Train des Pignes 2010

Video featuring 1923 Mallet no. E211 working on the Chemin de Fer de Provence between Puget Theniers and Annot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xC2aoMs7gXU

 

Very nice. Those Portuguese Mallets are lovely. I had a trip behind a pair, E 164 and E 207, in Switzerland last month. I hope to get out to this line next year. As nice as the Swiss trip was, it was under the wires and the whole thing looks a bit too clean and clinical. That line looks nicely rural and rundown.

For what it's worth, link here to some photos of the tour, which also included an Ae 6/6 and DB Pacific 01 202. Sorry for hijacking the thread!

http://5944.fotopic.net/c1894345.html

 

No problem, I was pleased to see your photos, great quality. E211 wasn't really tested in France with quite a light load, I suspect they are pretty powerful machines.

 

Train des Pignes - the Pines Express?

Is there a map/directory of French preserved lines that would provide a one-stop shop for finding out where visits and trips are possible?

 

The Train des Pignes literally means the train of the pinecones, as pinecones were once used as tinder for the steam locomotives. The loco I filmed last year had one pinecone in the cab, presumably as a 'good luck' charm.
Here is a link to a very good book on French preserved lines, possibly a little out of date now, but a useful reference.

http://www.transportdiversions.com/publicationshow.asp?pubid=5643

 

L'UNECTO appears to be the French equivalent of the HRA, with a list organised by region. Wikipedia has a somewhat longer list but not all its entries are linked.