RMweb Gold Patrick Posted January 4, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 4, 2011 For a while now I've been developing an interest in modern day SNCF activities and have been particularly taken by the vast network of regional lines the company continues to operate; lines that would surely have fallen under the Beeching axe if the French government had to decided to call him in. I've picked up a few items in HO scale with the intention of doing something 'further down the line' (the intention was to focus on Irish 4mm and American N first), but discovering this video on YouTube has prompted me to rethink my modelling priorities: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzPeWR5PpVo The video itself is nothing special, but the scene it depicts is something I'd like to recreate. The station is Langogne, located on La Ligne des Cévennes, connecting Clermont-Ferrand and Nîmes. This suits me perfectly, since my intention all along was to work in a nod to Clermont, as it's a town I've been visiting annually for a few years now. I also have a Jouef X 73500 railcar in TER Auvergne livery, which is also perfect, as they operate many of the services of the line (along with their counterparts from the TER Languedoc-Rousillon fold). Trawling through Google revealed some useful resrouces, including these two: http://www.raileurop...ne,1186248.html - Very useful photos taken around the station and adjoining yard. http://railencevennes.free.fr/ - Info on the route, rolling stock, etc. http://www.flickr.co...57614786793755/ - Signal diagram of the type used at Langogne. ...And the all-important overhead view from Google Earth: http://maps.google.c....02105&t=k&z=16 By studying the photos in the first link and a (very) basic and out-dated diagram found at the second link, I was able to draw up a rough plan of the track layout: More extensive than it first appears in the photos. It's immediately obvious that the station was once an important point on the line, even having two engine sheds with a total of five roads. These days, the yard is only lightly used (mostly for permanent way trains or for stabling locos) and the engine sheds house nothing more than a solitary locotracteur (shunter). As the space I have for a layout will only have about 3ft by 10ft - 12ft available for the scenic section, the trackplan will have to be revised (possibly involving the removal of one of the engine sheds and turntable), and some selective compression will also be needed. Time to have a think about that now... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 I've got to admit to liking SNCF since my first visit in the early sixties..... Patrick, your trackplan didn't come out, I'd like to see it, Best, Pete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foulounoux Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 I've got to admit to liking SNCF since my first visit in the early sixties..... Patrick, your trackplan didn't come out, I'd like to see it, Best, Pete. LIkewise - am trying to persuade the wife that a layout in our French house would be just the thing for the cold winter nights strange before I took the dog out for a walk I could see the plan, come back and its gone! spooky Colin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Patrick Posted January 4, 2011 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted January 4, 2011 Strange... it worked earlier. Fixed now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Gwinnett Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 Looks great - SNCF is a great prototype and the area you've picked is my favourite (for modelling at least) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordonwis Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 . I spent quite a few trips around the LIgne des Cevennes over the last 10 years catching various types of train before they dissapeared. Have a look at mt photo album form 2003 here: Cevennes 2003 This shows the old overnight train in its last months before withdrawal, and the Clermont - Marseille train when it still had pre-corail coaches, and stopped at Langogne for a 15 minute buffet stop. This was one of the last examples in western Europe of a train stopping for refreshments in the Victorian style and seemed an anachronism in the noughties! MOre photos from 2005 in this album: summer 2005 includes Cevennes and Causses Just a note on your assertion that SNCF has a 'vast' passenger network. It must not be forgotten that France is a much bigger country than the UK. France has a total route network of approx 30000km (a lot of this is freight only) but in a country with an area of nearly 675000 square km. Great Britain is only 240000 square km but Network Rail has 32000km of lines. It is a common misconception that French railways have never suffered an axe of the 'Beeching' genre. However, the modern French rail network is actually minute compared to the network in the 1920s, and there have been numerous 'beeching axes' in France over the years. There was a massive cull in the 1930s known as the 'coordination' and big cuts to the passenger network around 1969 - 70 and around 1978 - 80. The Cevennes line itself is constantly threatened with closure along wih the parallel Ligne des Causses Regards Gordon (aka 'Mr SNCF') Technical Adviser, The SNCF Society Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Patrick Posted January 7, 2011 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted January 7, 2011 . I spent quite a few trips around the LIgne des Cevennes over the last 10 years catching various types of train before they dissapeared. Have a look at mt photo album form 2003 here: Cevennes 2003 This shows the old overnight train in its last months before withdrawal, and the Clermont - Marseille train when it still had pre-corail coaches, and stopped at Langogne for a 15 minute buffet stop. This was one of the last examples in western Europe of a train stopping for refreshments in the Victorian style and seemed an anachronism in the noughties! MOre photos from 2005 in this album: summer 2005 includes Cevennes and Causses Just a note on your assertion that SNCF has a 'vast' passenger network. It must not be forgotten that France is a much bigger country than the UK. France has a total route network of approx 30000km (a lot of this is freight only) but in a country with an area of nearly 675000 square km. Great Britain is only 240000 square km but Network Rail has 32000km of lines. It is a common misconception that French railways have never suffered an axe of the 'Beeching' genre. However, the modern French rail network is actually minute compared to the network in the 1920s, and there have been numerous 'beeching axes' in France over the years. There was a massive cull in the 1930s known as the 'coordination' and big cuts to the passenger network around 1969 - 70 and around 1978 - 80. The Cevennes line itself is constantly threatened with closure along wih the parallel Ligne des Causses Regards Gordon (aka 'Mr SNCF') Technical Adviser, The SNCF Society Hi Gordon, Many thanks for that information. I'm still on a steep learning curve when it comes to French railways and most of the information I've gathered has been from the Internet and a couple of English-language books on the subject, so please forgive the misconceptions. You'll be glad to hear I'm actually planning to join the SNCF Society... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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