Chemin de Fer de la Baie de Somme Totally Explained

Everything about Chemin De Fer De La Baie De Somme totally explained

Chemin de Fer de la Baie de Somme (Somme Bay Railway), is a preserved railway in northern France. The line is one of the closest French heritage lines to the UK, Noyelles is from Boulogne and from Calais. A part of the line has dual gauge track, and although forming part of a group of five lines, at least a part of it has always been open to traffic.

Origins and route

The standard gauge line to St. Valery A branch to St. Valery had been proposed as early as 1845. In 1853 the Chemin de Fer du Nord was granted permission to build a single track branch from Noyelles to St. Valery. This long line crossed the River Dien by means of a long wooden trestle bridge. The original passenger station at St Valery stood at the site later occupied by St. Valery Canal station. The line opened to traffic on 5 June 1858. It was 1885 before the CF du Nord was able to get permission to use steam locomotives at St. Valery Quai, horse power having to be used before that. The metre gauge lines In the 1880s, there were various schemes to build narrow gauge lines of either 750mm or metre gauge in the Somme département. Eventually, a metre gauge line nearly long was built by the Société Générale de Fer Economiques (SE) from Noyelles to Le Crotoy, opening on 1 July 1887. A second metre gauge line opened on 6 September 1887 from Noyelles to Cayeux, from Noyelles, with stations at St. Valery Ville and Lanchères-Pendé. The line between Noyelles and St. Valery being laid between the rails of the standard gauge branch, which was also extended into St. Valery Ville. The line between Noyelles and St. Valery kept its Intérét Général status, and the other lines had Intérét Local status, with separate tickets being issued for each part of the route.
The railway carried holiday-makers to seaside resorts, and transporting local freight of galets, sugar beet, chicory and shellfish. Running around the entire length of the Somme Bay in the Somme département, in Picardie, northern France, it connected Le Crotoy with Noyelles-sur-Mer, Saint-Valery-sur-Somme and Cayeux-sur-Mer, including the sands at Brighton-Plage. Other minor stations or halts were provided near assorted villages, hamlets and farms. In its literature, the operating Association claims that past passengers have included Colette, Jules Verne, Anatole France, and Toulouse Lautrec. The Réseau des Bains de Mer. These lines, with two others were grouped together as the Réseau des Bains de Mer. The other two lines were one from Noyelles to Forest-l'Abbaye and one from Abbeville to Dompierre-sur-Authie, which had a junction with the line from Noyelles at Forest-l'Abbaye. The Réseau des Bains de Mer was a part of the .

Wars

The CFBS line was affected by three wars; The Franco-Prussian War, World War One and World War Two.

Franco-Prussian War

France declared war on Prussia on 19 July 1870. St. Valery was a strategic port, and thus its capture was an objective of the Prussians. In October 1870 the French requisitioned Jules Verne's boat Saint-Michel I for the defence of the Baie de Somme. The boat was crewed by Crimean War veterans. In December 1870 horses and equipment was requisitioned for use by the French cavalry. A consgnment of 600 saddles left St. Valery by train for Noyelles on the 30 December. The Prussians occupied St. Valery from February 1871 until September 1873.

12 La Grise Corpet-Louvet 0-4-0T 1589/1921, ex Enterprise Paul Frot, La Chapelle-St Luc, Troyes.

15 La Marron Corpet-Louvet 0-4-0T 1667/1925, ex Enterprise Paul Frot

15 Noyon-Guiscard-Lassigny Haine St. Pierre 2-6-0T 1316/1920, ex Compagnie Générale des Voies Ferrées d’Intérêt Local (VFIL) Oise.

25 La Verte Corpet-Louvet 0-4-0T 1672/1927, ex Enterprise Paul Frot.

101 Pinguely 0-6-0T 165/1909, ex Chemins de Fer du Morbihan, Forges de Gueugnon and (FACS).

3714 Beton-Bazoches Buffaud et Robatel 0-6-2T built 1909. ex SE (Résau de Seine & Marne) and FACS.

St. Valery scrap dump

Corpet-Louvet 0-6-0T 1104/1904, ex Lunéville-Einville railway and Sablières de la Haute et Basse Seine.

