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JAMIE'S RANDOM FRENCH RAILWAY PHOTOS


jamie92208
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Good evening all, it's warm here today which makes a change after the cold wind of yesterday.  However the Tardis is still in a very warm Provence on 30th June 2003. The ride back down the valleys seemed to be even more spectacular than the journey up.

618827986_Slides2003-B011.jpg.7e1abaaa30646f26e0e483c88e1f57ce.jpg

Here a series of curved tunnels take the line down to the valley pf the Var. The line can be seen in the foreground, well below us.

425709057_Slides2003-B012.jpg.666627160009853736391b99685af80d.jpg

We passed a local service with one of the Bo Bo's and two trailers at one point.

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Then back along the river through the that I think channel water across the line.

1575746232_Slides2003-B015.jpg.cfad8fa9d359c2a72200918d10ca0f07.jpg

I think that this is at Puget Theniers where the preserved steam locos are kept. It looks like a wagon load of coal.

973017834_Slides2003-B017.jpg.836a2329942b93b70b8c6177d9b2cd52.jpg

Then we are down in the flood plain alongside the main road heading down the valley from Colomars.

686428460_Slides2003-B018.jpg.d55df8522954b0742cb3313130aa4431.jpg

All being well, more tomorrow.

 

Jamie

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Good evening from The Charente.   The Tardis is still in the Nice area on 30th June 2003. heading towards Nice on the CfP. Here we are passing the works and this diesel was dumped at the end of a siding. I'm not sure what it is.

928257629_Slides2003-B019.jpg.9f1992167fd00551a8dd9d8e1db86cde.jpg

After a tunnel the final stretch is almost street running dodging between the houses.  After this shot the driver asked me to go back to the saloon so that the managers didn't see me in the cab as we entered the station.

1392341252_Slides2003-B020.jpg.c4066799564b3ced2a3601550efddc4f.jpg

Then it was back to the main line station.

1337801660_Slides2003-B021.jpg.be077e5211e89524b4d27c014d2a0d0b.jpg

Back to L Bocca and the car train empties were heading back to the yard having come down the Grasse branch and crossed over.  The Y8000 leading

458912248_Slides2003-B025.jpg.39ca259e40e5a76accb678ae82766352.jpg

Then it heads back towards the yard past La Bocca station that can be seen in the background.

1166420120_Slides2003-B026.jpg.6be6331502e44e104d287412d9e7579b.jpg

 

It looks to be as sunny there as it is here today.

 

Jamie

Edited by jamie92208
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The mystery loco is a CFD 0-8-0, built at Montmirail in 1963, one of four such.  Two were sent to the PO Correze, and two to Corsica. One loco  went to the Vivarais, thence to the CdF Provence, before being sent to Corsica in 1974. It looks as though it might have been sent back.

We rode on the CfP in 1980; we travelled on one of the older units, where we could sit and chat with the driver. At one point, he proferred his bottle of 'pinard'...

 

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1 hour ago, Fat Controller said:

The mystery loco is a CFD 0-8-0, built at Montmirail in 1963, one of four such.  Two were sent to the PO Correze, and two to Corsica. One loco  went to the Vivarais, thence to the CdF Provence, before being sent to Corsica in 1974. It looks as though it might have been sent back.

We rode on the CfP in 1980; we travelled on one of the older units, where we could sit and chat with the driver. At one point, he proferred his bottle of 'pinard'...

 

It's actually a B-B, one of two that were on the CFP at the time, BB401/2. At least one other was on Corsica.

B-B 402 was "under repair" at Lingostiere when I went in the late 90's...stripped for spares, more like.

The 0-8-0 was numbered 51, was orange, and dumped out of use by the late 90's.

I do have a pic of it if anyone is interested?

Edited by JeffP
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10 minutes ago, JeffP said:

It's actually a B-B, one of two that were on the CFP at the time, BB401/2. At least one other was on Corsica.

B-B 402 was "under repair" at Lingostiere when I went in the late 90's...stripped for spares, more like.

The 0-8-0 was numbered 51, was orange, and dumped out of use by the late 90's.

I do have a pic of it if anyone is interested?

Yes please!

