Moves at Limoges and other French Photos

[jamie92208]

Good evening from a cooling Charente.  Andy and I had a day out to Angouleme today.   We started with a trip to the big Castorama (B&Q) for various items and then headed for the station and spent a pleasant few hours sitting in the sun on the platform.

As we walked up the platform 67626 was parked in the yard with three assorted coaches.  A line in the book for both of us.

The coaches were a strange collection.  First a corail coach, then some sort of baggage coach and what looked likea couchette or sleeping car.

There was the usual supply of TGV's with 4411 heading for Lille.

a better shot of the 67.

Then 27039 turned up on a short train of tank wagons with 75408 in tow.

Then just before we were ready to go three light engines turned up.  the usual 22XXX in the lead.

The next 27306, one of the ex Paris suburban 27's that are no appearing on infra work after being displaced by new EMU's.

Finally 67434 behind.   The convoy was halted to allow a local to set off ahead of it.   So the driver of the 22 inspected the other two locos and walked through them.

All in all a good afternoon.

 

Jamie

[jamie92208]

Always take advantage of an opportunity that presents itself.   This morning I had to go to the Crem at St Jean D'Angely for the funeral of a neighbours son, Eric who used to cut out=r grass and who arranged a forklift that got Green Ayre on it's pallets from the road to the shed when it was delivered.   I knew that there was track work going on at the station and sure enough I got diverted as the lvel crossing was closed.   However on my way back I had to do a bit of shopping near the station.   I noticed that this loco was parked on a train of new concrete sleepers.

A n ex DB class 211.   The long lens managed to get the number.

Another line in the book and as I walked back to the car I could see why the crossing was shut.

The route is getting a lot of upgrades.  It's on the line from Saintes to Niort and I believe that the rolling motorway trains from Irun to Cherbourg for Brittany Ferries are going to be routed this way.   It looks as if the signalling is getting an upgrade as well.

 

Jamie

[JeffP]

I don't suppose you've heard any news on the now long-mothballed Angouleme to Limoges line?

Seems to have been bustitution since they shut it for the N141 improvement, and it was getting, (got?), a new bridge over the N141.

Another example of closure by stealth?

[jamie92208]

1 hour ago, JeffP said:

I don't suppose you've heard any news on the now long-mothballed Angouleme to Limoges line?

Seems to have been bustitution since they shut it for the N141 improvement, and it was getting, (got?), a new bridge over the N141.

Another example of closure by stealth?

Nothing at the moment but we are going to the airport on Thursday next week so I wil have a look as we pass.  The rails in the bay at Angouleme looked to be used this week but I think they stable stock there. I suspect that it is mired in politics with Charente being less pro rail than the Limousin. The track on the section near the new N141 bridge was in terrible condition when I last looked. 

 

Jamie

[Foulounoux]

12 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

Nothing at the moment but we are going to the airport on Thursday next week so I wil have a look as we pass.  The rails in the bay at Angouleme looked to be used this week but I think they stable stock there. I suspect that it is mired in politics with Charente being less pro rail than the Limousin. The track on the section near the new N141 bridge was in terrible condition when I last looked. 

 

Jamie 

With the second third of the RN141 2x2due.to open next year now the bustitution with service 180 seems to be the current approach but arranged to suppress demand 

 

At Chabanais the bus doesn't even come through the town but comes off the bypass stops at Super U then heads back to the bypass and onto roumazieres. Stopping in town would be just as quick but more convenient 

[JeffP]

The only bit of it I see regularly is the station at La Rochefoucauld when we shop there, or go to Angouleme.

The rails are rusty and the track badly overgrown...🫣

[Foulounoux]

2 hours ago, JeffP said:

The only bit of it I see regularly is the station at La Rochefoucauld when we shop there, or go to Angouleme.

The rails are rusty and the track badly overgrown...🫣

It's like that all the way along 

 

I need to do an emergency trip literally down and back to the UK in a day as  left both home and work laptops in the kitchen in France. So the couple of hours stop in chabanais I'll take a photo 

[Foulounoux]

That baggage coach... Capitole livery??? 

[Fat Controller]

2 hours ago, Foulounoux said:

That baggage coach... Capitole livery??? 

I think it's  part of the train that travels around France, collecting condemned stock (and possibly others ?), taking them to the French equivalent to Spring's Branch to prepare them for scrap or sale. There's one of the diesels that bears a version of the Capitole livery as well.

