Moves at Limoges and other French Photos

[Fat Controller]

1 hour ago, jamie92208 said:

Feel free to  post Jeff.  Sorry to hear about the jobsworths. I've never had any trouble. 

 

Jamie

They sound like SUGE, who are sub-contractors for things like security to SNCF. I've known of them arresting an SNCF driver for 'gross indecency' because he had had a pee against his loco whilst awaiting a route at Lyon Perrache; fair enough, but this was in the middle of the night, and they didn't tell anyone they were taking him. On another occasion, they laid into a member of staff with truncheons on the concourse at Gare du Nord. They're trained by Vogons, I believe...

[JeffP]

On 14/05/2023 at 12:12, jamie92208 said:

Feel free to  post Jeff.  Sorry to hear about the jobsworths. I've never had any trouble. 

 

Jamie

I hadn't until now.

I have decent French and always ask permission if there is anyone to ask.

Even when being refused entry to a shed, (Paris la Chappelle and Chatillon), the reasons why were politely explained to me.

Until now I'd only really come across SNCF employees who shared my enthusiasm for their railway.

La Rochelle was a sad place as far as Railways are concerned. That beautiful station contained one TGV twin set, and the area around was completely empty yards.

Hard to believe that Alsthom has a huge plant at Aytre just south of La Rochelle.

[jamie92208]

Yes that plant is big. it has it's own tram test track that runs along the roads outside the plant but I've never been lucky enough to see one.  I did see a set of TGV coaches on test at Poitiers behind diesel Locos though. 

 

Jamie

[jamie92208]

I've managed to get out twice in the last fortnight so here are a few photos.  First of all from 26th May at our usual spot at Juille.  There weren't too many trains but Andy and I got quite a few lines in the book.   First heading north on the car train were 2 186's both of which were cops for me.

then after a 27 that I needed and a shunter this came north.

A long way from it's first home.  They are now maintained at a depot near Rouen.

Then yesterday I headed for Ruffec as Andy was busy.    Nice seat to sit on in the shade.  It was over 30 degrees.   First up was a 27xxx with a lengthy freight.

Then a rare visitor a 72XX 7351 on a long mix of LPG tanks and steel carriers.

The Chef du gare who was warning me about approachng trains gave the driver his usual wave.

Then another rare event 186 322 was put round the back of the up platform to keep routeknowledge up and prove the points.

A cop for me taking me to 38.9% of the class in the last 5 years.

Then a southbound local appeared.

This is the signalling panel that is visible from the platform.  

I was standing roughly under were it says BY on platform 1.  Before a train comes into view a bell rings and finally the track circuits light up.

Poitiers is the fringe box to the north and Angouleme to the south.

As the 186 headed north the Chef told me there was another freight due in 10 minutes.

This appeared.

Some sort of track inspection car that i thought was going to be a sybic.

Then a tamper which was routed into the southbound loop.

1

Where it was overtaken by 27011 on a southbound freight.  3 southbounds in 20 minutes.

A very pleasant warm afternoon in the Charente.

 

Jamie

 

[Re6/6]

A fascinating assortment today Jamie. Great stuff!

 

I'm curious as to what a 186 was doing there so far from its home. 

[Fat Controller]

2 hours ago, Re6/6 said:

A fascinating assortment today Jamie. Great stuff!

 

I'm curious as to what a 186 was doing there so far from its home. 

Part of the EuroCargo Rail fleet; the arrival of the 186s has freed up many of the 66s. They're to be seen at Frethun as well.

[jamie92208]

13 hours ago, Re6/6 said:

A fascinating assortment today Jamie. Great stuff!

 

I'm curious as to what a 186 was doing there so far from its home. 

 

10 hours ago, Fat Controller said:

Part of the EuroCargo Rail fleet; the arrival of the 186s has freed up many of the 66s. They're to be seen at Frethun as well.

We see them regularly on tanktainer and car trains, either the Eurocargorail or the VFLI ones. They definitely work down through Lyon to the Spanish border near Perpignan. There was something mentioned in Today's Railways about where they are based and maintained but my forgettery has triumphed as to where that is. I like them. 

 

Jamie

Edited June 9, 2023 by jamie92208

[Foulounoux]

Seems the campaign to get the Limoges Angouleme line is building

 

I saw that many of the shops in Chabanais joined a recent protest shutting for one hour

 

Here's hoping that it has some effect 

[JeffP]

Knowing SNCF as it is now, that line will be reinstated only if the Haute Vienne and the Charente shoulder most of the costs.

AND the running costs.

And knowing the Haute Vienne xnd anything to do with " not Limoges", we might be waiting a long while.😒

[jamie92208]

Good afternoon from a rather too warm part of the Charente.   Having had a short break in the UK it is time to return to the railways of La Belle France.   Last Thursday 22nd June Andy and I headed north in the morning for our now annual pilgrimage to Saint Pierre des Corps.   There was an added bonus this year as I had arranged to meet Ian @Oldddudders for him to return a book that I had lent him.   We headed north and met Ian on the station at about 11.50 after being slightly delayed by and interesting crash on the N10 where the chassis of an HGV ws parked 200 yards from it's trailer.  The chassis was twisted by at least 10 degrees but the cab looked intact.   A 50 yard stretch of armco was not intact.   Anyway after raiding the buffet for sustenance we headed back to the car and started a drive around the very extensive yards and facilities that are there.  South of the main line we found an on track plant depot.track plant depot where a crew were working on a locotracteur.T

Then at the next bridge this class 75 was parked.

Along with a class 27XXX

We headed back towards the station yo look around the two loco workshops and found this G1206 parked in the Ferrotract yard devoid of any form of mumbers,

A yo yo as Ian told us they are called was shunting.  I think that it may belong to the big SNCF workshop.

Then a 75/60 combnation appeared on a train of what looked like ballast hoppers.   Possibly from the direction of Thouars.

More tomorrow.

 

 

Jamie

 

[jamie92208]

Good evening from a warm Charente.   Some more photos from Saint Pierre des Corps on 22nd June 2023. There were some more locotracteurs parked up visible from the brdige.  The long lens proved useful in getting an ID for this one.

Most of the TGV services that day seemed to be worked by the remaining Atlantique sets which seem to have been refurbished. Here one is heading into the station.

The lens came in handy again in getting an ID for this 7200 that was parked up alongside the shed.  Another line in the book.

Quite a few 60XXX's were around but something interesiting was in the viewfinder as well.

This is a better shot of it.  None of us have any idea what it is.

Then back into the car for an explore east down both sides of the yards and round the extensive tank farm,  which has several electrified sidings most of which seemed to see regular traffic by the state of the rails. Then this was glimpsed.  An unknown industrial shunter.

More tomorrow all being well.

 

Jamie

 

 

 

[kintbury jon]

I can tell you exactly what it is!  It's an X2400 railcar that  is based at the CFT Vallée du Loir at  Thoré la Rochette.  The number is X2419.  I travelled on it a few years ago.  The train line goes over the TGV Atlantique line and the railcar sits on the bridge whilst a TGV goes underneath.  Here is the website:

 

https://www.ttvl.fr/

 

I imagine it is at Tours in need of some sort of repair.

 

The blue shunter looks like one of the Y6200/6400 series shunters.

[JeffP]

Jamie, there's an interesting couple or so pages in the latest Platform Five SNCF book, listing ex SNCF locos and shunters in private service. P 196-7.

It can be used to identify the shunter you saw, if only with 95% accuracy, simply by where it is or who's using it.

I've tracked down a couple of Y 2200/2400 shunters by using it while crossing the Beauce, and got photos.

The above is Y2140 in service now with Axereal at Allonnes (28) .

It can be glimpsed from the N154 bridge over the TGV line, it usually parks under the loading bay, and can even be seen on Google Earth.

[Joseph_Pestell]

11 hours ago, kintbury jon said:

I can tell you exactly what it is!  It's an X2400 railcar that  is based at the CFT Vallée du Loir at  Thoré la Rochette.  The number is X2419.  I travelled on it a few years ago.  The train line goes over the TGV Atlantique line and the railcar sits on the bridge whilst a TGV goes underneath.  Here is the website:

 

https://www.ttvl.fr/

 

I imagine it is at Tours in need of some sort of repair.

