Froissy Dompierre Light Railway
Encyclopedia
The Froissy Dompierre Light Railway (CFCD) is a narrow-gauge light railway near the village of Cappy
, in the Somme
department, France
. It is run as a heritage railway
by APPEVA (Association Picarde pour la Préservation et l'Entretien des Véhicules Anciens). It is the last survivor of the gauge trench railways
of the World War I
battlefields.
built a railway along the Somme Canal between Péronne
and Froissy. Between 1916 and 1918 the railway was at the Allied front line, and transporting 1,500 tonnes of materials daily. At Froissy, the metre gauge
Réseau Albert connected with the CFCD.
After the war, the railway was used in assisting with the reconstruction and also to bring food into the villages it served. New lines were laid including a zig-zag to reach the Santerre Plateau. The line was by this time being used for the transportation of sugar beet
to the sugar refinery in Dompierre. In 1927, a further deviation was built to avoid Cappy Port
, which required a 300 metres (328.1 yd) tunnel. The line was extended to Chaulnes
in 1931. The line escaped World War II
with little damage, although one train of molasses was attacked by a British aircraft. Two Coferna diesel locomotive
s were acquired in 1942, working alongside the Feldbahn 0-8-0
s. The steam locomotive
s were retired in 1946 and replaced by three Plymouth
loco-tracteurs. The extensions to Péronne and Chaulnes had been removed by 1954 and increased competition from road traffic meant that the line ceased operations in 1972, by which time a preservation society had already started operations.
and Lille
near A1 motorway
and close to Amiens
. APPEVA operated its first train in June 1971 between Cappy and Froissy, a distance of 1 kilometres (1,093.6 yd). By 1974 the line was operating as far as the top of the zig-zag and in 1976 the full line to Dompierre was opened to traffic, following improvements to the level crossing on the Santerre Plateau. In 1996, a new museum was opened in Froissy.
The line starts from the Froissy terminus and follows the towpath along the Somme canal to the little station of Cappy. It then runs through a curved tunnel more than 200 metres (218.7 yd) long followed by a bridge to cross the road from Cappy to Chuignes
and a zig zag
which was built after WWI to allow locomotives to climb the very steep slope towards the Santerre
upland area. Once on the Santerre, the line runs on the side of the road to Dompierre. The terminus is located near the former sugar refinery of Dompierre.
APPEVA owns or has in store 13 steam locomotive
s, of which four are operating and some are considered as a Monument historique
, and 25 diesel engines. The Froissy Dompierre Railway operates from April till the end of September, on Sundays and holidays, and every day of the week (except Monday) in July and August. The journey between the Froissy museum and the Dompierre terminus takes one hour. The CFCD is twinned with the Leighton Buzzard Light Railway
.
APPEVA publishes a monthly magazine in French devoted to narrow gauge railways and touristic railways (Standard, metric and narrow gauge) called Voie Étroite.
The Musée des chemins de fer Militaires et Industriels (Military and Industrial railways Museum), located near the line terminus in the hamlet of Froissy (French commune of La Neuville-lès-Bray
), features a large collection of 600mm gauge railway material, steam engines, diesel engines and wagons, in a 1800 m² exhibition hall inaugurated in 1996.
It also features an interesting Fairbanks-Morse
speeder
of 1917, used by the US Army.
Cappy, Somme
Cappy is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.- Geography :Cappy is situated on the D1 road, some east of Amiens, by the banks of the river Somme.- Population :- History :...
, in the Somme
Somme
Somme is a department of France, located in the north of the country and named after the Somme river. It is part of the Picardy region of France....
department, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. It is run as a heritage railway
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
by APPEVA (Association Picarde pour la Préservation et l'Entretien des Véhicules Anciens). It is the last survivor of the gauge trench railways
Trench railways
Trench Railways represented military adaptation of early 20th century railway technology to the problem of keeping soldiers supplied during the static trench warfare phase of World War I...
of the World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
battlefields.
History
In 1915, the French ArmyFrench Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
built a railway along the Somme Canal between Péronne
Péronne, Somme
Péronne is a commune of the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.It is close to where the Battles of the Somme took place during World War I...
and Froissy. Between 1916 and 1918 the railway was at the Allied front line, and transporting 1,500 tonnes of materials daily. At Froissy, the metre gauge
Metre gauge
Metre gauge refers to narrow gauge railways and tramways with a track gauge of . In some African, American and Asian countries it is the main gauge. In Europe it has been used for local railways in France, Germany, and Belgium, most of which were closed down in mid 20th century. Only in Switzerland...
Réseau Albert connected with the CFCD.
