SNCF double-champignon rail fittings

[bécasse]

A few photos of chairs and fishplates on SNCF double-champignon rail track. They were taken in the early 1990s on the erstwhile Rivesaltes-Carcassone via Quillan line in an effort to assist Gordon Gravett with the construction of his Réseau Breton Pampoul layout - although it was then discovered that metre gauge lines used a lighter weight rail and hence fittings. They may be useful to someone though. I have some drawings, too, somewhere and I will add them when I find where they are hiding!

[Pacific231G]

Here are some more examples of French track with DC rail and chairs.  I photographed these in 2016 in Blaye, a former Etat line on the right bank of the Gironde in 2016. The line is now derelict but until fairly recently handled heavy cereal trains going in and out of the port there.

Note also the very characteristic steel straps holding some of the sleeperr ends from splitting. I've never noticed these in Britain but they're exptremely common in France.

Some of the track further out is steel sleepered and the chairs are rather different

 

I also photographed details from a couple of turnouts there though, looking at them more closely, they were FB rail. Some of the fittings were  very different from those on British pointwork and there is now a kit to "Francify" Peco code 76 FB points. They'd be OT here but I'm happy to post them if anyone wants to see them. It's useful to know that DC track and Vignoles pointwork can be combined.

 

Edited May 10, 2021 by Pacific231G