Tramway de Pithiviers à Toury

The Tramway de Pithiviers à Toury (TPT) was a RailGauge|600 gauge railway in the Loiret department of France. The system had a total extent of convert|80|km|micite web | url = http://www.railwayandmodelrailway.info/railway/history/francengrailway.htm| publisher = Daniel McIntyre| title = France Narrow Gauge Line Histories| accessdate = 2008-03-26 ]

History

Pithiviers and Toury are convert|31|km|mi apart, and sugar beet is a major agricultural product in the area. The Chemin de Fer de Paris à Orléans passed through Toury. It was realised that a light railway system to link Pithiviers and the surrounding villages to Toury would be beneficial. The system used by Decauville was thought to provide the answer and a 15 year concession was agreed with the Société Decauville to build and operate the system.cite book | first = John| last = Organ| year = 2002| title = Northern France Narrow Gauge| publisher = Middleton Press| location = Midhurst| id = ISBN 1 901706 75 3]

There were sugar refineries at Pithiviers and Toury, and the line connected these. The route of the railway generally followed local roads. The line opened on 25 July 1892. The failure of the Société Decauville meant that operation of the TPT was taken over by the department on 1 January 1899 and thence to the "Ponts et Chaussees" on 29 March 1901.

Traffic grew steadily until the Second World War. A railcar was introduced in 1922, and another followed in 1926, followed by two more acquired second-hand from the Chemins de Fer du Calvados in 1937. After the war, traffic declined due to better roads in the area and increase in private vehicle ownership. The passenger service was withdrawn in 1951 but freight ran until 31 December 1964, with a final enthusiasts special running on 22 May 1965. However, this was not to be the end of the TPT.

Preservation

The "Association du Musée des Transports de Pithiviers" (AMTP) was formed to preserved at least part of the line. It was agreed that Pithiviers would be suitable as there was a depot and workshops there. The 3.5 kilometres (2 miles 16 chains) of roadside line to Ormes was saved, with an extension of convert|0.5|km|chain to Bellébat being built to take the terminus away from the busy road. The preserved line reopened on 23 April 1966.

Rolling stock

The TPT operated the following rolling stock.

team locomotives

The TPT had a unique numbering system for its locomotives. The first figure denoted the number of driven axles, and the second figure denoted the individual locomotive number within that classification.
*2-1 Decauville 0-4-2T
*22-1 Orenstein & Koppel 0-4-4-0T Mallet.
*22-2 Decauville 0-4-4-0T Mallet, works number 110/1891, ex Chemins de Fer du Calvados #7 "Grandcamp", acquired second-hand in 1929.
*22-3 Decauville 0-4-4-0T Mallet.
*22-4Decauville 0-4-4-0T Mallet.
*22-5 Orenstein & Koppel 0-4-4-0T Mallet. Works number 1769/1905. To Chemin de Fer Touristique et du Montagne. Now preserved at Chemin de Fer Touristique du Haut Rhône, Montalieu, near Lyon.cite web | url = http://www.werkbahn.de/eisenbahn/lokbau/museum/pres_ok-dampf.htm| publisher = Jens Merte| title = Erhaltene O&K-Dampflokomotiven| accessdate = 2008-03-26|language=German ]
*22-6 Orenstein & Koppel 0-4-4-0T Mallet.
*22-7 Orenstein & Koppel 0-4-4-0T Mallet.
*3-1 Decauville 0-6-0T built 1901.
*3-2 Decauville 0-6-0T built 1901.
*3-3 Decauville 0-6-0T built 1901.
*3-5 Blanc-Misseron 0-6-0T built 1902.
*3-6 Hunslet 4-6-0T works number 1274/1917, ex War Department (WD) No.362 acquired in 1927, numbered 3-6 in 1930. Renumbered 3-11 in 1934.
*3-10 Hunslet 4-6-0T works number 1238/1916, ex War Department WD no 328 and "Société de Pithiviers le Vieil". To TPT in 1933 and then "râperie de Lécluse" in 1947 and Société Anonyme des Chemins de Fer à Voie de 60 du Pas de Calais, Vis-en-Artois in 1945, scrapped 1958.cite web | url = http://hughesi.460.users.btopenworld.com/shortcopy.html| publisher = I Hughes| title = The Hunslet "War Office" Type Locos| accessdate = 2008-03-26 ]
*3-11 Hunslet 4-6-0T, ex no. 3-6 renumbered. Scrapped at Pithiviers in 1957.
*3-14 Decauville 0-6-0T acquired second hand in 1925.
*3-20 ALCO 2-6-2T, preserved on the Cappy-Froissy-Dompierre railway.
*3-21 ALCO 2-6-2T
*3-22 ALCO 2-6-2T, preserved by AMTP.
*3-23 ALCO 2-6-2T, works number 57156/1916. Preserved on the Ffestiniog Railway as "Mountaineer".
*33-1 Decauville 0-6-6-0TT Mallet built 1916 and acquired in 1923.
*4-1 0-8-0
*4-2 0-8-0
*4-3 0-8-0
*4-4 0-8-0
*4-5 Henschel 0-8-0
*4-10 Franco-Belge 0-8-0, converted to 0-8-0T by TPT.
*4-11 Franco-Belge 0-8-0, converted to 0-8-0T by TPT.
*4-12 Franco-Belge 0-8-0, converted to 0-8-0T by TPT. Preserved by AMTP
*4-13 Franco-Belge 0-8-0, converted to 0-8-0T by TPT.
*4-14 La Meuse 0-8-0, ex Sucrerie Ternynck, Coucy-le-Château, spares source. Now preserved on the Froissy Dompierre Light Railway.
*4-15 La Meuse 0-8-0, ex Sucrerie Ternynck, Coucy-le-Château, spares source.
*5-1 Borsig 0-10-0T.
*5-2 Schwartzkopff 0-10-0T.
*5-3 Orenstein & Koppel 0-10-0T works number 8285/1917, ex sucrerie Pithiviers le Vieil, preserved on the Cappy-Froissy-Dompierre railway.

