07 May - Lyon Perrache to Tournon with 241P 17
A trip on the Chemin de Fer du Vivarais
Tournon to Avignon and Marseille St. Charles 241P 17

Day three of 'Le Mistral' was booked to start from Lyon Perrache at 08:05 with the ultimate destination being Marseille St. Charles, destination of the original 'Mistral' in 1950. The 141R and two support vehicles were being given a couple of days off in Lyon it was now time for the 241P to handle the train solo. The original plan was to leave Lyon and head down the west bank of the Rhône along the now freight only and passenger diversionary route to Tournon-sur-Rhône. At Tournon a trip on the Chemin de Fer du Vivarais (CFV) had been arranged. As perhaps the best known preserved operation in France the Vivarais had long been on my list of "must get around to doing" railways. Once this trip was over the 241P was due to head south to Avignon and on to Marseille.

An electric multiple unit heads south away from Lyon Perrache.
An electric multiple unit heads south away from Lyon Perrache.
Poste C - Signalbox C at Lyon Perrache.
Poste C - Signalbox C at Lyon Perrache.

The day dawned with a clear blue sky and was already pleasantly warm as we headed up to the station. Naturally for a railtour with a booked early start there was no sign of the train as right time approached! What the delay was I don't know but we were finally underway about twenty minutes down. However we were heading down the east bank of the Rhône. To access the west bank would have entailed using a platform somewhat shorter than the train which in turn would have meant the rear portion would have been foul of the station throat at the north end of Lyon Perrache so, not surprisingly, SNCF vetoed this. At least one option of having to take a service train to catch up with the 241P and train somewhere beyond Perrache did not come to fruition. Maybe the change in route was a disappointment to the track bashers but for those of us happy to get there by steam on any route it was fine!

Heading away through the suburbs of Lyon we followed the PLM mainline to the first crossing of the Rhône south of Lyon allowing us to regain our booked route. Running past hillsides terraced for grapes was extremely attractive as were the many small villages and towns passed as we headed for Tournon. However there was practically no noise from the front - the 241Ps are renowned for being quiet and with the line as unchallenging as the gradient profile shows the chances of hearing much were never high!

Despite the late start from Lyon we rolled into Tournon at about the right time. With the train foul of the station foot crossing we had to walk out of the station across a road bridge and back down to the other side of the station to get access to the Vivarais train.

Tournon depot is the home of the Vivarais. In the past Le Cheylard was the centre for the system with workshops etc. With no access to Le Cheylard after 1968 the Vivarais, like so many preserved lines, has had to adapt a loco depot to suit all their requirements.
Tournon depot is the home of the Vivarais. In the past Le Cheylard was the centre for the system with workshops etc. With no access to Le Cheylard after 1968 the Vivarais, like so many preserved lines, has had to adapt a loco depot to suit all their requirements.
241P 17 at Tournon station shortly after arrival from Lyon. © Brian Bane
241P 17 at Tournon station shortly after arrival from Lyon. © Brian Bane

At Tournon there were two trains in the CFV station. This was a normal operating day for the CFV. On the 10am service train was 0-8-0t No.24 and on our private train was 0-6-6-0t No.414. By the time we had taken some photos of the 241P and walked around the 10am was getting ready to depart and did so as we approached the station. Straight out of the narrow gauge station the CFV does something unimaginable to British operators - the route shares the alignment with the northbound SNCF track! On dual gauge track - standard and metre with the west most running rail being the shared rail - the CFV heads up through a tunnel and over a viaduct, all under the wires, before going its own way up the river Doux valley.

CFV Map CFV Ticket
CFV 0-8-0t No.24 sets off from Tournon with the 10am service to Lamastre. The locomotive is about to cross on to the section to track shared with the SNCF standard gauge route. © Brian Bane
CFV 0-8-0t No.24 sets off from Tournon with the 10am service to Lamastre. The locomotive is about to cross on to the section to track shared with the SNCF standard gauge route. © Brian Bane
CFV's SACM built Mallet 0-6-6-0t No.414 at Tournon station ready to haul our special train to Lamastre. © Brian Bane
CFV's SACM built Mallet 0-6-6-0t No.414 at Tournon station ready to haul our special train to Lamastre. © Brian Bane

Our special was booked away at 10:15 so we had a little time to take photos and find a seat. Our locomotive was No.414 which is the last metre gauge steam locomotive built in France. This 0-6-6-0t Mallet type was built by the Société Alsacienne de Constructions Mécaniques (SACM), of Mulhouse, being based on the earlier Swiss built Mallets of the Vivarais, numbers 401-408. The train was made up of four carriages and a van. The first two vehicles looked to be in good order but the third and forth not so good. We ended up in the third. This wooden bodied vehicle had certainly seen better days. The faded paint was peeling on the outside whilst the inside looked untouched since the day it was built. The seats were wooden slated and whilst clean there was a distinct air of decay! I think this and the forth carriage originally came from the Réseau Breton system.