[Foulounoux]

Jouef have a version

 

 

 

https://uk.jouef.com/products/sncf-bb-67413-diesel-locomotive-red-capitole-livery-ep-vi-dcc-sound-decoder-hj2464s

Edited September 8 by Foulounoux

[jamie92208]

We were at a Broccante today and this just feel into my bag. 

I always liked them when I saw them.  I even cabbed one at Amiens once not bad at €25. 

 

Jamie

 

 

Edited September 19 by jamie92208

[jamie92208]

Good afternoon from a sunny and warm Charente.    Over the weekend I had a rather short trip to Switzerland but saw quite a few French trains as well.   Along with Andy we set off Saturday morning heading for Besancon.   We stopped briefly at La Souteranne but the station was locked up with no staff and the next train was nearly two hours away.   A quick coffee with a former work colleague and we carried n to Montlucon.   That was also almost desrted but we ate our sandwiches and saw a few supposetoires

The tack through the station was very full of weeds.   Probably due to the ban on certain weedkillers.

Some of them were above platform level.

Then we headed  for Chalon-sur-Saone, hoping to see some freight on the main line.   This was the only activity.

66246 parked up south of the station.

There was some passenger aactivity.

Another 73xxx on the fuelling point.   They seem to work the diesel territory out to Montchanin and Montlucon.

The yellow ends look quite good but a lot of graffitti.

 

Then on to Besancon where we booked into our hotel before heading up to the station for the evening.  No freight bit quite a few newer units around.

Some more tomorrow hopefully.

 

Jamie

Edited September 19 by jamie92208

[jamie92208]

Good moaning again from the Charente.   We stayed over at Besancon then the next morning headed across the road to the station.  There appears to be a modern tramway that comes past the station.

That crossed in front of us.

Then we set off along the valley of the Doubs towards Belfort.  A very winding and picturesque route with German style architecture in evidence.

It was a misty morning and the valley is quite deep with the mist hanging over the water.

We were following a canal much of the way.  There were sections of it that bypassed rapids.  A bit of googling showed that this is the Rhine Rhone canal.

Then on to Montbeliard where a nice surprise was waiting for us.

A class 37/5   a rare beast for us that live in the west,

 

Jamie

 

 

Edited September 20 by jamie92208

[Michael Edge]

We did a cycle tour down the Doubs valley some years ago, all along the canal/riverside path, it really is lovely. Amazing how nearly every city in France now has a modern tramway - they threw all theirs away just like we did in the 40s and 50s but we've only put a few back, very slowly and with mostly poor networks.

[jamie92208]

Good evening.   No update yesterday as things got in the way but here's a few more.   There was even another 37 at Montbeliard.  As we pulled into Belfort this sight greeted us in the yard.

No less than another 4 37's and 6 36's which are supposedly withdrawn for export.   There was just one 37 that we couldn't identify.

Then change trains and on to Mullhouse where there were tram trains outside the station.

Also  a TGV pulled in.

Then an 27xxx drew in to take us to Basel.

 

Jamie

[jamie92208]

Good afternoon from a rather damp Charente.   We had a day and night at Basel and I'll post mort of those photos on my Rest of the World Thread.   However we did see a couple of French locos whilst we were there. A few of the 37XXX's are equipped to operate in Switzerland and handle the traffic down from the Mulhouse are to Muttenz yard just south of Basel.  37058 was parked near Muttenz station.

The next morning as we headed from our hotel to the station I saw 37041 heading north through Basel Bahnhof but didn't get chance to get a photo.  We were supposed to be having a full day touring Switzerland but Andy wasn't well and we had to about our trip at Zurich and head back to France.    All was not wasted and a couple of shunters were seen at Besancon.

We then headed for Chalon sur Saone and spent the evening on the platform.   This northbound freight was my first line n the book.

186 175 took me to just over 50% of the class,   

Much work is going on to reconstruct the station and build a new underground passageway with lift and escalotors.   A lot of trackwork of OLE renewal is taking place.   This was my attempt to photograph the new copper on the OLHE.

TGV's were coming though now and then.   This was 4711 which I also needed.

New Regiolis sets were in evidence.

And I quite liked the orange ends on this unit.

Then a coral push pull service came in behind a 22XXX.

