JAMIE'S RANDOM FRENCH RAILWAY PHOTOS

[jamie92208]

Good afternoon from a rather wild and windy part of the Charente.  However the tardis is still in Beziers and it's the 14th July 1991.  My son Paul and I were wandering round the works there, no one was around and as @JeffPfound no one was bothered.

First off we have a small Locotracteur of, I think the Y2400 class, possibly Y2425

Then one of the larger ones, I think this is the Y7100 class either 7208 or 7209

Then a real lovely find a CC7100 class 7109.

Then another of the tiny Locotracteurs, I think it's a Y2400.

Next a stealth locos outside the paintshop, a 9400 class in primer.

 

Then a line up of an 8500, a 9400 and two 8000's.

Hopefully some more tomorrow.

 

Jamie

Edited August 10, 2022 by jamie92208

[jamie92208]

Good morning, it's still wild and windy but the Tardis stayed put.   We are still at Beziers works on 14th July 1991. Here a very clean 8000  the old green livery.

Then back to the station and what should appear but 6565 on a southbound passenger working.

It's just starting off as the 2nd pantograph has been raised. It will drop once the train has got to about 10mph.

3 days later on the 17th July we headed south to Perpignan then turned inland and headed for Villefranche-le-Conflant to ride the narrow gauge line that heads up into the Pyrenees to La Tour De Carol. This is metre gauge with 850V DC 3rd rail electrification. A train was just coming in as we arrived.

There was other stock around in the station 6 yr old Rachel looks fascinated.

The station is mixed gauge as it is the terminus of a standard gauge branch from Perpignan. We had some time to wander around before our train was due out. The station is in the foothills.

This stock all dated from between 1901 and 1909. As you can see it includes open vehicles.

The line is known as the 'Canary' line but has had ew stock delivered in the last few years.

 

Jamie

 

Edited August 10, 2022 by jamie92208

[Fat Controller]

2 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

Good morning, it's still wild and windy but the Tardis stayed put.   We are still at Beziers works on 14th July 1991. Here a very clean 8000  the old green livery.

Then back to the station and what should appear but 6565 on a southbound passenger working.

It's just starting off as the 2nd pantograph has been raised. It will drop once the train has got to about 10mph.

3 days later on the 17th July we headed south to Perpignan then turned inland and headed for Villefranche-le-Conflant to ride the narrow gauge line that heads up into the Pyrenees to La Tour De Carol. This is metre gauge with 850V DC 3rd rail electrification. A train was just coming in as we arrived.

There was other stock around in the station 6 yr old Rachel looks fascinated.

The station is mixed gauge as it is the terminus of a standard gauge branch from Perpignan. We had some time to wander around before our train was due out. The station is in the foothills.

This stock all dated from between 1901 and 1909. As you can see it includes open vehicles.

The line is known as the 'Canary' line but has had ew stock delivered in the last few years.

 

Jamie

 

Is the stock still overhauled at Beziers? It used to be taken there on bogie well wagons.

[jamie92208]

1 hour ago, Fat Controller said:

Is the stock still overhauled at Beziers? It used to be taken there on bogie well wagons.

I'm not sure.  I don't even know if the works are still open as most of the classes they looked after have been withdrawn.

 

Jamie

[jamie92208]

Good moaning from a sunny place, at the moment!

 

We are still on the Canary line on 17th July 1991.  First one of the luggage vans of Sprague/Thompson heritage built in 1908/09 and now used for snow plough duties.

And a motor car in the shed.

I don't seem to have any photos taken on the journey, we only managed to get to Font Romeu where we had to change and come back as we didn't have time for the full journey to La Tour de Carol, where we would have seen Iberian Gauge trains as well as SNCF standard and metre gauge.  Perhaps one day.

The return journey was fast and furious on the winding and spectacular track which goes over some lovely bridges.  We had chosen to ride in one of the open vehicles and as the 3rd rail changed sides at one point there was a rather large bang from below our seats and a collector shoe flew up into the air alongside us before heading for the ravine.   I'm glad that it didn't change course into the coach. When we got down to the terminus I spent some time trying to attract the attention of a member of staff.  Eventually he came to see what this  agitated Anglais was wittering on about in O level French. He climbed into the coach and I pointed down so he looked over the side, lots of Oh La La's then occurred.   

Anyway after that little adventure it was back to Beziers the following Sunday.  Paul came with me and we ended up being shown round by a driver. First of all a 9200 arriving

Then 8111 came through.

Paul then had a treat and was allowed to drive a 9400 up and down the yard, aged 9

One final shot in the afternoon sun a 9200 and a French 66 with Beziers behind.

Jamie

 

 

 

 

Edited August 10, 2022 by jamie92208

[jamie92208]

Bon apres midi

 

July 1991 and we are still in Beziers and 9459 is on the depot outside the works.

Then on to the station and the Catalan Talgo again with 7279 and 67330  tucked in behind.  The 7200 wasn't m0dified to work with the Talgo stock so one of the Chambery locos that had the necessary adaptions had been pressed into service as a translator vehicle.