Corpet-Louvet 0-6-0T 927/1903, ex Economique des Charantes No.47.

Schneider 0-6-2T built 1891, ex Département de la Côte d'Or.

Pinguely 0-6-0T, ex Chemins de Fer du Beaujolais No.8. Removed in 1997 and now under restoration at Angers, France.

Diesel locomotives

301 6w diesel, VFIL Lumbres built 1948. ex VFIL Pas-de-Calais, Réseau de Développement Technologique (RDT) Ardennes, VFIL Lumbres, VFIL Flandres.

351 6w diesel, VFIL Lumbres built 1948, ex VFIL Flandres.

352 6w diesel, VFIL Lumbres built 1948, ex VFIL Flandres.

824 6w diesel, Sociedad Español de Construccion Naval built 1966. Ex Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalune, Barcelona.

BA-12 6w diesel. Ateliers CFD de Neuillé-Pont-~Pierre, Indre-er-Loire built 1941-45. Ex CFD Indre-et-Loire, .

Y-2107 4w diesel, Baudet Donnon Roussel built 1952. Ex SNCF class and John Deere, Fleury-les-Aubrais, Loire. Standard gauge.

Railbuses

M-31 2 axle railcar built by VFIL Lumbres, ex VFIL Flandres and CFTA.

M-41 Bogie railcar built by VFIL Lumbres 1936, ex VFIL Pas-de-Calais, VFIL Flanres and CFTA.

M-42 Bogie railcar built by VFIL Lumbres 1936, ex VFIL Pas-de-Calais, VFIL Oise and CFTA.

M-43 Bogie railcar built by VFIL Lumbres 1936, ex VFIL Pas-de-Calais, VFIL Oise and CFTA.

R6 Bogie railcar trailer, built as a railcar by in 1937, ex Tramways Ille-et-Villaine, RB and CFTA.

X-157 Bogie railcar built by De Dion-Bouton 1937, ex Chemin de Fer des Côtes-du-Nord (CdN), RB and CFTA.

A two axle draisine built by Campagne in 1930, ex CFTA

Passenger stock

This is the stock currently to be found on the CFBS.

Surviving SE/CFTA stock.

Carriages (12).

ACf10302 1st/3rd bogie coach built 1920 by Manage, Belgium.

ACf10303 1st/3rd bogie coach built 1920 by Manage, Belgium.

ACf10305 1st/3rd bogie coach built 1920 by Manage, Belgium.

ACf10308 1st/3rd bogie coach built 1920 by Manage, Belgium.

BCf10501 2nd/3rd bogie coach built 1920 by Manage, Belgium.

BCf10502 2nd/3rd bogie coach built 1920 by Manage, Belgium.

BCf10504 2nd/3rd bogie coach built 1920 by Manage, Belgium.

BCf10507 2nd/3rd bogie coach built 1920 by Manage, Belgium.

BCf10508 2nd/3rd bogie coach built 1920 by Manage, Belgium.

BCf10509 2nd/3rd bogie coach built 1920 by Manage, Belgium.

BCf10510 2nd/3rd bogie coach built 1920 by Manage, Belgium.

ABCDf 105 bogie coach built 1894 by De Dietrich, ex RB / CFTA Baggage Vans (Fourgons) (5).

D10801 4 wheel fourgon, ex SE Allier, SE Somme/CFTA

D series 4 wheel fourgon, sold to the but repurchased in 1995.

K11008 4 wheel fourgon, builder unknown.

K11013 4 wheel fourgon, builder unknown.

K12005 4 wheel fourgon, builder unknown.

Imported stock

Carriages (20)

Bogie saloon coach, built by David Desouches et Compagnie in 1889. Ex SE Réseau du Centre, Allier-Cher. Exhibited at the Exposition Universelle, Paris in 1889. Original body on an ex Chemin du Fer de Lozère chassis.

Two bogie coaches built by Decauville, ex Madagascar.