 

The blue shunter looks like one of the Y6200/6400 series shunters.

 

Thanks, Jon. An interesting "touristique" that I had not come across before. Stayed at Montoire a couple of times when touring with my parents (over 50 years ago now). 

[jamie92208]

1 hour ago, JeffP said:

TJamie, there's an interesting couple or so pages in the latest Platform Five SNCF book, listing ex SNCF locos and shunters in private service. P 196-7.

It can be used to identify the shunter you saw, if only with 95% accuracy, simply by where it is or who's using it.

I've tracked down a couple of Y 2200/2400 shunters by using it while crossing the Beauce, and got photos.

The above is Y2140 in service now with Axereal at Allonnes (28) .

It can be glimpsed from the N154 bridge over the TGV line, it usually parks under the loading bay, and can even be seen on Google Earth.

Thanks Joe.  Yes I know those pages well I will peruse them now that the type of loco has been identified. 

 

Jamie

[jamie92208]

Bon apres Midi from a warm and sunny Charente.   We are still however in Saint Pierre des Corps on 22nd June 2023.   After photographing the ex SNCF shunter we drove up to the Socofer and Imateq works but apart from a calss 79XXX and a few G1000's there was little to see.  However Ian spied a rather faded sign on  a gable end next to Imateq.

We did manage a slightly better photo of the unidentifiable G1206 in the Ferrotract yard.

In the car park was a length of track laid on the concrete but not connected to the main line.

One of the doors was open so with some trepidation I wandered in and was met by two slightly suspicious frenchmen.   Andy and Ian joined me and we managed to convince them that we were genuine railway enthusiasts and were invited in.  When we asked if there was indeed a Chapelon Pacific inside they were very apologetic and apologised profusely that they only had a kit of parts.  As we went in this photo was on display.

What magnificence and being delivered by road, quelle horreur.   We went deeper into the building and this sight met us.   A boiler propped up on blocks.

with behind it a set of frames that were obviously being worked on.

What a fabulous find.

 

Jamie

 

More to come.

 

[jamie92208]

Good evening from a warm Charente.  However we are still in Saint Pierre des Corps on 22nd June 2023. Still looking at the kit for 231 E 41.   Here's where the power is applied.  The main cylinders.   Did it have double valves I know not.

Then the bits that it rolls on.   One set of drivers is away at Meningen for repair.

The rear of the tender.   We were told the the 38 means that it carries 38 cubic metres of water.  

And 9 tons of coal.

he full wheel area with the tender trucks in shot as well.

And a very nice looking lubricator.

1And a very happy @Oldddudders had had crossed one item off his bucket list by standing in the cab of a Chapelon Pacific, albeit when it wasn't on it's loco.

more tomorrow.

 

Jamie

 

 

[JeffP]

Aye, if you can find true enthusiasts, you're likely to get a warm response.

I once got refused at Toulouse depot.

I spent some time on the station and later on a 141R came in from thf north and went on shed.

I went round again to see if I could get a closer look and was invited inyo the shed and onto the loco!

After explaining that I'd been refused entry to the depot earlier, I was given a guided tour.

Go figure.

 

 

[jamie92208]

Good evening from a still warm Charente. By the miracle of the Tardis we are still in Saint Pierre des Corps on the 22nd June 2023. Here is a view from the front of the frames as the Brits would call them, NOT a chassis.   But the chassis in French.

And here are our two friends that showed us around.   Really nice guys.

As we left this little shunter was parked near the door.

Profuse thanks were given, hands were shaken and we wished them bon courage and bon chance.  Then back to the car and a quick photo of a timber train that was being loaded on a spur across the road at the back of the Imateq works.

Then back to the station for Ian to catch his train back home were an Atlantique was coming in heading for Paris.

Andy and I heard an announcement saying that a train was due through without stopping and waited to be rewarded with this.

A VFLI E4000 on a train of ballast hoppers.

