'The Alsace Lorraine Express'
May 28 to June 1 2003

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The main reason for this trip was to travel on 'The Alsace Lorraine Express' and associated trips. The tour was organised by Mike Hedderly who, over the years, has organised a fair few railtours in France.

Contact Mike to find out about any future tours, write to him at:

9 Russet Close,
Alresford,
Hants,
SO24 9PS.

The superb Chapelonised Etat/SNCF Ouest system Pacific 231G558, steam locomotive for 'The Alsace Lorraine Express' waits to be overtaken by a pair electric hauled, Strasbourg line, expresses at Châlons-en-Champagne. May 28 2003

231G558 is maintained by the Pacific Vapeur Club who also supplied the carriages for this trip when running in France.

The planned itinerary was this:

Naturally (!) being a steam hauled special things didn't quite go to plan at all times.

Wednesday May 28

One of the first items to fall by the way side was the trip on the Chemin de Fer Touristique du Rhin. A few weeks before our visit there was a serious incident on the line involving two trains. Very sadly this resulted in the death of a volunteer. Until enquiries are complete the line has, understandably, been closed to the public. So as an alternative it was decided to extend the Rhine cruise after paying a visit to the Chemin de Fer Touristique du Rhin station at Volgelsheim.

However this was just the start of our problems, most of which seemed to be caused by parties not wishing us to have a successful trip. To quote directly from the Supplement to the Tour Brochure:

"The Pacific Vapeur Club (PVC) have informed me this morning that SNCF Strasbourg Region have notified them today that our tour train is prohibited from travelling from Colmar to Neuf Brisach, citing a new regulation forbidding the operation of passenger trains over freight-only lines. This means we will have to use coaches from Colmar to the port each way for the Rhine Cruise, a distance of some 12 miles. Regrettably, as a consequence I have had to cancel the photobus which should have operated over this section.

To find that SNCF are finding last minute objections to an itinerary which has been months in the planning is extremely frustrating. Worse, as SNCF is a monopoly provider there is no recourse to negotiation, even if time allowed it. The SNCF Regional Directors are apparently able to exercise a degree of autonomy which is beyond the power of Headquarters in Paris to question. The whole system is hierarchical, inflexible and completely at odds with any notion of customer service.

The fact that less than 48 hours before the tour, we still do not have a Paris departure time is a disgrace. (Sorry for the rant, but the PVC and I are trying to deliver a perfectly reasonable itinerary and getting thwarted seemingly at every turn by certain parties within SNCF.)" M.T.Hedderly May 26 2003

Having backed down on the the stock in platform 9 Paris Est 231G558 prepares for the 502km (312miles) trip to Strasbourg. Note the headlamps still have the red shades from when the loco was running backward in to the station. May 28 2003

Our initial joining instructions for the tour asked all to assemble at Paris Est by 08:30 on Wednesday May 28. However on Tuesday evening a notice displayed in our hotel posted a revised time of 09:45. SNCF had come up trumps - they had finally supplied some timings (but only for the first day) and had failed to meet the requested departure time by and hour and twenty five minutes. So with a 10:25 departure time and 502km (312miles) to cover it was obvious we would be in for a long day. Fairly shortly after arriving at Paris Est we found out that the train was rumoured (correctly) to be arriving at Strasbourg after 11pm ! Well that was the theory !! It didn't quite work out like that as you will read.

To start with SNCF had added one further inconvenience, again quoting directly from the Supplement to the Tour Brochure:

"Please note that due to engineering work in the Strasbourg station area, SNCF have just advised that the locomotive and coaches will not be able to stable there overnight. Therefore, after stopping briefly at Strasbourg to set down, the train will continue southwards to Sélestat, 45 km further on, where it will terminate and stable overnight. You are free to alight at Strasbourg and go to your hotel if you prefer, or to continue to Sélestat and return by service train."

"Departure on Thursday morning will be from Sélestat, not Strasbourg, therefore it will be necessary for everyone to travel from Strasbourg to Sélestat by service train."

"I am sorry for this complication in the itinerary."

