rogerfarnworth

This next post focusses first on the Station and buildings close to it at Thorame-Haute. It highlights a local festival and the importance of the chapel adjacent to the railway station. https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/08/13/nice-to-digne-les-bains-part-11-thorame-haute-to-saint-andre-les-alpes-chemins-de-fer-de-provence-75 The blog then takes us on from Thorame-Haute to Saint Andre les Alpes. In a number of these posts I have been picking up some images from 'www.railsim-fr.com' as there is now a rail simulator version of the Nice to Digne line.

Its been highlighted to me that in my last post in this series I did not provide details of Thorame-Haute Viaduct. In that post, I provided rail-level images and then rushed on to the site of Thorame-Haute Station. This short blog is an attempt to rectify that mistake! I guess you could also see it as a bonus for patiently bearing with me as I meander along the line between Nice and Digne-les-Bains! https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/08/13/nice-to-digne-les-bains-part-10-thorame-haute-viaduct-chemins-de-fer-de-provence-74

Christopher James who lives near the line says that they have been suffering a very significant storm today!

The next stage of our journey takes us out of the catchment of the River Var and into the Valley of the River Verdon. .... https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/08/10/nice-to-digne-les-bains-part-8-meailles-to-thorame-haute-chemins-de-fer-de-provence-73 The centre piece of this section of the line is the 3.5 kilometre long tunnel which links the valleys of the Verdon and the Vaire together - the Tunnel de la Colle Saint Michel.

I was challenged to look at MOD Kineton by someone who read my blog on Bicester Military Railway. This post is the result. .... https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/08/09/mod-kineton-and-its-railway-history The site continues in use into 21st Century. Much of the original railway and sidings at MOD Kineton has been removed but the depot continues to be rail-served and to have a significant internal rail network.

Fantastic Pictures!

This is an aside from the string of posts about the Nice to Digne Line. The valley of the River Var has been prone to flooding over many years. A friend mentioned landslips which occurred at Annot in 1994 and 1996 as a result of heavy rains. The 1994 incident was part of a much wider catastrophic event affecting the whole River Var catchment area. The link below provides some details of the 1994 floods: https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/08/06/nice-to-digne-les-bains-part-9-floods-and-landslides-chemins-de-fer-de-provence-72 The volumes of water involved in the 1994 floods were unbelieveable!

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/08/04/nice-to-digne-les-bains-part-7-annot-to-meailles-chemins-de-fer-de-provence-71 We are close to the highest point on the route by the time we complete this section of the journey. Soon, after a long tunnel we will be on a downward ruling grade.

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/08/04/mod-ashchurch-and-ashchurch-railway-station MOD Ashchurch remains at risk of closure and its site is marked in the local authority plan for mixed development.

Please would moderators move this thread if it is not on the best forum. ..... It seems as though this railway is all but abandoned. It appears that way when travelling through the site. If anyone knows any better, it would be good to hear from you. I have seen pictures on the internet, with notes about the railway, which say that it was last used in 2014. I only came across the railway by accident as I explain in my blog: https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/08/01/bicester-military-railway Much of the site has been sold off. The northern half of Graven Hill Depot is now an estate of plots for self build homes! (https://www.gravenhill.co.uk)

I am glad you have enjoyed the blog posts. After a detour up the tramway to Guillaumes we continue on our way towards Digne and travel as far as Annot. https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/07/27/nice-to-digne-les-bains-part-6-saint-benoit-pont-de-gueydan-to-annot-chemins-de-fer-de-provence-70 The line has left the River Var behind and now wends its way along a number of different watercourses.

New territory for me. The now removed TAM tramway from Pont de Gueydan to Guillaumes up Les Gorges de Daluis ..... https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/07/25/tam-tramway-from-le-pont-de-gueydan-to-guillaumes-chemins-de-fer-de-provence-69 One of the bridges on this route has the distinction of being one of the earliest reinforced concrete arch structures in France.

