Vivarais '68.

Evening All,

If anyone is interested to have a look, I have recently added some pictures of
the Réseau du Vivarais taken in pre-preservation days to my Fotopic site. They
are in the 'Stop Press!' collection for new pictures at the moment, and here's
the link :

http://ronfisher.fotopic.net/c1099919.html

In due course, however, I shall transfer them to the Vivarais collection. They
will then be here :

http://ronfisher.fotopic.net/c1446973.html

Hope that they are of interest. Here's one as a sample :



Clicking on the picture will enlarge it and take you to the others.

 

Is anybody able to post recent information re any possible progress towards reopening? - or is this a lost cause?

 

Hopefully, 2011.

Ron.

 

http://trainduvivarais.org Link to Society with English language option. Not much news but does have pictures of movements on the line since cessation of passenger services, good to see.

For local news I google "mastrou 2010" or 2011 to find recent posts, or articles in the Dauphin Libere and use babelfish to translate (approximately!) . Includes feedback from locals.
Final part of the official winding up of the operating company very recent, after which another prospective operator can be considered. Lamastre town really missing the tourist income, and elsewhere of course.
Will the respective tiers of local and regional government be able to provide funding to permit restart? SNCF may extend permission to use dual gauge section to 2015 not for ever.

 

If they lose the dual gauge section they lose access to Tournon station and engine shed etc. - I know that an 'edge of town' station was suggested as a replacement but this would be a right pain to get to... they really do need access to Tournon, but with (IIRC) a couple of tunnels involved it's going to be nigh on impossible to build an alternative route. Tricky.

Such a shame, it's one of the best steam journeys in the world, it really deserves better. Someone should give the whole route world heritage status.

Is there still a barn full of vintage trams at Lamastre?

 

Comprehensively illustrated blog of visit during 2007 when the line was still operating, http://bb4100-on-net.blogspot.com/ page down to find the blog, Orient Express pix follows too!

Ron 45669, excellent photos you have there, many thanks for sharing.

pmh_74 I agree with all of your post. Don't know about trams at Lamastre though, where were they from? Didn't think lamastre large enough to have had a tram system.

Here are links to two most recent information sources I have found, well worth a read. Use Google translate , much better translation than Babelfish.
http://www.lamastre.net/2009/11/12/le-mastrou/
http://www.ledauphine.com/index.jspz?article=226216
http://www.hebdo-ardeche.fr/?s=mastrou&s_sbumit=OK

The hebdo-ardeche link is CURRENT this week and, although very long, is well worth translating, cut and paste, with google translate, about the local government and Vivarais.

There is a good response to the Lamastre article talking about the world heritage option, referring to keeping the original light rail track weight. This is what led
to the Mallets being used in the first place as the conventional heavier locos could not run on the light track used by the original railways that
later combined to make the Vivarais system.

It occurs to me that if the mixed gauge section is to be lost, and presumably the existing station workshops and sidings at Tournon, there is insufficient room to replace all these facilities at St Jean de Muzols, where available land is at flood risk. There is room to make more use of Lamastre for sidings and a new workshop, building only a simple station, run round and storage for service loco and a diesel loco, railcar and maybe a service train shed at St J de M, with some kind of bus / minibus link between Tain Hermitage station (on the opposite bank of the river) and Tournon.

The old loco works may still be standing at Le Chaylard, the former heart of the network above Lamastre - albeit in alternative use- but as keeping the railway at all remains in the balance, let alone extending the existing line, dream must defer to practicality. 2011 reopening is not confirmed, merely not before 2011. Expensive loco repairs are still required and who will fund them and how long will that take? A non-vivarais owned loco has already left the line, I can't see 2011 reopening service levels as they were before. Fingers crossed for the railway's future.

Theft of railway equipment reported in Dauphin Libere very recently.

ARDECHE / MASTROU
Ten tons of scrap metal stolen
by The Editors of DL | on 25/02/10 at 12:50 PM
5 votes | 2138 views | 0 comments

The track, stations and Annexes Mastrou linking to Tournon Lamastre are deserted since the cessation of steam train.
This has not escaped some people who have broken into the premises of the station of Saint-Barthélemy-le-Plain.
Twice, in broad daylight, 15 and February 16, individuals, after forcing a door and smashed windows, stole about 10 tons of iron rails, screws, etc.. The authors were well equipped and do not come at random because, for portability, the rails were cut with a blowtorch. Members of the community brigades Satillieu / Saint-Félicien investigating.

Released in the E27's edition 25/02/2010 (2.2149239531)

 

It's over 10 years since I was there. From memory the barn is to the right of the line as the train arrives at Lamastre, and is behind lots of barbed wire. IIRC the trams were from elsewhere and were for an aborted scheme to run vintage trams over the section beyond Lamastre. I don't think the scheme ever went much further than accumulating a barn full of poorly vehicles. My recollection is that the track disappeared off into the weeds beyond Lamastre, though I didn't follow it to see how far it went.

Isn't there also another (smaller) preservation group elsewhere on the system? How are they doing?

Phil

 

There is, or was, an annual race up the trackbed to Le Chaylard from Lamastre. If you follow the old route there is a footpath, a formerly narrow road has been widened to use the space vacated by the railway as it climbs beside the river and out to open country via a large steel bridge and away toward Cheylard.

The other line went through the doldrums and emerged with local community ownership and support relaid between Dunieres and St Agreve with a limited and mixed collection of rolling stock including the only preserved Vivarais double railcar. It is still operating going from strength to strength I hope.

http://www.asso-vfv.net/assoc.htm

The sidebar accesses all the information you need to tell you about the society, the line and timetables/fares.

You tube videos : search "train touristique velay" to find many shots of the line operating.


Link : http://www.asso-vfv.net/assoc.htm