After the war, the railway was used in assisting with the reconstruction and also to bring food into the villages it served. New lines were laid including a zig-zag to reach the Santerre Plateau. The line was by this time being used for the transportation of sugar beet
Sugar beet
Sugar beet, a cultivated plant of Beta vulgaris, is a plant whose tuber contains a high concentration of sucrose. It is grown commercially for sugar production. Sugar beets and other B...
to the sugar refinery in Dompierre. In 1927, a further deviation was built to avoid Cappy Port
Cappy, Somme
Cappy is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.- Geography :Cappy is situated on the D1 road, some east of Amiens, by the banks of the river Somme.- Population :- History :...
, which required a 300 metres (328.1 yd) tunnel. The line was extended to Chaulnes
Chaulnes
Chaulnes is a commune in the Somme department in Picardy in northern France.-Demography:-Culture:Chaulnes is noted for its cultural events, especially the heavy metal music festival "Killer Fest"...
in 1931. The line escaped World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
with little damage, although one train of molasses was attacked by a British aircraft. Two Coferna diesel locomotive
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
s were acquired in 1942, working alongside the Feldbahn 0-8-0
0-8-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-8-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and no trailing wheels...
s. The steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
s were retired in 1946 and replaced by three Plymouth
Plymouth Locomotive Works
Plymouth Locomotive Works was a US builder of small railroad locomotives. All Plymouth locomotives were built in a plant in Plymouth, Ohio until 1997 when the company was purchased by Ohio Locomotive Crane and production moved to Bucyrus, Ohio in 1999...
loco-tracteurs. The extensions to Péronne and Chaulnes had been removed by 1954 and increased competition from road traffic meant that the line ceased operations in 1972, by which time a preservation society had already started operations.
Preservation
APPEVA was formed in 1970 with the aim of preserving a 600mm gauge railway as a working museum. The CFCD was a good location, being between ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and Lille
Lille
Lille is a city in northern France . It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium...
near A1 motorway
A1 autoroute (France)
The A1 Autoroute, also known as l'autoroute du Nord , is the busiest of France's autoroutes. With a length of , it connects Paris with the northern city of Lille. It is managed by the Société des Autoroutes du Nord et de l'Est de la France...
and close to Amiens
Amiens
Amiens is a city and commune in northern France, north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in Picardy...
. APPEVA operated its first train in June 1971 between Cappy and Froissy, a distance of 1 kilometres (1,093.6 yd). By 1974 the line was operating as far as the top of the zig-zag and in 1976 the full line to Dompierre was opened to traffic, following improvements to the level crossing on the Santerre Plateau. In 1996, a new museum was opened in Froissy.
The line starts from the Froissy terminus and follows the towpath along the Somme canal to the little station of Cappy. It then runs through a curved tunnel more than 200 metres (218.7 yd) long followed by a bridge to cross the road from Cappy to Chuignes
Chuignes
Chuignes is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:chuignes is situated on the D143 and D71 crossroads, near the banks of the river Somme, some east of Amiens.-Population:-External links:*...
and a zig zag
Zig Zag (railway)
A railway zig zag, also called a switchback, is a way of climbing hills in difficult country with a minimal need for tunnels and heavy earthworks. For a short distance , the direction of travel is reversed, before the original direction is resumed.A location on railways constructed e.g...
which was built after WWI to allow locomotives to climb the very steep slope towards the Santerre
Santerre (region)
Santerre is a natural region of France, located in the center of the French region of Picardie.Located between Amiens and Saint-Quentin, the Santerre is a territory covering an area of about 3 000 km², including 242 communes and with a population of 106 489 inhabitants.Still covered with...
upland area. Once on the Santerre, the line runs on the side of the road to Dompierre. The terminus is located near the former sugar refinery of Dompierre.
APPEVA owns or has in store 13 steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
s, of which four are operating and some are considered as a Monument historique
Monument historique
A monument historique is a National Heritage Site of France. It also refers to a state procedure in France by which national heritage protection is extended to a building or a specific part of a building, a collection of buildings, or gardens, bridges, and other structures, because of their...
, and 25 diesel engines. The Froissy Dompierre Railway operates from April till the end of September, on Sundays and holidays, and every day of the week (except Monday) in July and August. The journey between the Froissy museum and the Dompierre terminus takes one hour. The CFCD is twinned with the Leighton Buzzard Light Railway
Leighton Buzzard Light Railway
The Leighton Buzzard Light Railway is a narrow gauge light railway in Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire, England. It operates on a gauge, and is just under long. The line was built after the First World War to serve sand quarries north of the town...
.
APPEVA publishes a monthly magazine in French devoted to narrow gauge railways and touristic railways (Standard, metric and narrow gauge) called Voie Étroite.
