Brittany, France: The Reseau Breton comes alive (well almost)

The metre gauge railway that ran through the centre of Brittany is being re-created at Gouarec, 22570, Cote d'Armor. It is planned initially to run from Gare de Gouarec to Halte de Bon Repos, a distance of 4.1km on most of the original trackbed. There is a possibility that an extension to Mur de Bretagne may be created at sometime in the future.
The ACBR will be a mix of 60cm & Metre Gauge. The Reseau Breton Museum being created at the Gare de Gouarec.
There is an active thread on this site:

http://railways.national-preservati...1382-brittany-new-narrow-gauge-60cm-line.html

also a Blog on the French Metre Gauge site:

Les Forums de Passions Métrique et Etroite !! • Afficher le sujet - La renaissance du Réseau Breton en touristique

 

Any updates? :whistle:

Either with the Railway or the Lac?:fish2:

Not much seems to be appearing on the French site.

 

In response to several enquiries - the project is hibernating for the winter - too cold and wet on site.
I will keep you updated as and when things next happen - when the workers eventualy come out of the warm :wink:
Happy New Year!

 

Next Site work date = 3 March at Halte de Bon Repos

 

The ACBR is starting to lay track at the Halte de Bon Repos.... Sleepers finally arrived on August 8th for the Metre Gauge section - to be laid in the shallow cutting in front of the shed in preparation for the arrival of the Swiss Coach later this month.

A 200M section of Pechot track (as used in WW1 trench systems) is to be laid from Bon Repos toward Caurel to accommodate the 60cm gauge stock.

ACBR has its own website: Accueil - Site de bonrepos !

 

The ACBR has its updated its own website with the latest developments: Accueil - Site de bonrepos !

 

Bringing you all up to date...

Christian Labetoul has has about 1 km of 60cm gauge track, but with long sleepers so that a 3rd rail metre gauge can be laid.
There is quite a nice collection of Railwayana at Bon Repos Halt. He has won his battle with DDR (French Departmental Roads) and WILL be laying track on the Canal Side of the D2164 (previously the N164 now bypasses the area). It will be Track shared with, Cycle Track and Footpath. Looks like he may get his hands on Guarec Station now theTourist Board has moved out.
Christian has lost most of the Volunteer workforce due to chaotic its a meter gauge, no rip it up and go 60cm - no we will go back to our first idea of mixed gauge.
Has a chap from the resurected Vivarais line managing a Polish?? workforce.
The Departement Cote D'armor has given him a lot of Euros to create a Tourist Railway.....

 

I'd missed this update. Thanks. I was over there a few weeks ago but didn't have chance to visit - the storm in March which pulled down loads of overhead power cables resulted in the EDF felling 8 - 10 of the trees on my property - a mess that I am still trying to clear up.

However, I did notice that the D2164 was closed just beyond the Garage at Goureac. I'm led to believe that this was to enable the line to cross the former N164 and also, possibly to remove the roundabout on the HGV route to Pontivy.

Although I hate Facebook, there seems to be reports of progress on there. https://www.facebook.com/chemindeferdebonrepos/

Other local news being that Laniscat, having been without any Bar for the last couple of years, the former Auberge has been transformed by Volunteers and, although they don't own it, it has become a 'Community' staffed Bar on most days of the week. We visited on the Tuesday when the mobile Pizza outlet was sited nearby. There was certainly an Ex-Pat feel to the evening - if one likes that.

The other highlight of the visit was to Valfresco in Caurel. Another excellent meal. We keep intending to go back to the Auberge in Caurel, run by Bruno and Tatiana, but always seem to run out of opportunity.

 

I was there a couple of weeks ago and, at the Goureac end, there was both a Metre and 600mm track into either end of the 'shed'. Additionally track was evident alongside Goureac Station. Going outwards from Goureac, there is dual track laid for somewhere nearing a mile + a cycle/walk way. The French don't 'do' fences.

Whilst the location of the future road crossing was not evident, there seems an obvious intention to run track into the car park for the Abbeye.

Next time I'm over there I'll try and again meet Christian and find out how things are progressing.

 

Yes Christian won his legal battle with the DIR (Directions interdépartementales des routes) over the dual carriageway (They never actually bought the trackbed of the Reseau Breton to make the dual carriageway) - now reduced to single carriageway with the other side nearest the canal being turned into a railway track plus Cycle/Foot path. There is a large earth bank to separate the roadway from the track, and as Ken says fence - what fence - nothing to segregate the lemmings from the railway. The roundabout at the Gouarec end is no more, the road from Gouarec takes a sharp bend to across the new ungated level crossing to cross the Blavet to the D5, up the hill toward Perret. The other side of the defunct roundabout forms a nasty junction for the road to Bon Repos D2164.
The Halt at Bon Repos seems to be a bit moribund at present with activities being focused at the Gouarec end. I think Christian is trying to have services operating as far as Hent Milin Liskuis where it looks as though there will be a passing loop. The big objective will be to have something running when the Tour de France passes along the road from Gouarec to Bon Repos - big FREE advertising!

 

Ken commented that he was not a fan of Facebook, so here are a few alternatives on the web = some are a bit out of date, but do present the serious amount of kit being acquired by the ACBR

 

Thanks for those links. I'll view them later.

 

As I stay locked down in Brittany, I thought that I would post a bit more info... the Tracks (Metre Gauge only) have reached the entrance to the main car park at Bon Repos. The original intention to connect up to the Halt at the old station has been left as a museum - this is due to the Conseil Departmental de Cotes d'Armor pushing to create a massive tourist site at the Abbey, and 'encouragement' has seen track laid from half way along what was the dual carriage road way, where it seems the 60cm gauge dual gauge track that looks like a grown up Hornby 00 track!! stops at a station loop for the 60cm line, to where there will be a new station for the Abbey de Bon Repos. There is an interesting Facebook video ( I know some of you hate Facebook) called Ballastage du Chemin de fer de Bon Repos showing ballasting operations (loaded at Gouarec). The works train uses a Metre Gauge Drasine and 2 ballasting wagons - they hoped to have everything done for the summer tourist season - or maybe not!

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=854587781622119

 

The Metre Gauge Brimont Latil Drasine featured in the video has now returned to the Chemin de Fer de la Baie de Saint- Brieuc site at Langueux, from where it was borrowed.
Because of the severe lock-down here in France, I have not been to Bon Repos since the beginning of March. The ballast may have been dropped in place, but the leveling and alignment still remains to be done