Perhaps the first thing we noticed after the train set off was the somewhat alarming way in which the carriages leant over on corners. It felt as if only a little bit more would have been enough to tip us over. However working on the basis that whilst alarming the railway must have run like this for years we settled back to enjoy the ride and, of course, the flexing of the wooden bodied carriage. The short trip along the dual gauge section soon gave way to the CFV proper which very rapidly started to show us why it is so highly thought of. Traveling up the Doux valley the line became highly scenic perched on high retaining walls in the narrow valley with fantastic views of the river and various ancient looking road bridges. Also visible was a hydro-electric power generation scheme which had, in part, been built by First World War prisoners of war. The system includes a very impressive aqueduct.

Departure time at Tournon. Vivarais movements are controlled from the same signalbox as the SNCF route. The green signal for our train can be seen as can the double red for the standard gauge line.
Departure time at Tournon. Vivarais movements are controlled from the same signalbox as the SNCF route. The green signal for our train can be seen as can the double red for the standard gauge line.
Running under the wires and on the dual gauge track north from Tournon. The CFV follows the valley to the left with the SNCF line curving away to the right to follow the Rhone valley.
Running under the wires and on the dual gauge track north from Tournon. The CFV follows the valley to the left with the SNCF line curving away to the right to follow the Rhône valley.
The line crosses the river Doux several times on the climb to Lamastre. This viaduct is fairly early on in the trip.
The line crosses the river Doux several times on the climb to Lamastre. This viaduct is fairly early on in the trip.
This view shows fairly typical scenery for the Vivarais. However it is often higher up the valley/gorge side.
This view shows fairly typical scenery for the Vivarais. However it is often higher up the valley/gorge side.

At Troye we briefly stopped to pick up a wagon of rail before continuing to a water stop at Colombier-le-Viuex /St. Barthélémy le Plain, used in the 1972 BBC series 'Clochemerle', based on the book by Gabriel Chevalier. This was also arranged as a photo stop with a runpast. Unfortunately the sun was on the wrong side of the line and the only shot from the correct side was just about big enough for 2 people who then also got in everyone else's way! So having got a shot of the train backing out of the station we moved!

Colombier-le-Viuex / St. Barthélémy le Plain - this station has two names at is was supposed to serve two villages. The station featured in the BBC series 'Clochemerle' and can easily be recognised in the programme as can the CFV Mallet and stock. © Brian Bane
Colombier-le-Viuex / St. Barthélémy le Plain - this station has two names at is was supposed to serve two villages. The station featured in the BBC series 'Clochemerle' and can easily be recognised in the programme as can the CFV Mallet and stock. © Brian Bane
CFV No.414 sets back at Colombier-le-Viuex / St. Barthelemy le plain for the photo runpast. © Brian Bane
CFV No.414 sets back at Colombier-le-Viuex / St. Barthélémy le Plain for the photo runpast. © Brian Bane

When we had approached Colombier-le-Viuex we went over a set of detonators, something repeated further up the line at Le Plat. The CFV does not have any form of fixed signaling away from the dual-gauge running section which, of course, is under the control of SNCF. Instead it has been the case since the opening of the railway that all train regulation is controlled by telephone. Train crews can place detonators on the track to warn following trains of their presence in the event of late running, failures and any other out of course happening. Whilst I don't know the details it can be assumed the 10am from Tournon had had good reason to put the detonators down. During the stop at Le Plat the guard on our train sprinted back to protect our train with detonators from the following Autorail service.

Above Colombier-le-Viuex the scenery largely remained as it had before with the railway perched on the steep sided valley. However it also passed through broader valleys used for agriculture as the climb to Lamastre continued. One such location was used for a static photostop. A certain individual got very over excited by people standing in the background of this shot....

CFV 0-6-6-0t 414 posed for photos with a number of observers in the background who proved unpopular with certain photographers in the line-up!
CFV 0-6-6-0t No.414 posed for photos with a number of observers in the background who proved unpopular with certain photographers in the line-up!

Somewhere along the CFV we lost a great deal of time. Our booked arrival time at Lamastre was 12:15 with departure for lunch at Boucieu-le-Roi booked for 12:45. In addition the scheduled Autorail service, which left Tournon at 11:30, was due into Lamastre at 12:30, but presumably had been retimed. However we did not arrive until around 13:30! It was then a case of water and turn the loco as quickly as possible before heading away again. During our twenty minutes or so at Lamastre No.24 removed the wagon of rail we had picked up at Troye.