The next day it was back home.   Sadly a shortened trip but I still got 13 French electrics which is a good bonus despite losing my notebook in Besancon.   Andy had lost his in Basel but between us we reconstructed a lot of the locos that we'd seen using photos and memory.

 

Jamie

[jamie92208]

I have just realised that I'd forgotten to include some pictures from Mulhouse.  There is a 3 line tram network there but one line runs from the station and then over an SNCF branch line further outside the city.  They are called tram trains.   Here are two of them outside the station.

And a better shot of them with the station entrance on the right.

Jamie

[jamie92208]

Two days after we got back from our Swiss trip, Andy had recovered enough to host a Model railway Group meeting.   After the meeting it would have been rude not to go down to Ruffec and watch a few trains.   Just after I got there a 27 came north with a long freight.

By fortunate chance I needed it so that was one line in the book as it headed north.

The Chef du Gare kept me informed about what was coming and told me that the next northbound would take the loop round platform 3.    There was I all excited about another freight when thus creature appeared

And went slowly past.

1However the log train was due southbound and when that appeared things got better.

Two 75's of which 130 was a cop.   A very good hour.

 

Jamie

 

Edited October 4 by jamie92208

[Foulounoux]

On 08/09/2024 at 10:05, Foulounoux said:

It's like that all the way along 

 

I need to do an emergency trip literally down and back to the UK in a day as  left both home and work laptops in the kitchen in France. So the couple of hours stop in chabanais I'll take a photo 

Unfortunately after an overnight no sleep on the ferry and 5hr drive down to the house where it appears a neighbour has been using our pool I never got into town to get the photos. Literally 30mins in chabanais and back in the car to Caen 😬

[jamie92208]

2 hours ago, Foulounoux said:

Unfortunately after an overnight no sleep on the ferry and 5hr drive down to the house where it appears a neighbour has been using our pool I never got into town to get the photos. Literally 30mins in chabanais and back in the car to Caen 😬

Don't worry and sorry to hear about problems with the neighbour. I've just winterised ours today. Hope you got back safely. 

 

Jamie

[jamie92208]

Good moaning from a somewhat damp Charente.   The following Friday I had a cold and Andy's wife was about to go into hospital so I went out on my own.   I had hardly got set up begore a 27 came north and I just had chance for a rather poor snatched shot.

I did get a better shot  of the 186 on the car train that came next. 

A feral cat was hunting in the field nearby.

Then a 27 with a 60 in tow headed north.

About 5pm the regular log train came south with two 75's in charge.

This is always a long train.

And finally, as I left a Ouigo headed north on the SEA.

Not a bad afternoon.

 

Jamie

Edited October 6 by jamie92208

[JeffP]

The 27/60 combination looks to be hauling steel: a combination of rod and sections.

Do you know where it comes from? Or goes to?

I'm unsure of any steelworks in the SW.

[jamie92208]

2 hours ago, JeffP said:

The 27/60 combination looks to be hauling steel: a combination of rod and sections.

Do you know where it comes from? Or goes to?

I'm unsure of any steelworks in the SW.

It may well be imported steel from Spain via Irun.  Andy and I think that the 60  is for the last mile at the destination, that combination is quite common. 

 

Jamie

[jamie92208]

No major spotting trips over the past few days but for the past two days I have been in search of a new winter cover for the pool, thanks to the tender attentions of storm Kirk.   Yesterday I headed to Niort and had a fruitless search of three places and no one had a cover of the right size in stock.   However I headed past the station and an infrastructure work train was trying to hide.

A TSO class 211 no 112-5.   One line in the book so the journey wasn't wasted.

So this morning I headed in the other direction to Angouleme and got a cover of the right size.   As I was there it would have been very rude not to call at the station to use the facilities and have a coffee and pain raisin.

As I walked onto the platform the announcement, Attention au passage du train, came over the tannoy. This headed north.

No new line in the book but it looked good.

Parked in the goods yard were two class 66/69's on a long train of empty railflats.

69216 and 69235.  No cops but still nice to see in the morning sun.

On muy way home I crossed the LGV SEA line near Villognon where the line crosses the Charente Valley.   The viaduct looks quite nice and the line has certainly blended into the landscape.   Perhaps I should send this photo to some of the ant HS2 groups.

 

Jamie

[Foulounoux]

Bache-piscine. Is who I'm looking at re pool covers 

I would have bought a new roller for the bubble cover in the summer but their on line shop demanded a french mobile to create it