Two bogie coaches built by Decauville 1906, ex Buis le Baronnies-Orange.

AB207 Composite coach built by SIG, Neuhausen in 1954, ex Berner Oberland Bahn (BOB).

AB208 Composite coach built by SIG, Neuhausen in 1954, ex BOB.

AB210 Composite coach built by SIG, Neuhausen in 1956, ex BOB.

ABCDf12 Composite coach built by De Dietrich, Reichshoffen in 1894. Ex RB.

BC101 4 wheel coach built by Blanc-Misseron in 1894, ex VFIL Réseau de l'Oise

BD201 4 wheel coach built by Schlieren in 1911, ex Chemin de Fer Electriques Versayans.

B204 4 wheel coach built by Schlieren in 1911, ex CF Electriques Versayans.

B22 4 wheel coach built by SIG, Neuhausen in 1893, ex Chemin de fer Yverdon - Ste-Croix (CF YStC).

B231 Second class coach, ex BOB.

B236 Second class coach, ex BOB.

B237 Second class coach, ex BOB.

BF26 4 wheel coach built by SIG, Neuhausen in 1893, ex CF YStC.

BF27 4 wheel coach built by SIG, Neuhausen in 1893, ex CF YStC.

B31 4 wheel coach built by SIG, Neuhausen in 1929, ex CF YStC.

B32 4 wheel coach built by SIG, Neuhausen in 1929, ex CF YStC.

D522 Guards/parcels carriage built by SIG, Neuhausen in 1916, rebuilt BOB 1974, converted to catering vehicle by CFBS 2007. Baggage Vans (Fourgons) (1).

D803 4 wheel fourgon built by Blanc-Misseron, ex SE Réseau de Seine-et-Marne.

Freight stock

This is the freight stock to be found on the CFBS.

Surviving SE/CFTA stock

Vans (5).
Five four wheeled vans numbered K1210, K1211, K1247, K1254 and K1276, builder unknown. Brake Vans (4).
Four four-wheeled brake vans numbered K2203, K2206, K2224 and K2225, builder unknown. Flat Wagons (3).
Two four-wheeled flat wagons numbered T9209 and T9220, one unnumbered flat wagon built by Magnard in 1911. Open Wagons (Tombereaux) (6).
Six four-wheeled tombereaux numbered U3305, U12087, U13021, U13056, U14008 and U14052, builder unknown. Cranes. (2)
One crane numbered G9009 and one crane built by Baume-et-Marpent.

Imported stock

Vans (5).
Four four-wheeled vans numbered K434, K502, Kf1390 and one unnumbered K series van, builder unknown, ex RB. One four-wheeled van numbered K603 built by Schlieren in 1903, ex Chemin de Fer Electrique de Gruyère and Chemin de Fer Clonay-Chamby. Brake Vans (1).
One four-wheeled unnumbered K series brake van, ex RB. Bogie Flat Wagons (1)
One bogie flat wagon numbered MMX3, possibly German origin. ex RDT Ardennes/CFTA. Flat Wagons (5).
Three four-wheeled flat wagons numbered M302, M309 and M310, built by Neuhausen in 1893, ex CF YStC. One four-wheeled flat wagon numbered M305 built by Pétolat in 1905, ex CF YStC. One flat wagon, builder unknown, ex Entreprise Paul Frot. Open Wagons (Tombereaux) (4).
One four-wheeled tombereau built by Pétolat in 1905, ex CF YStC. Three four-wheeled tomberaux of Italian origin, ex and CF YStC. Skip Wagons (2).
Two four-wheeled skip wagons, builder unknown, ex Enterprise Paul Frot. Hopper Wagons (3).
Two four-wheeled hopper wagons, builder unknown, ex La Mine Orne. One four-wheeled hopper wagon, ex SNCF, standard gauge.

Twinning

The CFBS is twinned with the Kent & East Sussex Railway, a preserved standard gauge railway in England. The twinning agreement was signed on 27 April 1996 at Noyelles. The K&ESR's P Class locomotive was present.Further Information

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