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Good afternoon again from the Charente.  I've looked at my notes about the trip on the CFP and the BB at the works was 401.

 

Today we are still on the Cote D'Azur in 2003. It's early July and a 22310 is hurrying an express westward at la Bocca.

1444209582_Slides2003-B033.jpg.efe0a89180f5e152b299f75248845bfa.jpg

Shortly after a double TGV with a Duplex on the rear went past.

14589114_Slides2003-B034.jpg.5ac6295b6da2945468f5d1fa5f306295.jpg

All holidays come to an end and we headed back north on a Duplex, here at Marseille.

448765861_Slides2003-B036.jpg.4525180648a71a2bf8029e0685813f51.jpg

This is an interior shot, the view from the upper deck is very good.

996504306_Slides2003-B037.jpg.c746568af93435db94997025ee7e42a5.jpg

2004 was our Silver wedding and we headed west across the pond, those photos will be in the upcoming Nort American thread.  2005 we were back at La Bocca and had a day out to Nice and Tende, using a runabout ticket.  Here is our SNCF train from Nice at Tende. The line is spectacular. Just north of here it enters a tunnel that takes it to Italy.

662607447_Slides2005-P003.jpg.d76cbeb34d394e13dd5fa001365cecfa.jpg

Then an Italian train appeared that took us down to Ventimiglia or Vintmille as the French call it.

504615818_Slides2005-P008.jpg.4dc3023d975c0a1c887b383fdf0b4374.jpg

This whole area was badly hit by floods last year and many roads are still impassible and some sections of line are still under repair.  However SNCF has worked wonders to keep services running to temporary stations and has also stripped the seats out of two DMU's to carry freight to the isolated communities. Even livestock has been transported.  Very good cooperation and service from the railways.

 

Jamie

 

 

Edited by jamie92208
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Good evening, just from the Charente.  The Tardis is still in the South of France in mid September 2005. The first is taken at Briel Sur Roya where there is a preservation site. One of the lovely 7100 class, I think 7140 was preserved there. A long way from any 1500v overhead.

6673327_Slides2005-P009.jpg.aab3748e4c59ad630f2de2e7d41051a0.jpg

Then we went down to Vintmille or Ventimiglia as the local call it. There appeared to have been a bit of a whoopsy on the turntable. It's pantograph can be see dangling over the windscreen.

1999617460_Slides2005-P012.jpg.93cb7223653055ff25dd2c6d081147e3.jpg

A not very brilliant snatched shot of the same  but worth using I think.

124287086_Slides2005-P014.jpg.d9791ade6c6ee20c536ae41262903fd7.jpg

By 2005 the Grasse Branch had been re-opened and electrified. Every other local now goes up the branch.  As the platform at La Bocca station, for the branch is short and not in good repair, they built a single platform station just up the branch. I can't remember what it's called but it was only about 100 yards from our flat.

850207277_Slides2005-P017.jpg.bc70d84e5034229ddf3e8e19e6ba5e50.jpg

The car terminal was still open and here a 63000 is heading along to reverse before going up there.

410726760_Slides2005-P019.jpg.61162cb9ae181234873c4b030f2ccfb3.jpg

There is a passing station half way up the branch.

745958056_Slides2005-P020.jpg.3235e3b4b3938af2f9f2f5c16a681ade.jpg

All being well some more tomorrow.

 

Jamie

Edited by jamie92208
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50 minutes ago, kintbury jon said:

The 7100 is indeed CC7140.  One I had for haulage from  Avignon to Nimes.  The evidence I have is this photo belting through Tarascon.

 

Would love to get to Breil sur Roya to see it again.

 

Thanks again for all your photos.

Tarascon.jpg

No problem Jon, I'm thoroughly  enjoying posting them. They have brought back a lot of good memories.

 

Jamie

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Good afternoon from the Charente.  The Tardis is still in the Cannes area in mid September 2005. This is Grasse station after the reconstruction.

624093986_Slides2005-P021.jpg.1cd4baa5b27cd136038f34b128d0a71c.jpg

I've discovered some more photos that were on film taken on the Tende trip but the wretched uploader insists on turning them upside down even when I turn them before uploading. So we move on to Late June 2006 when we were back in La Bocca.  Here a Sybic is heading west with, I think, one of the refurbished Corail sets which were known as Teoze and used on the Nice Bordeaux route.

