05 May - Paris Lyon to Nevers with 141R 1199

The first day of 'Le Mistral'. At 15.26 141R 1199 set off from Paris Gare de Lyon with the 9 coach train. However, we had to get there first. Traveling initially with just my father, a trip to Twickenham to stay overnight with friends on 04 May was followed by an early train up to London Waterloo for the 09:19, train 9027, Eurostar to Paris Nord. This was my first trip on Eurostar since the opening of the first section of the high speed line on the UK side of the Channel Tunnel. After the slow run out to the new line the train got going and demonstrated the quality of the new route. The ride seemed noticeably better than on the French high speed line - not something I'd expected!

Paris Gare de Lyon with 3 TGVs under the roof. There are further sections of the station either side of the platforms in view.

A right time arrival in Paris was followed by meeting up with the handful of others on the tour on the same train before being lead to RER line D by a couple of the train staff. It should have been a simple procedure - we'd all been issued with tickets beforehand but the French ticket barriers had other ideas! One ticket was eaten but the gates opened whilst another repeatedly failed to work until finally opening the gates. Once this was sorted out we all got on the next double-deck, but slightly grotty, RER train which took us direct Paris Lyon with just one intermediate stop at Chatellet-Les Halles, the main interchanged on the RER/Paris Metro system. Getting out of the RER tickets only area proved about as smooth as getting in! With two of the party lacking tickets it was a question of two people getting through the barriers for the price of one. This actually worked out OK but the barriers did their best to eat any luggage being trailed behind and were not keen to give it up! We arrived on the main concourse at about 13:30 giving us just over an hour until the planned rendezvous to locate the train - SNCF being unable to tell the organisers which platform the train would leave from the day before! So lunch was had on the station accompanied by slightly indifferent French service! For lunch we were joined by one of the group of 7 of us going on some or all of the trip - a fellow 6024 support crew member.

After lunch we bought some supplies for the trip and met up with the rest of the party. The train appeared, somewhat amazingly, on time given SNCF's general awkwardness when it comes to steam charters, on platform K under the main station roof at Gare de Lyon. The train was made up of 9 vintage SNCF vehicles looked after by the Ajecta group based in Longueville to the east of Paris. The train had been hauled in by an electric loco which, unlike in 2003, SNCF didn't seem to want back in a hurry. After locating our coach, one from the back, dumping luggage etc it was off to look for the 141R which appeared a few minutes later backing in light engine.

The loco for the first section of 'Le Mistral' was 141R 1199. Originally 231G 558 was booked to haul this section of the train. However, suspension problems earlier in the year, which could not be guaranteed to be fixed in time, meant the 141R had to substitute. And what a substitute it turned out to be! For brief details on No.1199 click here.

141R 1199 backs down into Gare de Lyon - our first sight of the loco.

141R 1199 complete with replica headboard at the head of our train a short time before departure.

'Le Mistral', train number 27981, set off from Gare de Lyon a minute or so after the booked departure time and after what seemed to be a very sharp brake application for a slack over the station throat was soon underway. From our position to the rear of the train we didn't expect to hear a great deal. What we could hear was something of a roar not unlike the sound made by a stuck open steam chest drain cock. However what we could actually hear was No.1199's exhaust. The 5'5" driving wheels rotate fairly quickly at 100kph and it did not take long for the individual beats to merge into one continuous roar from the chimney. Once we realised what we were listening to it became obvious the loco was going to be a noisy beast during the trip. The train weighed in at around 468 tons, not inconsiderable but equally not maximum load, so the loco had no trouble running along at close to the maximum permitted 100kph most of the time, generally only falling back a little on the gentle hills so typical of French railways. The route taken from Gare de Lyon was the PLM mainline as far as Moret-Veneux-les-Sablons, 67km from Paris Lyon. Here the tour took the right hand fork at the junction, for Nevers, along the Loing valley before crossing to the Loire valley. We were all suitably impressed with the loco and excellent running out to the first water stop at Montargis. Here the locomotive was removed from the train and taken to the yard alongside, which was close to a hydrant. After some initial British (?) reluctance to cross the various tracks to get closer to the loco everyone followed it into the yard and not a word was said by anybody from SNCF. They seemed happy for us to use our common sense to look after ourselves. What a welcome attitude! This allowed the loco to be studied close up and for visits to the footplate. Understanding what the crew were trying to tell us about the loco was a little hit and miss but I think we finally understood most of the explanations. As far as Montargis the weather had been damp or overcast. After this first stop we got to see some occasional brightness but that was about all. On the way to Montargis the tour staff had come around to hand out the guide to the routes and tour, explain that SNCF (true to form) had failed to so far provide a full set of timings for the trip and sell something extremely useful - a copy of the gradient profiles for the route.

The hydrant at Montargis was in the yard, out from under the overhead wires. So the locomotive came off the train for servicing.

On from Montargis the running continued to be of a high standard with quite a bit of climbing to do on the way to our next booked stop at Cosne. Essentially this was a pathing stop but the opportunity was taken to take on a bit more water as we waited to be overtaken. As we arrived some form of run-down diesel multiple unit was shunting off the up main into a bay platform for stabling. Whilst much of SNCF's rolling stock is in excellent condition there is sizeable proportion which looks as if it is very old and tired!

A rather shabby looking diesel unit at Cosne.

141R 1199 stands in weak evening sun with 'Le Mistral' at Cosne. Here the locomotive took water and waited for other trains to pass.

Our arrival in Nevers was just a couple of minutes down on the booked arrival time of 20:20. As part of the tour package hotels in the various overnight stops were booked on behalf of the participants. In Nevers six different hotels were being used there being a general shortage in the area due to local motor racing event taking place. On the way down from Paris those expecting to stay in the Hotel Aurore were handed a letter outlining a change of plan - the hotel had been closed down by the police whilst a criminal investigation was undertaken! So we had all been moved to the Hotel Europe just a little further up the road. Most of the hotels were quite a way from the station so a fleet of buses had been booked to take us to our respective hotels - this was just as well partly because of the distance involved but at the time, more importantly, because the heavens opened as we left the station!

Hotel Europe turned out to be the worst hotel of the trip. It was basic in the extreme appearing to be some form of pre-fabricated building. The rooms were extremely basic and decorated in a fetching grey and yellow. At 32 euros a night I guess you should not expect much, we certainly didn't get it! At least the location was quiet and the beds fairly comfortable but I'd prefer not to go back again!

Some tour participants decided to take the coach back into Nevers to find diner but we did not. Having had a filling lunch and eaten the food we had bought for the train we didn't need to. In addition, as before, there were excellent baguettes available on the train. So a fairly early night was had ready for the next day of traveling.

On to 06 May

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