A couple of evenings later we went out along the coastal line towards Sete and found this push pull unit heading east behind a 9200.

And shortly after a classmate headed west with a freight.

 

Back to the station and a Z7100 class no  7116 heading east on 28th July.

And the other end of the unit, which is the motor vehicle as it departs, I think up the Neussargues line.

 

Jamie

Edited August 10, 2022 by jamie92208

[JeffP]

On 13/03/2021 at 10:40, Fat Controller said:

Is the stock still overhauled at Beziers? It used to be taken there on bogie well wagons.

SNCF has "rationalised" quite a few of it's works since 2018.

Google satellite images of Beziers works show it pretty derelict.

Oullins at Lyon was another casualty, Google showing track lifted and connections severed.

Many depots have also closed: Orleans Les Aubrais, Paris Chatillon, Paris Charolais and the one that used to serve Gare de l'Est, and there seems little activity at Paris Sud Ouest.

Gone are the days of walking into a French depot and getting a guided tour...or being told, "go on then, but we haven't seen you..."

[brushman47544]

22 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

Then on to the station and the Catalan Talgo again with 7279 and 67330  tucked in behind.  The 7200 wasn't m0dified to work with the Talgo stock so one of the Chambery locos tat had the necessary adaptions had been pressed into service as a translator vehicle.

 

 

The TALGO batch were BB7292 to 7299.

 

Keep posting such images please. The BB7200 and BB22200 locos are my favourite French electric locos.

Edited March 16, 2021 by brushman47544

[jamie92208]

Good afternoon, a few more photos from 1991. I think that these were from 28th July.  Back to the station and Paul is watching the Catalan Talgo again with 7285 doing the honours. This is one of the Catalan batch.

The Talgo then set off south heading for the gauge changer at Port Bou.

Shortly after a local pulled in hauled by 9309, one of the second batch 9200's from 1967 that were numbered in the 9300's. 

1A typical Sunday sight at that time, a convoy of locos coming on depot for fuelling and checks.

We now head into 1992 and somewhere on the line south from Paris to Marseille a pair of 66073 and a classmate are heading a freight.

Followed by what I think is a 72XX on a train of tanktainers.

Jamie

 

 

Edited August 10, 2022 by jamie92208

[brushman47544]

Ha! Today’s photos include BB7285 attached to a TALGO rake... I looked up the list so obviously those fitted changed or reduced over time. If that’s the case, probably BB7284 in the earlier photo was also fitted but the coupling wasn’t working. That probably makes more sense as SNCF wasn’t known for intensive diagramming, quite the opposite. So not allocating a TALGO fitted loco was highly unlikely.

Edited March 16, 2021 by brushman47544

[jamie92208]

Good evening from the Charente.   We are still in 1992 heading for the Frejus area. On the way down we stayed overnight at Avignon and I got the chance to spend a little time on the station. These were taken on the 29th July.

First we see 63659 shunting stock in the station.

Next we have 7383 on a postal train.

And finally PSE TGV no 67.

The next day we arrived at our campsite between Frejus and Agay.  We headed for the beach we had used several times before.  I walked up to the lineside and on 10th August caught 25630 heading west  light engine.

Then a class mate 25628 in the old livery headed east with a local train of Inox trailer sets, the curtains flapping in the breeze as usual.

And finally  22385 heading west with a long train of corail stock.  Then it was time to head for the sea and a swim again.

Jamie

 

 

Edited August 10, 2022 by jamie92208

[Nearholmer]

Loving this!

 

You seem to have gone on holiday to all the places we went on holiday, over a similar timespan.

[jamie92208]

Good afternoon again.   The Tardis is still in 1992. it's. 8th August and we have driven north and are still in 1500 DC territory at Fleurville Pont de ??? A 72XX is heading north with a feight.

Then 7322 came south with a passenger train.

And another classmate headed north.

The next day we continued north and stayed overnight in Thionville. After tea I took the boys and headed for the depot.  As was usual then we were allowed round. I was fascinated by the 'flatirons' that were on the depot.

Here 25218 waits outside the depot.  More Monocabines are in the background, mainly 14XXX but a few 12XXX

Then an almost brand new Sybic 26024 in the evening sun.

Jamie

 

 

Edited August 10, 2022 by jamie92208

[brushman47544]

Fleurville - Pont-de-Vaux. It’s north of Macon.

[jamie92208]

2 minutes ago, brushman47544 said:

Fleurville - Pont-de-Vaux. It’s north of Macon.

Thanks for that.  I knew that it was somewhere in that area but didn't have my rail atlas handy.   We were towing the caravan on the continent for the first time and I remember stopping somewhere in that area.

 

Jamie

 

 

[jamie92208]

Good evening.  The Tardis is still in Thionville on 9th August 1992.  We continued our walk round the depot

I got chatting to a driver who was walking past one of the locos and he invited us to have a look inside the cab.