New territory for me. The now removed TAM tramway from Pont de Gueydan to Guillaumes up Les Gorges de Daluis ..... https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/07/25/tam-tramway-from-le-pont-de-gueydan-to-guillaumes-chemins-de-fer-de-provence-69 One of the bridges on this route has the distinction of being one of the earliest reinforced concrete arch structures in France.

Hi Simon, who is the author?

The next length of the line from Nice to Digne takes us from La Mescla to Le Pont de Gueydan. It is at Le Pont de Gueydan that the line leaves the banks of the River Var and follows one of its tributaries. https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/07/21/nice-to-digne-les-bains-part-5-la-mescla-to-le-pont-de-gueydan-chemins-de-fer-de-provence-68 Although I have travelled on this line a number of times, I have only once travelled beyond Entrevaux and that was in 2001. So looking at the line in 2018, I am almost in virgin territory by the end of this post!

Another of the branch tramways. This left the Nice to Digne line close to La Mescla Station. https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/07/18/tam-tramway-from-la-mescla-to-saint-sauveur-sur-tinee-revisited-chemins-de-fer-de-provence-67 The available imagery from the time of the tramway is limited in extent and is supplemented by images from later dates.

Another of the branch tramways. This left the Nice to Digne line close to La Mescla Station. https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/07/18/tam-tramway-from-la-mescla-to-saint-sauveur-sur-tinee-revisited-chemins-de-fer-de-provence-67 The available imagery from the time of the tramway is limited in extent and is supplemented by images from later dates.

This post covers another short-lived tramway which provided a service up the valley of l'Esteron from Pont Charles Albert over the River Var to Roquesteron, a distance of more than 20 kilometres. https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/07/16/tam-tramway-in-the-valley-of-the-river-esteron-revisited-chemins-de-fer-de-provence-66

This post covers another short-lived tramway which provided a service up the valley of l'Esteron from Pont Charles Albert over the River Var to Roquesteron, a distance of more than 20 kilometres. https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/07/16/tam-tramway-in-the-valley-of-the-river-esteron-revisited-chemins-de-fer-de-provence-66

This is the next stage of the journey up the Valley of the River Var on the Nice to Digne metre-gauge railway: https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/07/12/nice-to-digne-les-bains-part-4-plan-du-var-to-la-mescla-chemins-de-fer-de-provence-65

Posted a second time by mistake. I cannot find a way to delete this post. My apologies.

This post covers a short-lived tramway which left the Nice to Digne line of the Chemin de Fer de Provence at Plan du Var. It travelled up the Valley of the River Vesubie as far as St. Martin Vesubie. The line lasted no more than 20 years but was effective in opening up the valley of the Vesubie to tourism and vastly aided the agrarian economy. The post below has also been included in the story of the Nice to Digne metre-gauge main line. https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/07/10/tam-tramway-from-plan-du-var-to-st-martin-vesubie-revisited-chemins-de-fer-de-provence-64

In the last post we noted that there was a short-lived tramway which left the Nice to Digne line at Plan du Var. It travelled up the Valley of the River Vesubie as far as St. Martin Vesubie. https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/07/10/tam-tramway-from-plan-du-var-to-st-martin-vesubie-revisited-chemins-de-fer-de-provence-64

The next length of the journey along the Nice to Digne railway line starts at La Manda and takes us to Plan du Var, where the TAM formed a junction with the Nice to Digne line. The TAM operated the line from Plan du Var to St. Martin Vesubie. https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/07/08/nice-to-digne-les-bains-part-3-la-manda-to-plan-du-var-chemins-de-fer-de-provence-63

The next length of the journey along the Nice to Digne railway line starts at La Manda and takes us to Plan du Var, where the TAM formed a junction with the Nice to Digne line. The TAM operated the line from Plan du Var to St. Martin Vesubie. https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/07/08/nice-to-digne-les-bains-part-3-la-manda-to-plan-du-var-chemins-de-fer-de-provence-63