So were SNCF and their Railtrack like infrastructure company RFF just trying to be awkward again or was there a genuine reason the train had to move on to Sélestat ? Events later in the day did suggest an answer to this question.

Originally it was expected the train would depart from one of the low numbered platforms at Paris Est. All passengers congregated at the end of platform two and waited for something to happen. About 10am the shunting loco in the platform was started up and moved to the country end of the platform. It was assumed it was off to get the train. But it just waited at the signal before coming back to drop of a crew member. Having saved his legs the locomotive headed off again to wait at the signal. After much delay it set off towards La Villette depot. However about this time the news came through that the train was now running from platform 9. So we all trooped over to see an electric loco arriving with the stock. We assumed the steam loco, 231G558, would back down and we might be able to get away just a few minutes late. But of course that was too simple ! In an amazing display of unnecessary work and total time wasting seemingly designed to delay the train someone decreed that the electric loco was wanted back pronto. So the diesel shunter we had seen leave platform two had to couple up to the country end of the train and pull it clear of the electric. Once done the electric ran off to do whatever it had to do so urgently and the diesel shunter propelled the stock back in to the station. Finally this meant we could get on the train ! A short while later 231G558 and support van backed down on the the train and we were just about ready to go.

A little time was available at Paris Est before the off to have a quick look over 231G558 and take some pictures. As is standard SNCF practice the tender is prominently numbered, this one being 22C367. Also note the French hi-viz clothing does not consist of a bright orange jacket, rather a reflective yellow waste band. May 28 2003

Thanks to all the mucking about we finally got away forty minutes down at 11:05. As we headed out on to the Strasbourg mainline we passed La Villette depot on the lefthand side. It did not go unnoticed that the depot seemed to have plenty of available diesel and electric locos awaiting their next turn. So was that release manoeuvre at Paris Est just a ploy by someone to make the steam look bad by getting away late ? Or am I just a cynic ?

Anyway we were now underway and heading for our first water stop at Château Thierry 94km (58miles) from Paris Est. Yet again, and much to my amazement, the weather was superb. It was hot and sunny with hardly a cloud in the sky. Not great conditions for the crew to work in but great for the rest of us !

The run to Château Thierry was very good. The train may have only been a light one at a little over 310tonnes and with the loco and stock limited to 100km/h (62.5mph) it was unlikely we were going to get to see what the 231G could really do but with continuous running up around the maximum permitted we were all well entertained. This was in comparison to my trip on Lé Parisien in October 2002 when the loco, 231K8, was limited to just 80km/h (50mph). Another marked difference to that trip was the fact 231G558 was actually audible. Being just three vehicles back from the loco perhaps helped but here was a compound that actually made some noise and a nice noise at that. Perhaps not surprisingly given the Kylchap exhaust I found the sound of the loco to be very reminiscent of a LNER A4 but as I would imagine a 4 cylinder variety to sound.

231G558 sits in the hot afternoon sun at Château Thierry during the servicing stop. May 28 2003

On arrival at Château Thierry a possible explanation for the unexpected noise from up front presented itself. It appeared that the simple to compound mechanism (the loco running in simple when starting and being switched to compound running once properly under way) was jammed in simple and on the way to Château Thierry had been switching between the two on its own. With a C spanner and lots of French arm waving an attempt was made to fix things. Then a similar attempt was made with a stillson and lots of the support crew on both sides of the loco. However this seemed to do nothing. At least this wasn't a failing issue. The loco could go on but would operate well below peak efficiency. That said this handicap didn't seem to effect the locomotive's performance.

A rear 3/4 view of 231G558 at Château Thierry. From the cab forward the kit visible above the running plate includes a brake reservoir, turbo generator, cross compound air pump, mechanical lubricator and on top of the smokebox behind the chimney is one of the ACFI type feedwater heater drums. May 28 2003

Whilst 231G558 is serviced amazingly there is nobody on the opposite platform. May 28 2003

An attempt was made to get the simple to compound valve functioning again but it was not successful. May 28 2003

In the back of the tender are the tools. May 28 2003

Once the loco was serviced, and now running as a simple, we set off again with further nice running through the picturesque countryside until we were looped at Châlons-en-Champagne to allow two electric hauled expresses to rush past us.