Here he is moving us up the yard.

Two very happy young men were then invited to drive the Sybic that we had photographed.

I doubt that this would happen nowadays. Martin was 12 and Paul on the right 10.

I also found a better photo of one of the flat iron Co Co's, in this case  14188

Trains were visible across the main lines near the station. Here a 15XXX is passing.

There was  one of the 12XXX Bo Bo's alongside us.

One of the roundhouses had no roof, shades of Westhouses and other British depots. Here an array of 14000's are around the turntable.

To their left were some of the last Baldwin AiA.A1A's of the 62000 class.  Built after the war and sent over. Their last duties included shunting the train ferry at Dunkirk. Here 62030, 62081, 62083 and 62099 can be seen. 

The contrast between the Sybic built in 1989/90 and these from 46/47 is amazing along with the 14000's from 54-58.

Jamie

 

 

Edited August 10, 2022 by jamie92208

[Nearholmer]

A seriously good line-up of classic traction that. Caused me to read the wikipedia entry about the 62000, to check weight and power, and I was surprised to learn that they were only 660ch, whereas I thought they were 1000ch - it says that Baldwin offered 1000ch, but SNCF opted for the lower.

 

Its a good job (or a pity) nobody made models of them in coarse-0, otherwise I might need to convert my layout to bi-national. 

Edited March 20, 2021 by Nearholmer

[jamie92208]

3 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

A seriously good line-up of classic traction that. Caused me to read the wikipedia entry about the 14000, to check weight and power, and I was surprised to learn that they were only 660ch, whereas I thought they were 1000ch - it says that Baldwin offered 1000ch, but SNCF opted for the lower.

 

Its a good job (or a pity) nobody made models of them in coarse-0, otherwise I might need to convert my layout to bi-national. 

And their top speed was only 30 mph.  I loved the look of them though. I might try and find a model.

 

Jamie

Edited March 19, 2021 by jamie92208

[Philou]

Fleischmann used to make the Bo Bo - I have one in blue. Possibly Lima and Trix have also made them too - I think I saw one of each in my Dad's collection in the grange. I really need to go and catalogue it all.

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

[bluedepot]

great pictures from thionville! 

 

thanks for sharing them

 

 

tim

[jamie92208]

17 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

And their top speed was only 30 mph.  I loved the look of them though. I might try and find a model.

 

Jamie

I've just had a look in the Platform 5 book and the 14100's are listed as 1860 kW which I think is about 2400 Hp. Apparently  their working life was prolonged by the late delivery of the Sybics. I saw 18 of the 32 that were still in existence that day.  

 

As an aside, I always try and put the date and location in my Platform 5 books when I underline a loco. Once I started using this source of info, I've been able to accurately  date many of my slides.

 

In fact looking at my notes on the 15000's the one in the slide above might be either 15047/48 or 49.

 

Jamie

Edited March 20, 2021 by jamie92208

[Nearholmer]

Ah, well, you see ...... red faced...... I typed "14000", when I meant "62000". I've corrected it now.

 

"Le modèle d'origine proposé par Baldwin développait une puissance de 1000 CV et était équipé d'un moteur à 8 cylindres. La SNCF pensant destiner ses futures locomotives exclusivement aux services de manœuvre, choisit de brider ses 040 DA à une puissance de 660 CV par l'adoption d'un moteur à 6 cylindres."

Edited March 20, 2021 by Nearholmer

[jamie92208]

1 hour ago, Nearholmer said:

Ah, well, you see ...... red faced...... I typed "14000", when I meant "62000". I've corrected it now.

 

"Le modèle d'origine proposé par Baldwin développait une puissance de 1000 CV et était équipé d'un moteur à 8 cylindres. La SNCF pensant destiner ses futures locomotives exclusivement aux services de manœuvre, choisit de brider ses 040 DA à une puissance de 660 CV par l'adoption d'un moteur à 6 cylindres."

So easily done, I've been typing 14000 when it should have been 14100.  I'm surprised how little power is installed for what is quite a large loco. Perhaps it's to do with axle loading as US prime movers tend to be on the heavy side.

 

Jamie

 

[Nearholmer]

Possibly simple economy, to a small extent in first cost, and to a larger extent in fuel and maintenance. A pure shunting loco actually doesn't need a great deal of installed power, because its stock in trade is low-speed tractive effort - power is a measure of the rate at which work is done, and you only need lots of it if you want to go fast. 

 

The thing that slightly surprises me is that they were designed as A1A-A1A, which wastes roundly a third of the adhesive weight. The comparable, and slightly earlier, Alco RSD1, 1000hp and much the same weight, were also built for slow-speed service on lightly-laid track, also derived from a US home-market Bo-Bo, were built as Co-Co, so could use all of their weight for traction.

[brushman47544]

3 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

In fact looking at my notes on the 15000's the one in the slide above might be either 15047/48 or 49.

 

Jamie

BB15049 wasn’t named so not that one. The train includes SBB coaches so would have been EC.