'Re-purposed' old railway buildings

[Fat Controller]

On the UK Prototype section, there is a topic concerning 're-purposed' old railway buildings; I thought I'd try something similar for France.

The first one is a rather spectacular 'Zone d'Activities' at Chalon sur Saone:-

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Chalon-sur-Sa%C3%B4ne,+France/@46.791069,4.8220005,667m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x47f2fc97e4ec6639:0x409ce34b30ef070?hl=en

Though it's now a short distance from the nearest operational railway line, it's visible when travelling north on the A6

This second one is still in railway use, though some miles from the nearest railway:-

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Boutique+SNCF/@44.6107637,4.3904485,3a,75y,116.49h,90t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sAVeLT_HDuSnFyljtQP7LAQ!2e0!4m5!1m2!2m1!1sGare+SNCF+Aubenas,+F

SNCF closed the line to Aubenas a few decades ago, but consider the place important enough to have kept a ticket office there. The rest of the building is a tourist office, I believe.

[JeffP]

Nice idea for a thread, I'll see if I can photograph any next time I'm over.

 

 

I know of at least one old halt on the Tramways de l'Haute Vienne which is now someone's garage, and a couple which are houses.

[Andy Hayter]

Quai d'Orsay must be the most classic example of re-purposing anywhere.

[Focalplane]

The old MPD at Chalon sur Saone is visible from Autoroute 6 as long as you know when to slow down!

 

I am sure I have photos of old SNCF buildings that have a new life, mostly around Béziers.  I'll have to search for them.  This is a good topic.

[Focalplane]

Not a very good photo, had to shoot into the sun.  The location is St. Chinian at the end of a branch line from Béziers built by the Chemins de Fer d'Intérét Local du Département de l'Herault.  Long gone, the line can still be traced for much of its length though the station at Béziers has been replaced by the new Post Office.

 

 

The building is the old station building at what is now called the Square of the Ancient Station.  Typical French railway architecture.

 

Here is a map of the Herault:

 

 

These local railways were built to serve all the smaller towns that the PLM and Midi main lines ignored.

 

 

[Focalplane]

Other uses in France, as in the UK, for old railway lines include Les Pistes Vertes, or Greenways.  These make for wonderful cycling routes.  The only one I know in Languedoc follows a well defined geological fault from Hérépian to St. Pons de Thomières.  This line was partially operated as a tourist railway a few years ago but it failed.  The highlight is the nicely restored Pont Eifel but there are also several tunnels along the cycle route.  The longer ones have motion-sensitive lighting.  There is one stretch where the cycle path deviates from the right of way with a sudden 1 in 4 incline.  Get off and push time.

 

The Pont Eifel  was designed and built by Gustav Eifel to cross the river at Olargues.

 

 

 

Two of the tunnels along the way (EDIT, I think it's the same tunnel!)

 

 

[JeffP]

Local to our house in France is one of these, it runs fro Oradour sur Vayres to Chalus, a distance of around 13km. One km further on, there is a velo-rail that takes you back to the very edge of the Haute Vienne at Bussiere Galant.

And one km further on from the end of that, you are back on a mainline.

 

At the further end is this old goods shed at Rochechouart, converted to a mediotheque(??) :  http://www.tourisme-meteorite.com/spip.php?rubrique13

 

And this restaurant in the old goods shed south of Oradour, closer to Champagnac.: http://www.restaurant-la-gare-champagnac.com/historique-du-lieu.html

[Fat Controller]

Local to our house in France is one of these, it runs fro Oradour sur Vayres to Chalus, a distance of around 13km. One km further on, there is a velo-rail that takes you back to the very edge of the Haute Vienne at Bussiere Galant.

And one km further on from the end of that, you are back on a mainline.

 

At the further end is this old goods shed at Rochechouart, converted to a mediotheque(??) :  http://www.tourisme-meteorite.com/spip.php?rubrique13

 

And this restaurant in the old goods shed south of Oradour, closer to Champagnac.: http://www.restaurant-la-gare-champagnac.com/historique-du-lieu.html

I think that first thing is what we used to call a library...