Tracks - Railway Photographs and Links - France

Le Tire Bouchon at Kerhostin
2009-08-23 - Nikon D200 - AF Nikkor 35-80mm

A train on 'Le Tire Bouchon' from Auray to Quiberon, Bretagne, France approaches Kerhostin station.

Le Petit Train Jaune leaves Olette
2007-05-08 - Nikon D200 - AF Nikkor 35-80mm

Le Petit Train Jaune leaves the town of Olette behind and crosses the river bridge leading to Nyer. This metre gauge train runs some 64 kilometres from Villefranche-Vernet-les-Bains to Latour-de-Carol in the eastern part of the Pyrénées, France. The line is unusual in that it uses electric traction supplied by the third rail system at 850 volts.

SNCF Steam Locomotive 141R1199 at Etampes
2006-10-14 - Olympus C1400L

SNCF Steam Locomotive 141R1199 waiting to take a steam excursion south to Les Aubrais. This locomotive was built in 1947 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works, Philadelphia, U. S. A.

SNCF Steam Locomotive 141R1199 at Guillerval
2006-10-14 18:16 - Olympus C1400L

SNCF Steam Locomotive 141R1199 takes a short break in the evening sunshine at Guillerval Station, before continuing tender first with a steam excursion from Etampes to Les Aubrais.

Listen to this locomotive:

1340555

Oct 14 2006

guillerval1.ogg

This recording was fun and games. With the microphone in the desired location, the cable picked up inverter whine from the overhead railway traction supply, so I had to shorten the lead and tie the microphone to the wall, in the wind. I needed to throw a sweater over it to act as a windsock. During the recording, as these things often will, a fast express from Orléans came through the station and I am sure it would have blown the microphone away had it not been tied down...

Aérotrain Test Track

This curious monorail track runs parallel to the N20 Paris - Orléans road, and the main line from Paris Austerlitz - Orléans.

This was, in fact, one of the test tracks for the Aérotrain, a type of guided hovercraft.

On March 5^th, 1974, one of these vehicles broke the land speed record for hovercraft by attaining an average speed of 417.6 km/h with a maximum speed of around 430 km/h.

Source: The story of the Aérotrain (in French).

French Electric 526002

French Electric 526002 photographed on the main line from Paris Austerlitz - Orléans.

French TGV

A French TGV speeding through the fields to the south of Paris, heading for the Atlantic coast.

60cm gauge loco near Pithiviers

A 60cm gauge loco hauling a train from Bellébat Station waits in a passing loop between the corn fields and the road. When the train to Bellébat has passed, this locomotive will continue onward to Pithiviers.

Listen to this locomotive: