Another 1997 trip which has appeared in 2023, this time resulting from a search of 'archived' (technical term meaning 'stuffed away in a drawer') tickets. I've even got some photos, but nothing else documented. This was my first and thus far only, venture into French railtours and featured a large(ish) steam loco and some rare(ish) track around Paris.
Consequently there is only the vaguest of notes this time, and some pics.
Consequently there is only the vaguest of notes this time, and some pics.
Friday 17 - Sunday 19 October 1997
With no notes to transcribe on this occasion, I can only confirm that I travelled with two like-minded friends, the three of us all being unfamiliar with France (other than my own 4-day bash in 1991) but attracted by the idea of Pacific haulage (the star of the show being 231 K 8 (Henschel 10851/1912) and some non-passenger track.
26 years after the event and without a record, it's difficult to piece together quite what happened! I certainly recall that we stayed in Compiègne and travelled in on a service train for a brief Métro expedition prior to the 11:00 departure from Bercy. I've deduced as much of the route as I can from the minimal information on the ticket, the locations of the two photostops (luckily I included the station signs as I usually do if it doesn't make a complete nonsense of the shot) and the recollection that much was made of the Petit Ceinture (and the Grande Ceinture I think) in the advance notices for the tour. My effort is below, in italics - the line numbers are from OpenRailwayMap.and I believe correspond to those used by SNCF Réseau. If anyone reading this was on the tour and can correct my guesswork then I'd be very happy to hear from you! There's a 'Contact' option at the top of the page.
Leaving Paris-Bercy via the east-facing curve on to the Petit Ceinture which it followed to Bifurcation des Batignolles, thence lines 334000/340000 To Asnières-sur-Seine. Just north of Asnières, diverged left on to 340000 (may have diverged at Asnières then on to 975000 at Bécon-les-Bruyères to regain 340000 via Les Vallées). On 340000 to Sartrouville and Aubergenville-Élisabethville then 396306 (Raccordement d'Épône) and 396000 to Nézel-Aulnay for photo stop. From Nézel-Aulnay to 395000 just west of Plaisir-Grignon, then 420000 just west of St-Cyr to Versailles-Chantiers.
Return to Paris Gare de L'Est via 990000 to Massy-Palaiseau for another photo stop, then 985000 to Orly-Ville and 990000 (Grande Ceinture) on to Sucy-Bonneuil. It seems likely that we stayed on the Grande Ceinture to its junction with the main line from Mulhouse (1000) then on 1000 through Val-de-Fontenay to Roisny Bois Perrier whence we could have gone either via the Grande Ceinture (990000) past Noisy-le-Sec freight terminal to Paris Gare de l'Est Alternatives would be to stay on 1000 all the way to Paris-Est or go from Sucy-Bonneuil via 957000 (Grande Ceinture Complementaire) to its junction with Grande Ceinture 'proper', continuing to Paris-Est past Noisy-le-Sec freight terminal.
Following the tour we returned to Compiègne and as far as I recall, back to the UK the following day without further ado - though it's not inconceivable that a detour via a certain Belgian monastery was made...
With no notes to transcribe on this occasion, I can only confirm that I travelled with two like-minded friends, the three of us all being unfamiliar with France (other than my own 4-day bash in 1991) but attracted by the idea of Pacific haulage (the star of the show being 231 K 8 (Henschel 10851/1912) and some non-passenger track.
26 years after the event and without a record, it's difficult to piece together quite what happened! I certainly recall that we stayed in Compiègne and travelled in on a service train for a brief Métro expedition prior to the 11:00 departure from Bercy. I've deduced as much of the route as I can from the minimal information on the ticket, the locations of the two photostops (luckily I included the station signs as I usually do if it doesn't make a complete nonsense of the shot) and the recollection that much was made of the Petit Ceinture (and the Grande Ceinture I think) in the advance notices for the tour. My effort is below, in italics - the line numbers are from OpenRailwayMap.and I believe correspond to those used by SNCF Réseau. If anyone reading this was on the tour and can correct my guesswork then I'd be very happy to hear from you! There's a 'Contact' option at the top of the page.
Leaving Paris-Bercy via the east-facing curve on to the Petit Ceinture which it followed to Bifurcation des Batignolles, thence lines 334000/340000 To Asnières-sur-Seine. Just north of Asnières, diverged left on to 340000 (may have diverged at Asnières then on to 975000 at Bécon-les-Bruyères to regain 340000 via Les Vallées). On 340000 to Sartrouville and Aubergenville-Élisabethville then 396306 (Raccordement d'Épône) and 396000 to Nézel-Aulnay for photo stop. From Nézel-Aulnay to 395000 just west of Plaisir-Grignon, then 420000 just west of St-Cyr to Versailles-Chantiers.
Return to Paris Gare de L'Est via 990000 to Massy-Palaiseau for another photo stop, then 985000 to Orly-Ville and 990000 (Grande Ceinture) on to Sucy-Bonneuil. It seems likely that we stayed on the Grande Ceinture to its junction with the main line from Mulhouse (1000) then on 1000 through Val-de-Fontenay to Roisny Bois Perrier whence we could have gone either via the Grande Ceinture (990000) past Noisy-le-Sec freight terminal to Paris Gare de l'Est Alternatives would be to stay on 1000 all the way to Paris-Est or go from Sucy-Bonneuil via 957000 (Grande Ceinture Complementaire) to its junction with Grande Ceinture 'proper', continuing to Paris-Est past Noisy-le-Sec freight terminal.
Following the tour we returned to Compiègne and as far as I recall, back to the UK the following day without further ado - though it's not inconceivable that a detour via a certain Belgian monastery was made...
Pacific 231 K 8 waiting departure from Paris Bercy with the IFC special to Versailles on 18-10-97. |
The tour train at the morning photo stop at Nézel-Aulnay on 18-10-97. |
The Pacific catches the early evening sun at Massy Palaiseau on 18-10-97. |
Currently the next documented trip was in January 1998 when I set out via Brussels for one of Mr Pegler's excellent ADL tours in Germany.
