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Capdenac Gare - photos.


IanStock
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Good afternoon all...

 

I haven't posted here for a good while - have been 'away' from railways for the best part of a year while dealing with various health issues.... Glad to say there is a bit of modelling being done again at last....

 

I'm preparing an article for Continental Modeller on Capdenac Gare. Unfortunately, when I visited a couple of years ago, my camera was playing up, and I ended up with only a few usable pictures. Just wondering if anyone has any of either present or past at the station and environs, of a suitable resolution for publication. Or whether any of the France-dwelling members on here are close enough that they could go and take a few. There would be appropriate recognition and recompense from either me or Peco Publications!

 

I can be reached at ian[at]sandistock.plus.com if you would rather go off-group.

Many thanks

Ian

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I am sure Gordon Wiseman will have some.

 

I have visited Capdenac a few times but I don;t think I have any photos.

 

Useless factoid of the day: Capdenac-Gare is in a different departement from the hilltop town it was built to serve.

 

Edit: I am fairly sure that someone did an article on Capdenac-Gare in the SNCFS Journal (probably about 20 years ago now). Whoever that was will have photos.

Edited by Joseph_Pestell
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Or go to Wikipedia as you can use their photos if you credit the photographer. I don't mind visiting Capdenac for some photos if it's not too urgent (Summer or Autumn at the earliest)

 

Peter, Wikipedia doesn't actually have many really good pictures of a resolution needed to publish. Thanks for the suggestion, though. I would certainly be interested in any you were able to take, there is no immediate hurry for them, though CM does already have the article. Some general views of the station, one of the outside of the station building and if possible one of the river bridge would be really helpful. Obviously there would be a payment in it....

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It's a large yard for the middle of 'La France Profonde', isn't it? The photo must have been taken a few years ago, as one of the 'Panoramique' rail cars can be seen in the left background. There's a 'Grille Thermique' with a few BB66000 to the right background; the large white building next to it probably has a 'foyer' where drivers would lodge overnight- SNCF still have lots of lodging turns. I looked at a more recent Google Earth photo, which shows the majority of the track still in situ, but only a couple of wagons in the main set of sidings. The stabling point still housed a rail-car, and a couple of diesels, however.

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It's a large yard for the middle of 'La France Profonde', isn't it? The photo must have been taken a few years ago, as one of the 'Panoramique' rail cars can be seen in the left background. There's a 'Grille Thermique' with a few BB66000 to the right background; the large white building next to it probably has a 'foyer' where drivers would lodge overnight- SNCF still have lots of lodging turns. I looked at a more recent Google Earth photo, which shows the majority of the track still in situ, but only a couple of wagons in the main set of sidings. The stabling point still housed a rail-car, and a couple of diesels, however.

It can't be so long ago, as the colour light signal gantry is standing (well, at least one of them is...) and the track layout is pretty much as now. Unfortunately it almost perfectly duplicates one I took myself, though this is clearer. Editor of CM said that Peco would love me forever if I can persuade anyone to model that yard!!! 

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It can't be so long ago, as the colour light signal gantry is standing (well, at least one of them is...) and the track layout is pretty much as now. Unfortunately it almost perfectly duplicates one I took myself, though this is clearer. Editor of CM said that Peco would love me forever if I can persuade anyone to model that yard!!! 

 

If you send me a copy of that yard, you might just have done it- albeit with some imagination and minor modifications applied...

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cHere are some more Wikipedia photos:

 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/Lot_capdenac_gare.JPG This one is of the bridge.

 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/42/Capdenac-Gare%2C_Vue_1.JPG/1920px-Capdenac-Gare%2C_Vue_1.JPG

 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/63/Capdenac-Gare%2C_Vue_2.JPG/1920px-Capdenac-Gare%2C_Vue_2.JPG Look at the left-hand side

 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3e/Gare_de_Capdenac_01.JPG/1920px-Gare_de_Capdenac_01.JPG Similar to one of the others, zoomed in.

 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fd/30.08.89_Capdenac_BB66000s_%286287388052%29.jpg Classic Trains 1

 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/30.08.89_Capdenac_X_2877_%26_XR_6025.jpg Classic Trains 2

 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d2/Gare_de_Capdenac.jpg/1024px-Gare_de_Capdenac.jpg HD photo of the modern station including 3 examples of modern motive power. (Two TERs including two X7350s coupled up and an X2200 taking a break in a siding in the top-right, not to mention a diesel shunter on the left-hand side shunting the wagons.)

 

 

 

It's probably useless for you, but a quick recap of its history:

 

The Gare de Capdenac was opened on August 30, 1858 by the PO (Paris à Orléans), when the Montauban-Capendac line was opened. The line was taken over by the PO whilst still under construction on 11 April 1857 at the liquidation of the GC (Compagnie du Grand-Central).
 
Located near Decazeville, the site became the largest marshalling yard in the Aveyron and southern Massif Central with a 5-branched railway junction. The station grew into the rail hub for the Decazeville and Aubin and steel basin. The area around the station eventually grew into the railway town of Capdenac-Gare, officially was granted commune status in 1891. Today, it is larger than the town it was originally built to serve, Capdenac (Capdenac-le-Haut, in English 'Upper Capdenac' or 'Capdenac-on-the-Hill').
 
According to SNCF estimates, 76,947 travellers used the station in 2014.
 
Random tidbits of information:
 
It is situated at PK 730.433 (from Paris) on the Cahors- Capdenac line.
There are 3 platforms, 2 of which are islands.
The station has 4 platform tracks, plus 'voies de service' or Service/Utility Tracks
It is 178m above sea level
It is on the Brive-la-Gaillarde to Toulouse Via Capdenac, Capdenac-Rodez and Cahors-Capdenac Lines
It is served by TERs as well as the Gare d'Austerlitz- Albi-Ville/Rodez sleepers.
The freight part of the station is open to 'Train Massif' (i.e. Block/Unit Freights) freight trains only
 
I hope this helps!
Edited by Peter Crawford
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