modelling challenge there!

 

Note the lines to Gare Maritime running across the picture, so this building would be on the north-east side of the station, facing the town. The maps that Mike linked to show that there was a bridge across the line over the station throat. So ideal for a model. Just need to find a detailed trackplan.

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The old site, although across the river, is rather closer to the centre of town than the new station.

 

Found a photo of the old one: https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=train+station+boulogne+sur+mer&dcr=0&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjarrfJ5-vYAhUCL8AKHeUQDUAQ_AUICygC&biw=1366&bih=635#imgrc=VuRYkIfwV4XfAM:A nice little modelling challenge there!

 

Note the lines to Gare Maritime running across the picture, so this building would be on the north-east side of the station, facing the town. The maps that Mike linked to show that there was a bridge across the line over the station throat. So ideal for a model. Just need to find a detailed trackplan.

 

A bit more web research shows more photos of this earlier station and also the information that it was destroyed during WW2.

 

An extensive, and rather dingy, overall roof would make it unsuitable for a model. But imagine if it had been rebuilt post-war on the same site rather than the new through station. Would make a great modelling project. Not only mainline trains to/from Calais and Paris but also the branchline trains to St Omer and to Lille via St Paul.

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Thanks everyone for your replies. It has given me some good leads to follow.

This weekend I am off to Spain for a month to see what they are up to. Just building more High Speed lines I suppose ..... boring !. (Jealous) When I return home to Pas de Calais where I now live, I will do some walkabouts to see what traces are still left. And there is a lot of track extant . but it is being progressively lifted and building demolished. I have not viewed the tunnel entrance at the Outreau end which I must do. 

But I would still love to find the detail of the track plans in WW1 which must have been extensive.

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You will have trouble relating it to the site these days (apart from the old hoverport area) as much of the old track bed is now roads, or built on. Good luck!

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/62200+Boulogne-sur-Mer,+France/@50.7147169,1.5693487,1202m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x47dc2c40b157a363:0x40af13e8163fb30!8m2!3d50.725231!4d1.613334?hl=en

should give a fairly recent view of what's left

I notice the blast-furnaces at the harbour have gone. The marshalling yard where the branch joins the main line still seems to be intact, though I don't know if it sees any regular traffic; the coil traffic to and from Desvres runs direct from Dunkerque these days.

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https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/62200+Boulogne-sur-Mer,+France/@50.7147169,1.5693487,1202m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x47dc2c40b157a363:0x40af13e8163fb30!8m2!3d50.725231!4d1.613334?hl=en

should give a fairly recent view of what's left

I notice the blast-furnaces at the harbour have gone. The marshalling yard where the branch joins the main line still seems to be intact, though I don't know if it sees any regular traffic; the coil traffic to and from Desvres runs direct from Dunkerque these days.

 

Interesting views there. Surprising to see such a large newish port area apparently unused. Even a car ferry linkspan there.

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Interesting views there. Surprising to see such a large newish port area apparently unused. Even a car ferry linkspan there.

A large part of the empty quay area is because of the demolition of the steel works. The car-ferry linkspan has been largely unused since the Seacat finished in the mid-1990s, though there have been one or more instances when a car-ferry service has run from Ramsgate. In at least one instance, the directors of the ferry company disappeared, leaving harbour charges unpaid on both sides, and a large bill for fuel in Boulogne.

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https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/62200+Boulogne-sur-Mer,+France/@50.7147169,1.5693487,1202m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x47dc2c40b157a363:0x40af13e8163fb30!8m2!3d50.725231!4d1.613334?hl=en

should give a fairly recent view of what's left

I notice the blast-furnaces at the harbour have gone. The marshalling yard where the branch joins the main line still seems to be intact, though I don't know if it sees any regular traffic; the coil traffic to and from Desvres runs direct from Dunkerque these days.

 

I dont understand your last comment re 'direct from Dunkerque'. Desvres is still connected via Samer and Hesdigneul to Abbeville-Boulogne route. The last time I was in Desvres , about a month ago there were wagons .I did not check what they were doing. I just presumed this line was still in use but for what traffic I am unsure. I just love the tortuous single line track route it takes .

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A large part of the empty quay area is because of the demolition of the steel works. The car-ferry linkspan has been largely unused since the Seacat finished in the mid-1990s, though there have been one or more instances when a car-ferry service has run from Ramsgate. In at least one instance, the directors of the ferry company disappeared, leaving harbour charges unpaid on both sides, and a large bill for fuel in Boulogne.

 

If my memory serves me right, they started this cross channel operation at the time the Channel Tunnel was opening. How they managed to persuade a bank to finance this operation defeats me. It was doomed from the start. I never used it as I always use the shuttle , but many loved the route and the prices .

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