Museum
The Musée des chemins de fer Militaires et Industriels (Military and Industrial railways Museum), located near the line terminus in the hamlet of Froissy (French commune of La Neuville-lès-Bray
La Neuville-lès-Bray
La Neuville-lès-Bray is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:The commune is situated on the D329 road, on the banks of the Somme River, opposite Bray-sur-Somme, some east of Amiens.-Population:-External links:*...
), features a large collection of 600mm gauge railway material, steam engines, diesel engines and wagons, in a 1800 m² exhibition hall inaugurated in 1996.
It also features an interesting Fairbanks-Morse
Fairbanks-Morse
Fairbanks Morse and Company was a manufacturing company in the late 19th and early 20th century. Originally a weighing scale manufacturer, it later diversified into pumps, engines, windmills, locomotives and industrial supplies until it was merged in 1958...
speeder
Speeder
A speeder is a maintenance of way motorized vehicle formerly used on railroads around the world by track inspectors and work crews to move quickly to and...
of 1917, used by the US Army.
Steam locomotives
| No. | Name | Builder | Wheel Arrangement | Power | Works Number | Year Built | Origin | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Floralie | Henschel Henschel & Son Henschel & Son was a German company, situated in Kassel, best known during the 20th century as a maker of transportation equipment, including locomotives, trucks, buses and trolleybuses, and armoured fighting vehicles and weapons.... |
0-4-0 T | 90 hp | 23735 | 1937 | Ex Parc floral de La Source (Orléans Orléans -Prehistory and Roman:Cenabum was a Gallic stronghold, one of the principal towns of the Carnutes tribe where the Druids held their annual assembly. It was conquered and destroyed by Julius Caesar in 52 BC, then rebuilt under the Roman Empire... ) |
Type Fulda |
| 2 | Neumeyer Neumeyer Fritz Neumeyer AG was a German engineering firm that built steam engines during a brief period of its history. Its was based in Munich in the Bavaria in Germany.-History:The company was created in 1903 by Fritz Neumeyer Fritz Neumeyer AG was a German engineering firm that built steam engines during... |
0-4-0 T | 35 hp | 19 | 1922 | Ex Briqueterie Roumazières Roumazières-Loubert Roumazières-Loubert is a commune in the Charente department in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*... |
||
| 3 | Decauville Decauville The Decauville manufacturing company was founded by Paul Decauville , a French pioneer in industrial railways. Decauville's major innovation was the use of ready-made sections of light, narrow gauge track fastened to steel sleepers; this track was portable and could be disassembled and transported... |
0-6-0 T | 50 hp | 1825 | 1928 | Port de Bordeaux | Type Progrès | |
| 4 | Krauss Krauss-Maffei The Krauss-Maffei Wegmann GmbH & Co KG or simply Krauss-Maffei is an injection molding machine manufacturer and defence company based in Munich, Germany... |
0-8-0 T | 70 hp | 7373 | 1917 | German Army | Type DFB. Operated till end of 2007. | |
| 5 | Decauville Decauville The Decauville manufacturing company was founded by Paul Decauville , a French pioneer in industrial railways. Decauville's major innovation was the use of ready-made sections of light, narrow gauge track fastened to steel sleepers; this track was portable and could be disassembled and transported... |
0-6-0 WT | 50 hp | 1652 | 1916 | Ex-Réseau Nord-Est (Reims) | Type 17. In working order. | |
| 6 | Henschel Henschel & Son Henschel & Son was a German company, situated in Kassel, best known during the 20th century as a maker of transportation equipment, including locomotives, trucks, buses and trolleybuses, and armoured fighting vehicles and weapons.... |
0-8-0 T | 70 hp | 15271 | 1917 | Ex-Râperie Cramaille Cramaille Cramaille is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-Population:... |
Type DFB. | |
| 7 | Geneviève | Borsig August Borsig Johann Friedrich August Borsig was a German businessman who founded the Borsig-Werke factory.Borsig was born in Breslau , the son of cuirassier and carpenter foreman Johann George Borsig... |
0-8-0 0-8-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-8-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and no trailing wheels... TT |
50 hp | 10334 | 1918 | Poland | Type DFB. In working order. |
| 8 | Vulcan, Stettin Szczecin Szczecin , is the capital city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in Poland. It is the country's seventh-largest city and the largest seaport in Poland on the Baltic Sea. As of June 2009 the population was 406,427.... |
0-8-0 T | 150 hp to 180 hp | 3852 | 1925 | Ex Deutsche Reichsbahn No 99 3461, Ex Mecklenburg - Pommersche Bahn No 9. | Prototype. Under restoration to working order (goal is 2011). | |
| 9 | Alco-Cooke American Locomotive Company The American Locomotive Company, often shortened to ALCO or Alco , was a builder of railroad locomotives in the United States.-Early history:... |
