RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted June 21, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 21, 2021 A few photos from yesterday's trip from Limoges to Eymoutiers, first post-Covid excursion for these locos from the Limoges-based preservation group. Rather too long a day really but such is the nature of the way that the French do such trips. Lots of business created for the restaurants and bars at Eymoutiers. France Meteo let us down badly. As late as Friday evening, we were promised decent weather. They got that wrong! It rained all the way to Eymoutiers, with thunder and lightning. But it really heaved down just as we had to de-train at Eymoutiers where there is no shelter on the down platform. Had to wait for everybody to get off so that they could shunt back into a siding to let the TER (one of few that run each week up beyond Eymoutiers to Ussel) to pass. We were supposed to go further up the line to Bugeas in the afternoon but some storm damage led to this part of the trip being cancelled. It was apparently the first time that both locos had been used together to double-head a train. Motive seemed to be to give the loco crews an opportunity after the long Covid shutdown. There must have been about ten crews and there were frequent service stops for crew changes. The line is certainly interesting with gradients, tunnels and viaducts in plenty. But some are a bit difficult to see as the Limousin is very much an area of dense woodland. My real reason for making the trip is the Nord "tubulaire" coaches. Very young, I travelled on the "rapide" equivalent - same shaped windows and doors but with compartments. But I don't think that I ever rode on these. A bonus was the train being followed from Limoges to Eymoutiers by about 20 historical commercial vehicles. PS: I will come back in a while with the photos when I can work out what's going on between the phone and the computer! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted June 21, 2021 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted June 21, 2021 They are on the computer... That's a start. But some upside down! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted June 21, 2021 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted June 21, 2021 Right way up on the computer. So, I can't do anything about it. Second photo, a detail from one of the association's USI coaches. They date from c1964 but they have chosen to use pre-UIC numbering. Arguably not done a very good job with this one but the composites were unusual with a mix of vestibule and compartments to which they have added a bar/shop in three former compartments and a compartment converted for guard's/announcer's use. Their main service vehicle for loco crews is this A4D (1st break), a PLM vehicle dating from 1907. 5 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted June 21, 2021 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted June 21, 2021 Hit send before I meant to. 4 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted June 21, 2021 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted June 21, 2021 For those that would like to know more, or book a trip to coincide with their holidays: www.trainvapeur.com. There were quite a few Brits on the train. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium jamie92208 Posted June 23, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 23, 2021 (edited) Looks to have been a good trip Joe. I did it in 2019 with just the 4-6-0. The pictures are not on my Limoges thread. But I will put some on here if you are OK with that. The sound of the 2 locos must have been great. Jamie Edited June 23, 2021 by jamie92208 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted June 23, 2021 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted June 23, 2021 2 hours ago, jamie92208 said: Looks to have been a good trip Joe. I did it in 2019 with just the 4-6-0. The pictures are not on my Limoges thread. But I will put some on here if you are OK with that. The sound of the 2 locos must have been great. Jamie Hi Jamie, Yes, of course feel free to post your photos. I had replied in more detail but the hotel wifi dropped out! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SNCF stephen Posted January 9, 2022 Share Posted January 9, 2022 Thanks for posting these. Sorry for such a late reply. I was hoping they would double head the service on 11 August when I was out there but they used their 63500 instead of TD740 which was disappointing. On the other hand there was a x2400 autorail that was running from Ussel up to Eymoutiers which gave a chance to photo the two classic trains (along with the service train) at Eymoutiers. It must be the busiest Eymoutiers has ever been!!! 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordonwis Posted January 12, 2022 Share Posted January 12, 2022 (edited) Nice to see 140C38. I last saw it in steam aged 15 in 1975 on the CFTA... By the way strictly speaking the A4D is not 100% 'from 1907'. It is a Rémetalisé Sud Est. 'Metallised' in the 1920s by the PLM and 'rematallised' in the early 1960s by SNCF. Parts of the underframe and chassis may have been original, but not sure how much Edited January 12, 2022 by Gordonwis 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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