One of the loco crew during the pathing stop at Châlons-en-Champagne. If you know who this is or it is you please let me know. Thanks ! Note the coal briquettes stacked in the tender. May 28 2003.

From here we continued to our next water stop at Vitry-le-François, almost 205km (128miles) from Paris.

231G558 shortly after the arrival at Vitry-le-François. May 28 2003

One of the loco crew gets a well earned drink of water on the footplate whilst the tender gets topped up with water as well. Note that the coal bunker contains both lump coal and coal briquettes. The locomotive burnt a combination of both. May 28 2003

The next booked stop for servicing was at Toul, some 115km (72miles) further on towards Strasbourg. This section included the first substantial climb for the locomotive, which at its steepest stiffens to 1 in 125. OK hardly steep but very typical of French mainline gradients. Given the load the locomotive should have been able to go over the summit at 100km/h. In the event it was some way short of this. It is easy to point the finger and say it should have done better but personal experience has shown me that the steam engine is a beast that requires many variables to be spot on to perform at its best. If just one thing is wrong it will not perform as well as it could. Latter in the trip 231G558 was to show us a little of what it could really do, proving that was was nothing fundamentally wrong with the locomotive.

On the descent from the summit at Ernecourt-Loxéville an unscheduled top was made mid-section, further delaying us. I believe that there was some problem maintaining brake pressure. However once the problem was rectified we continued on our way to Toul for an extended stop to allow the locomotive to be serviced, watered and coaled.

On arrival at Toul we had to de-train as the locomotive and stock had to set back to enter the yard where the coal and water supply were. It was interesting this manoeuvre was allowed as SNCF had decreed no run pasts could be held during the tour as the signaling did not allow trains to set back....

Very shortly after our arrival an express bound for Strasbourg shot through the station at high speed. The closeness to our train suggested that we may have delayed this train with our unscheduled stop.

With all passengers off the train 231G558 prepares to set back toward Toul yard for servicing. May 28 2003

The stop at Toul was, not surprisingly given the work to be carried out, a fairly long affair. As a result most passengers headed off to the town to get some refreshments and food. Diner was planned for Nancy but as we were running late we were not certain of getting a huge amount of time there. To enable a pre-midnight arrival in Strasbourg it was decided to attempt to get away from Nancy on time even if this meant cutting diner short. Most passengers seemed to understand this was probably the best option, after all being a lengthy steam trip operating in 2003 problems have to be expected at some point. That said one individual got rather worked up by this and took some time to calm down again.

Problems coaling, due to the lack of mechanical assistance, and problems with fire cleaning suggesting steam had been short on the climb and perhaps on the descent too, saw our departure from Toul delayed. However once under way again the short, 33km (20½miles), section to Nancy was completed successfully giving plenty of time to get a meal. We ended up in an Irish Pub (!) opposite the station for a filling omlette and were back on the station in plenty of time for departure.

The weather had now, temporarily broken, as it is was raining. Perhaps this was the reason despite all being ready for an on time departure SNCF didn't seem ready for us delaying us a little in our onward journey.

One looping to allow an express past at Lunéville (that took forever to catch us up) saw us run nicely over the undulating mainline to our final water stop before Strasbourg at Réding. By the time we arrived here it was dark. However that didn't stop a good number of locals turning out to see the loco. Here the local fire brigade helped with the water arrangements.

Whilst watching the goings on there were signs that the fire was not in great shape. The crew seemed to be giving the fire a very thorough stir up. However looking at the gradient profile there was only a short climb away from Réding to be surmounted before a long section of downhill running took us to Strasbourg. So it looked as if things would be OK. How wrong can you be !

The Réding stop over ran somewhat but once underway things seemed OK up front. Well they did for about 31km. Now off the steepest section of downgrade we stopped at Dettwiller for a lengthy blow up, and I assume fire cleaning session. Eventually off we went again with fingers firmly crossed that we would make it to Strasbourg this time, now only 36km (22½miles) further on.

Sometime around now we started the second day of the tour, but not as it had been planned to start ! Click here to continue to the second day and the rest of this saga !

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