1752731269_Slides2006-C008.jpg.dcef702dda19e8849c09cbcc9b45b1cf.jpg

These were taken about a kilometre east of La Bocca station where there are two bridges.  Here an EMU heads for Vintmille.

405029617_Slides2006-C010.jpg.30927869f092e216fd7a6292e163bf43.jpg

Then a duplex headed west.

1674870886_Slides2006-C011.jpg.d060a5201691ea66a8c54e8d7e8d2256.jpg

Some of the old Inox push pull sets were still operating. I'm not sure if I ever saw one of these sets on the Grasse branch.

1591050244_Slides2006-C017.jpg.0787156dd250b9d611bde6b28e98716a.jpg

There were quite a few cruise ships anchoring in the bay and one day the new Queen Mary 2 turned up but fortunately it stayed upright unlike the photo. (Now sorted in 2022)

1379295250_Slides2006-C018.jpg.3be22f9a71b7295ced1436cc4cce4892.jpg

And one afternoon a 222XX heads east.

656207523_Slides2006-C19.jpg.4921bf57c8ae07c2bab03b4abfdf7589.jpg

Jamie

 

Edited by jamie92208
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Some more excellent photos Jamie.

 

You appear to have captured the one daily Sybic hauled daytime TEOZ service from Nice to Bordeaux, the others were diagrammed 22200s. West of Marseille they were either 7200 or 22200. In another you’ve captured Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 along with one of AIDA cruises ships with the ludicrous (in my opinion anyway) eyes.

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Good afternoon from a gloriously sunny and very warm Charente.  The Tardis is still in the Cannes La Bocca area in mid June 2006. First one of the old Inox push pull sets heads into La Bocca from the sidings with the Driving Trailer leading.

471597305_Slides2006-C020.jpg.575bfd58c28b797f2e77b9815f636fb5.jpg

It's now 21st June and 26154 is heading east with a corail set.

1518006259_Slides2006-C022.jpg.4785c5d1c609e99bf0cd9f5aa6df3e7b.jpg

Then an attempt at an arty shot taken from the pavement of the coast road, through the fencing as a TGV heads west.

475780830_Slides2006-C023.jpg.bbcc124e67f07ec6d18e6c8412b411e1.jpg

The apartment block still provided a view of the Grasse branch and the car trains were still running. Here the inbound loaded working passes through the new station.

1439155714_Slides2006-C026.jpg.a0e67eb25b523acfa699af6a0be158f5.jpg

Then I managed to catch the westbound TEOZ again this time hauled by 26140.  I think that most of the coaches were refurbished at the rolling stock works just north of La Bocca yard.

1654937557_Slides2006-C027.jpg.b132d61fc012c604d68663a892fad128.jpg

Then a surprise, a brand new diesel 75003 on test heading west.

136502904_Slides2006-C029.jpg.6b72b1fd7876de68784223d5f49cd475.jpg

Then heading east, dead in train.

 

573130795_Slides2006-C032.jpg.14858c68b313349777df21cb7e500cee.jpg

Hopefully some more tomorrow.

 

Jamie

Edited by jamie92208
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Is that a FRET liveried 72000 in the test train behind 75003.

 

More searching of diagrams, there were no Sybics allocated locally. I think they worked south on the overnight Luxembourg/Strasbourg to Nice train as far as Marseille, then to Nice on something, back to Marseille on the TEOZ, then back north on the sleeper that night.

Edited by brushman47544
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8 minutes ago, brushman47544 said:

Is that a FRET liveried 72000 in the test train behind 75003.

 

More searching of diagrams, there were no Sybics allocated locally. I think they worked in on the overnight Luxembourg/Strasbourg to Nice train.

 

May depend what you mean by "allocations".

 

French tradition going back to steam days is for very few depots having locos allocated to them. In practice, the loco could have been at the other end of the country - especially the more versatile classes.

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21 minutes ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

 

May depend what you mean by "allocations".

 

French tradition going back to steam days is for very few depots having locos allocated to them. In practice, the loco could have been at the other end of the country - especially the more versatile classes.


True. What I meant was that none of the depots in that area had Sybics diagrammed for maintenance or as spares - you wouldn’t see a few stabled at Blancarde depot for example, whereas 22200s you would. The Sybics in Jaime’s photos were I think from the Strasbourg allocation (or normally worked in that area) and working to Nice was if you like an out and back turn.

Edited by brushman47544
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On 19/04/2021 at 21:17, Andy Hayter said:

I have a feeling that the metre gauge B-B is currently sat at Lamastre (Train de l'Ardèche - formerly CFV) in bits.

Checked this morning and the Lamastre wreck is 405.  

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1 hour ago, brushman47544 said:

Is that a FRET liveried 72000 in the test train behind 75003.

 

More searching of diagrams, there were no Sybics allocated locally. I think they worked south on the overnight Luxembourg/Strasbourg to Nice train as far as Marseille, then to Nice on something, back to Marseille on the TEOZ, then back north on the sleeper that night.

Thanks for spotting that.  I've checked my notes and it was 72003 and the date was 27th June.

As to Sybics, I did see a lot of them in those years, more 222XX's but an increasing number of Sybics, from memory a lot of the sleeper trains had sybics by 2007.

 

Jamie

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Good evening from a slightly cooler Charente. Once again we are back in the Cannes area but it's now July 2007.

We were back i the same apartment block with a view of a short stretch of the line and I was quite surprised to see this going past.

392305167_Slides2007-L033.jpg.76d4d130453aa8cdce5340720189e6f7.jpg

 

An EWS 66 on a regular freight working.  The rest of the trains were more French though.

90147862_Slides2007-L034.jpg.9a391788347fe7b9a940ed52c57a2b19.jpg

The sidings weren't getting as much use and a 63XXX was easily visible during one of my walks.

1828845972_Slides2007-L035.jpg.b9743514f2db28f02b88492b42ac8ff9.jpg

However the TGV#s were still heading east and west through La Bocca station.

365174931_Slides2007-M005.jpg.38f8d74e69784281d9e5588b3963fa3d.jpg

The car trains were still running. Here 63606 is heading back to the sidings with the empties.

365174931_Slides2007-M005.jpg.38f8d74e69784281d9e5588b3963fa3d.jpg

And 76593 a Marseille allocated DMU is heading west. Maybe on test.

239113896_Slides2007-M006.jpg.07b61e7da8340a552631aeada58c4746.jpg

All being well some more tomorrow.   Off to do a Zoom presentation to the Gauge 0 Guild now.

 

Jamie

Edited by jamie92208
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After a rather intense 2 hours completing my on line French tax return a little light relief is needed.  The Tardis is still in the South of France on 2007. Here two locals pass at La Bocca.

2012333614_Slides2007-M009.jpg.6c89af90a0476b634d9284cdaedd2ecf.jpg

And then a 222XX heads past. I think this was working in push pull mode.

1572991048_Slides2007-M010.jpg.ca1f2a9a1c100b54349e4142409b9f26.jpg

A day trip out to Nice on July 2nd allowed me to get this shot of 26160 at Nice.

1116122009_Slides2007-M012.jpg.f816fb412b5594b9c664d5bb25b18c52.jpg

Outside the station construction work for the new Nice tramway was in full swing.

1762369799_Slides2007-M015.jpg.475452c8343eab0f97ce635934d38c3f.jpg

Then it was up to St Roch to see the depot. Quite a few locos present.

121760477_Slides2007-M017.jpg.ecc890d5e936768ab229199393f93c68.jpg

On the other side of the Tende line there were 2 duplex's a 25500 on push pull set and a locotractor.

1871562420_Slides2007-M018.jpg.439f7826c558f99d1b558b2ad2cea42c.jpg

Quite a lot around.

 

Jamie

 

 

 

 

Edited by jamie92208
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27 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

After a rather intense 2 hours completing my on line French tax return a little light relief is needed.  The Tardis is still in the South of France on 2007. Here two locals pass at La Bocca.

1126145836_Slides2007-M009.jpg.074ac68a191bb6f4b4726d96455c0090.jpg

And then a 222XX heads past. I think this was working in push pull mode.