2-6-2 2-6-2 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-6-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels, six coupled driving wheels and two trailing wheels.Other equivalent classifications are:... T |
120 hp | 57148 | 1917 | Ex Tramway de Pithiviers à Toury (TPT) No. 3-20. | Operated till 2009. | |
| 10 | Franco-Belge Société Franco-Belge The Société Franco-Belge de Matériel de Chemins de Fer was a French engineering firm that specialised mainly in the construction of railway vehicles and their components and accessories. Its was based at Raismes in the Département Nord in France... |
0-8-0 TT | 250 hp to 300 hp | 2836 | 1945 | Ex Sucreries Ternynck, Coucy-le-Château Coucy-le-Château-Auffrique Coucy-le-Château-Auffrique is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France. Its 1999 population for the commune was 995.-Geography:... and TPT No. 4-14. |
Type KDL (Kriegsdampflokomotive).In working order. | |
| 11 | Orenstein & Koppel | 0-6-0 T | about 100 hp | 8083 | 1915 | ex TPT No. 3-6. | ||
| 12 | Orenstein & Koppel | 0-10-0 0-10-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-10-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, ten powered and coupled driving wheels on five axles, and no trailing wheels... T |
about 195 hp | 8285 | 1917 | ex TPT No. 5-3. | ||
| 13 | Orenstein & Koppel | 0-8-0 T DFB | 70 hp | 8627 | 1918 | Ex Sucreries Coucy-le-Château Coucy-le-Château-Auffrique Coucy-le-Château-Auffrique is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France. Its 1999 population for the commune was 995.-Geography:... |
Type DFB. On loan from AMTUIR |
Diesel locomotives
| No. | Name | Builder | Wheel Arrangement | Power | Works Number | Year Built | Origin | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T23 | Plymouth Plymouth Locomotive Works Plymouth Locomotive Works was a US builder of small railroad locomotives. All Plymouth locomotives were built in a plant in Plymouth, Ohio until 1997 when the company was purchased by Ohio Locomotive Crane and production moved to Bucyrus, Ohio in 1999... |
75 hp | 5117 | 1946 | Loco-tracteur. One of the original CFCD locomotives. | |||
| T24 | Tatra | Société de Construction Ferroviaires et Navales (Coferna) | 200 hp | 122 | 1941 | Diesel locomotive. Fitted with a 212 hp Tatra air-cooled engine, one of the original CFCD locomotives. In working order. | ||
| T25 | Iveco | Coferna | 180 hp | 123 | 1941 | Diesel locomotive. Fitted with a 280 hp Iveco water-cooled engine, one of the original CFCD locomotives. In working order. | ||
| T31 | Billard | 100 hp | 233 T75 G | 1958 | Diesel locomotive. In working order. | |||
| T32 | Simplex | Motor Rail Ltd Motor Rail Motor Rail was a British locomotive-building company, based in Bedford. Formed in 1911 as The Motor Rail & Tramcar Co Ltd, they built petrol and diesel engined locomotives, mainly narrow gauge. During World War I over 900 locos were supplied for use on temporary military supply railways... |
40 hp | 588/191 | 1917 | Tractor. | ||
| T37 | Simplex | Motor Rail Ltd | 20 hp | 7433 | 1939 | Tractor. In working order. | ||
| T33 | Baldwin Baldwin Locomotive Works The Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. It was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, originally, and later in nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania. Although the company was very successful as a producer of steam locomotives, its transition to the production of... |
0-4-0 0-4-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-4-0 represents one of the simplest possible types, that with two axles and four coupled wheels, all of which are driven... D |
50 hp | 49192 | 1917 | Tractor. | ||
| T36 | Baldwin | 50 hp | 49966 | 1917 | Tractor. | |||
| T29 | Socofer Socofer Socofer is the name for the railway construction company that before 1968 was known as Établissements Billard.- Production : narrow gauge locomotives for:** The French Army ** Leisure parks.** Tourist railways.... |
40 hp | 333 SCF 303 | 1968 | Tractor. In working order. | |||
| Speeder | Fairbanks-Morse Fairbanks-Morse Fairbanks Morse and Company was a manufacturing company in the late 19th and early 20th century. Originally a weighing scale manufacturer, it later diversified into pumps, engines, windmills, locomotives and industrial supplies until it was merged in 1958... |
1917 | Draisine | |||||
Passenger stock
The CFCD operates a variety of open and closed passenger stock, most of which is built on chassis of freight vehicles dating from World War One.Freight stock
The CFCD has a variety of goods wagons, both open and closed, that date from World War One, and also examples of wagons from the industrial use of the line after World War One.External links
- APPEVA, official web site
- Voie Étroite, official web site
- Description of a visit to the line