 

More tomorrow 

 

Jamie

[jamie92208]

A correction to my post above about new Eurotunnel Locos.  They are being built by Socfer and are battery with a centre cab with a pantograph to be used to earth the OHLE.  the loco I photographed was for an Algerian steel mill.  The company is interesting however.  It apparently grew out of the closure of the old Billard company in 1965. They have also built several 60cm gauge Locos for tourist lines based on the Billard designs.  It was Billard that built the railcar that ran through our village station on a metre gauge line. 

Jamie

 

[jamie92208]

Good morning from a warm Charente/   As today is going to be a rather full one I'll get todays pictures posted early.  First of all a note about the pacific restoration project.   You may have noticed that they have a lovely large shed to lay everything out in.  They told us that it had been built by the allies in 1946, probably to help to get the railways working again after the war.  It's 66 yards by 50 yards with timber pillars at regular intervals.   The pillars are 8" by 8".   They laughed and said that nothing fitted their tape measures.  It's all built to Imperial dimensions.  

 

Anyway here are some more pictures from that day we went round.   The E4000 headed east.

We then got the car out of the car park and headed p on the bridge for our evening train watching.  First up was a Captrain E 4001.   No 3982.   They seem to be competein for having the smallest numbers on display but the long lens paid off.

Here is the whole loco.

There were a couple of the Colas rail G1206's in the infrastructure yard.  Their numbers must be the largest.

Then the mystery loco emerged from Ferrotract and headed west.

I was able to zoom in and get the datat plate and we actually got an ID for it.

All being well some more tomorrow.

 

Jamie

 

[jamie92208]

Good moaning from a cooler and damper Charente. We are still at Saint Pierre des Corps on 22nd June 2023.  We are on my favourite bridge and from it we can see both the goods lines which are n the south and the passenger lines to the north. It was good to see that there were some services still worked by Sybics.  He26053 heads north and east.re 

By now it was getting towards 5pm and a 27 and a 60 came over the flyover that gets locos from the freight yards to the loco shed which is on the north of the line east of the station.

Then my cmera battery ran out and i had to walk to the car to get my spare.  Silly me.  As I got back a 186 came through on a car train, No 177 and I just managed to get a photo of it.

Then a 75 came through on a mixed freight.   Many of these east/northbounds stopped near the shed, presumably for a change of crew.

Then 66193 appeared and started doing some shunting.  Here the crew are changing ends.

Whilst this was going on a 27 in ghost livery appeared.  That also carried on under the flyover and stopped for a while.

It get bust between 5 and 7 and the temperature was not too high plus a nice cooling breeze.

 

Jamie

[JeffP]

Do you ever try to visit sheds any more, or is it not worth it?

[jamie92208]

1 hour ago, JeffP said:

Do you ever try to visit sheds any more, or is it not worth it?

No we don't there seem tbe to any securityoobarriets and no trespaaing notices. 

 

Jamie

[The Stationmaster]

On 28/06/2023 at 19:38, jamie92208 said:

Good evening from a warm Charente.  However we are still in Saint Pierre des Corps on 22nd June 2023. Still looking at the kit for 231 E 41.   Here's where the power is applied.  The main cylinders.   Did it have double valves I know not.

Then the bits that it rolls on.   One set of drivers is away at Meningen for repair.

The rear of the tender.   We were told the the 38 means that it carries 38 cubic metres of water.  

And 9 tons of coal.

he full wheel area with the tender trucks in shot as well.

And a very nice looking lubricator.

1And a very happy @Oldddudders had had crossed one item off his bucket list by standing in the cab of a Chapelon Pacific, albeit when it wasn't on it's loco.

more tomorrow.

 

Jamie

 

 

Jamie i'm no great expert on SNCf pacifics but I'm fairly sure that theh 231Es were 4 cylinder compounds - hence the large bore off the LP outside cylinders.  So I'm guessing that one valve is for the inside HP cylinder on that side of the engine plus the other is for the LP outside cylinder - which exhausts to the smokebox.  Typical Chapelon large valves to get the best possible steam circuit.