No.414 shortly after the late arrival at Lamastre, the end of the Vivarais but once just another station on the large network in the Ardèche. At the rear of the train CFV No.24 can be seen removing a wagon of rails brought up on the rear of our special train.
No.414 shortly after the late arrival at Lamastre, the end of the Vivarais but once just another station on the large network in the Ardèche. At the rear of the train CFV No.24 can be seen removing a wagon of rails brought up on the rear of our special train.
CFV No.414 runs forward to take water at Lamastre. The locomotive is fitted with a Kylchap exhaust system. © Brian Bane
CFV No.414 runs forward to take water at Lamastre. The locomotive is fitted with a Kylchap exhaust system. © Brian Bane
The day of our trip over the Vivarais was a regular running day for the line. Ahead of our 10:30 special the 10:00 train for Lamastre had departed behind No.24. The 11:30 service from Tournon was formed of a single Autorail, No. 213. This autorail was built in 1938 by Billard, their works number 2009. It is a type A-150-D-2. Both trains returned to Tournon after our special allowing their passengers several hours in Lamastre for lunch and a look around.

The day of our trip over the Vivarais was a regular running day for the line. Ahead of our 10:15 special the 10:00 train for Lamastre had departed behind No.24. The 11:30 service from Tournon was formed of a single Autorail, No. 213.

This autorail was built in 1938 by Billard, their works number 2009. It is a type A-150-D-2.

Both trains returned to Tournon after our special allowing their passengers several hours in Lamastre for lunch and a look around.

10am service train loco on 07 May was 0-8-0t No.24. By the time we arrived at Lemastre it had been turned and was ready to shunt the wagon of rails we had picked up on our way from Tournon.
10am service train loco on 07 May was 0-8-0t No.24. By the time we arrived at Lamastre it had been turned and was ready to shunt the wagon of rails we had picked up on our way from Tournon.
Shunting over, CFV No.24 stands at Lamastre. Time for lunch!

 

 

 

Shunting over, CFV No.24 stands at Lamastre. Time for lunch!

 

 

CFV No.24's works plate
CFV No.414 had just turned on Lamastre turntable which appeared to be only just long enough for the loco!
CFV No.414 had just turned on Lamastre turntable which appeared to be only just long enough for the loco!

Boucieu-le-Roi was the location for lunch which everyone was now well and truly in need of! There seemed to have been no snacks available at Lamastre station so we were pleased to be making faster progress down the hill but even so it seemed to take an age to get there! It's easy to say with hindsight but it would have been better to have stopped for lunch on the way up which, if operating procedures would have allowed it, would have let the Autorail overtake us.

Recommended reading on the Chemin de Fer du Vivarais - "Vivarais Narrow Gauge featuring Mallets in the Massif" by John Organ, published by Middleton Press.
Recommended reading on the Chemin de Fer du Vivarais - "Vivarais Narrow Gauge featuring Mallets in the Massif" by John Organ, published by Middleton Press.

The pre-booked lunch turn out to not quite be up to the standard we'd expected. What we had was actually very nice but a bit more for our money would have been good. Such is life! From Boucieu-le-Roi it was off non-stop to the junction with SNCF and into Tournon. In spite of the late running on the CFV we were actually back in sufficient time for 'Le Mistral', which appeared to have not moved an inch at Tournon, to get away on time but not before the 241P had smoked the town out!

The Vivarais had been great but maybe a little rushed, more time in Lamastre would have been good but in the context of the day not possible. So a return visit, perhaps to also include the other operational section of the once 126 mile Vivarais system, from Dunières to St. Agrève, the Voies Ferrées du Velay, is a must.

From no exhaust to this in a few seconds - presumably the stoker had been turned on! 241P17 does its best to engulf Tournon in thick black smoke. Not a very good advert for steam in the 21st century. Plenty of people turned out to see us leave Tournon and, again, were all over the track.

From no exhaust to this in a few seconds - presumably the stoker had been turned on! 241P17 does its best to engulf Tournon in thick black smoke. Not a very good advert for steam in the 21st century.

Plenty of people turned out to see us leave Tournon and, again, were all over the track.

Mallet's stored out of use were visible as we left Tournon for Avignon and Marseille. It is believed the closest Mallet is the very first of the 0-6-6-0t type, No.401, which has never run in preservation. Behind it is No.413. The third Mallet visible is thought to be No.404. The line's other Mallet, No.403, was in bits, under overhaul, at Tournon.
Mallet's stored out of use were visible as we left Tournon for Avignon and Marseille. It is believed the closest Mallet is the very first of the 0-6-6-0t type, No.401, which has never run in preservation. Behind it is No.413. The third Mallet visible is thought to be No.404. The line's other Mallet, No.403, was in bits, under overhaul, at Tournon.