Other early locomotives include these Decauville designed 0-4-2Ts and 0-6-2Ts:-

*"Outarville', 0-4-2T built by Weidknech, works number 574/1892, later renamed "Lutece". cite journal | last = Davies| first = W J K| authorlink = | coauthors = | year = 2008| month = February| title = Standard Decauville Stock| journal = Continental Modeller| volume = Volume 30| issue = Number 2| pages = p88 - 91| id = ISSN 0955 1298]
*"Bazoches, 0-4-2T built by Decauville, works number 176/1893.
*"Outarville", 0-4-2T built by Decauville, works number 189/1893.
*"Torville", 0-6-2T built by Decauville, works number 393/1903.
*"Izy", 0-6-2T built by Decauville, works number 476/1907.

Railcars

The TPT had four railcars.

*Crochat petrol-electric railcar, built 1922. Preserved by AMTP
*Franco-Belge petrol-mechanical railcar, built 1927.
*Decauville bogie railcar built 1936, transferred from the Chemins de Fer du Calvados in 1944.
* Decauville bogie railcar built 1936, transferred from the Chemins de Fer du Calvados in 1944.

Passenger stock

Six Decauville type IS bogie coaches were supplied when the line opened. Five were rebuilt between 1931 and 1939 and carried numbers V1-V5. A sixth was built in 1942 to a similar design and numbered V6. This carriage is now preserved by AMTP. Three "fourgons" were also used.

Freight stock

The TPT had a large amount of freight stock, mostly open wagons but also some covered vans and cattle wagons. Decauville supplied the initial stock, but later the workshops at Pithiviers produced wagins for the system.

AMTP rolling stock

The AMTP operates, or has operated the following stock:-

60cm gauge

*3-5, 3-22 and 4-12 ex TPT, as above.
* Decauville "Type Progrès" 0-6-0T, ex Toury sugar refinery.
* Couillet 0-6-0T built 1910, ex Maizy sugar refinery, later transferred to the Chemin de Fer Touristique du Tarn.
* Schneider 0-4-0T built 1870.
* Decauville 0-4-0T built 1905.
* Decauville 0-4-0T built 1919.
* La Meuse 2-6-0T built 1938, ex Maizy sugar refinery.
* Decauville "Type Royan" 0-6-2T, built 1902.
* Henschel 0-8-0T built 1917.
* Hartmann 0-8-0T built 1918.
* Crochat railcar ex TPT, as above.

Metre gauge

* Cail 2-6-0T built 1895, ex Chemins de Fer des Charentes.

External links

* [http://assoc.pagespro-orange.fr/amtp45/welcome.html AMTP Website]

References