1163615351_Slides2007-M010.jpg.6211b07659444ba0539613c0eeafc894.jpg

A day trip out to Nice on July 2nd allowed me to get this shot of 26160 at Nice.

176086331_Slides2007-M012.jpg.0a07ecdf6b7969a0cac6bd2a27df2dbf.jpg

Outside the station construction work for the new Nice tramway was in full swing.

1427700198_Slides2007-M015.jpg.32cf44e4878258e32d1ee98c2e28eb41.jpg

Then it was up to St Roch to see the depot. Quite a few locos present.

1204049936_Slides2007-M017.jpg.08dd437fd31fa63b2d9c65120b3c7935.jpg

On the other side of the Tende line there were 2 duplex's a 25500 on push pull set and a locotractor.

1223089609_Slides2007-M018.jpg.552cc9e1b204d8a63229f219150f46c7.jpg

Quite a lot around.

 

Jamie

 

 

 

 

 

That 22200 should be working wrong line as it has headlights on not red taillights.

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7 minutes ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

 

That 22200 should be working wrong line as it has headlights on not red taillights.


I agree, but I hadn’t realised that the line was signalled bi-directionally that early. I don’t think any of the push-pull fitted 22200s were working in the area back in 2007, they came later when the Corail “regional” trains received newly converted DVTs. For these trains a number of low numbered 22200s arrived such as 22214, 22266 which were push-pull fitted for the purpose. Some received En Voyage livery. Later on, another batch of 22200s were fitted with a different system (cablots?) to replace the 25600s on the RIO(?) sets. Those locos have distinctive cable recepticals below the cab windows on the right hand side and were painted in the regional grey with blue cabs livery. As the RIO sets are now being withdrawn, those locos are migrating north including to Strasbourg to replace the last 25600s there.

 

22325 in your photo is a long term Marseille loco and has never been p-p fitted.

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Good morning from a cloudy and cool Charente.   The Tardis is still in the south of France in July 2007.

After Looking at St Roch depot I waited for the next train back to Nice and this appeared.  An Italian DMU working into Nice from Italy via Tende.

1851057502_Slides2007-M019.jpg.9269063c321ab3fcfe6d9a8ccc61c2e3.jpg

 

 

Then I caught a train to Ventimiglia/Vintmille and saw French and Italian stock alongside each other. The line from the frontier and the station area are electrified at 1500 V DC so French dual voltage can work here and Italian stock works on reduced power.

267518774_Slides2007-M022_resize.jpg.e7c6fb5c8c779d89cac5d41a3e666c92.jpg

Whilst taking some photos from a terminating train of corail coaches the train suddenly started to move and then came to a halt in the sidings.  This FS shunter had propelled us into the yard.   No one paid any attention at all as I climbed own and walked out of the yard.

1576223649_Slides2007-M024_resize.jpg.1891774fa5e362fd616931a83106d776.jpg

Not many railway yards have to avoid Roman amphiteatres.

367634344_Slides2007-M027.jpg.f0dc5f848d8379514cb357101eb15017.jpg

I walked back into town along the main road, on which a branch of the San Remo trolleybus system operates. Though I don't speak Italian, some Latin lessons from 40 years previously meant that I was able to buy a sandwich and a pastry at a shop en route.

1145332405_Slides2007-M028_resize.jpg.fb9422fff44d7befedd69dc3dc3da21c.jpg

Back onto the station and again the chance to see SNCF and FS stock, this time locos, alongside each other.

 

 

 

Jamie

 

 

Slides 2007-M 029.jpg

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On 19/04/2021 at 19:43, JeffP said:

It's actually a B-B, one of two that were on the CFP at the time, BB401/2. At least one other was on Corsica.

B-B 402 was "under repair" at Lingostiere when I went in the late 90's...stripped for spares, more like.

The 0-8-0 was numbered 51, was orange, and dumped out of use by the late 90's.

I do have a pic of it if anyone is interested?

Sorry guys, the photos aren't on my computer, being Canon T90 shots, pre digital.

I got the album out to scan a few, but my desktop refuses to communicate with the scanner.

When I have a few minutes, (hollow laughter), I'll investigate and the install it.

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