From Tournon it was off down the freight only route all the way to Avignon with hardly a significant gradient to worry the loco. Even so when something uphill did present itself the 241P continued regardless at around 80kph and in total silence. However a little way north of Avignon we were turned into a loop for an unbooked stop. Looking forward we could see support crew jumping down and checking around. We had, again, set off a hot box detector. This time there was a problem of sorts - in the fireman's side ashpan (the part outside the frames) it appeared as if there was a fire. Certainly on arrival at Avignon it was looking very scorched. We stood for about thirty minutes as the fire was dealt with and, I assume, the ashpan was cooled down. Whilst at Avignon the ashpan spray system was on damping down the ash judging by the amount of water coming out on to the track.

Traveling down the Rhone valley from Tournon we saw many runins on hill tops such as this one.
Traveling down the Rhône valley from Tournon we saw many ruins on hilltops such as this one.
Avignon was as far as some people were going. The trip onwards to Le Mistral - Extension ticket for the Marseille optionMarseille was an add-on. I'd say the majority took it. After the event it did seem as if the extension was a bit too much for one day and that Avignon should have been the destination. However this overlooks the fact if we hadn't gone to Marseille that evening we would not have got there at all. The 241P people were unable to be away for an extra day so it had to be Marseille on 07 May or never!

Getting away from Avignon somewhat late, and with a stock of drinks and nibbles from the station shop, based on the expectation that we'd be into Marseille late and would probably be too tired to be bothered to find diner, something rare happened, we heard the 241P clearly working! The train was not routed along the PLM mainline but via Cavaillon with it booked to regain the mainline at Miramas. With the loco making a reasonable amount of noise we were soon up to 80kph then things went silent again! Throughout the trip the 241P showed itself Avignon to Cavailloncapable of very rapid acceleration with the start from Avignon being amongst the fastest start we had. As the gradient profile shows the road to Cavaillon involves some climbing all of which was achieved without noise and at about 80kph, very much standard fare from the 241P.

Running late anything can happen with pathing so we were not surprised to be turned into the relief platform, as booked, at Cavaillon. But, not for the first time, we waited for our booked allowance before heading off again without anything having overtaken us. Quite why we were regulated in this fashion I can not imagine. Surely SNCF could see the point in keeping us moving if not delaying anything and maybe helping us to regain some lost time? Very odd!

Leaving Cavaillon we were again treated to some exhaust noise from the 241P. The sound echoed of the walls of surrounding factories but once these were passed things became silent again.

This audio clip, in MP3 format, is taken from a video soundtrack recorded on the train. 241P 17 can be heard accelerating away from Cavaillon. (317KB) Audio of 241P 17

Our next booked pathing stop was at Miramas, also our last booked stop before Marseille. Again we stopped as scheduled but this time for longer than booked and eventually we were overtaken. By now it was dark which was a shame as we were denied what appeared to be quite a scenic run but one which also passed what appeared to be huge oil handling facilities.

241P 17 takes water at Avignon at 18:50.
241P 17 takes water at Avignon at 18:50.

Booked arrival time into Marseille had been 20:45. We finally arrived at 22:25. Despite this there were a good few people out to see the first 241P since the 1960s to run into Marseille. There can be little doubt anyone near the railway can not have missed the fact we were passing - the shrill whistle, so typical of French locos, was in use for what seemed like several miles! Approaching the station at the regulation 30kph the whistle was held partially open and occasionally fully open to celebrate our arrival. It was quite a sound and one that seemed to put large smiles on many faces!

This audio clip, in MP3 format, is taken from a video soundtrack recorded on the train. However it was not recorded as the train approached Marseille, rather it is included here to give some idea of the sound from 241P 17's whistle. (30KB) Audio of 241P 17

Having arrived late, some 14 hours after leaving Lyon, it was time to get some sleep. Being dark the hoped for photos of the 241P under the station roof were lost (I was not carrying a tripod along with everything else!) so we headed to the coaches arranged to take us to the various hotels we were frequenting around Marseille. Whilst organisation to get us on the right coach was good it did take a while until we were on the move. In the end it took an hour to get to the hotel - we could have done without that - largely due to the fact half of Marseille seemed to be dug up making the coach go very slowly at times but also due to the one way system that had to be negotiated to get to the different hotels. In retrospect we should have taken metro which would have probably got us to the hotel within 20 minutes. Shall remember that if there is a next time.

So ended another day and thankfully this was to be the longest day by some margin.

On to 08 May

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