La France des trains de campagne.

[ianp]

This book has just been published by the French railway publisher La Vie Du Rail. It's very good and looks at rural lines in France in the 1950s. It is a bit short on photos perhaps** (and I almost expected to see Jacques Tati in some of the images), but it follows in the footsteps of one of their previous excellent publications, La France des lignes oubliees. I was delighted that one of the photos in the new book, of the old station at Florac*, in the Lozere department, confirmed the semi-authenticity of the layout I have been building for the past 18 months.

 

*Florac, not Fronsac as originally posted. Wrong town starting with F. Apologies.

** I was talking rubbish. On further reading, the book is full of excellent photos. Still haven't spotted Mr Hulot (Jacques Tati) on holiday though.