Broken noses in Paris…

Passing through Paris by train recently gave me the opportunity to take a few photos at both Gare de Bercy and Gare du Nord and interestingly all three variants of basically the same locomotive type were seen.

The SNCF electric locomotive classes BB 7200, BB 15000 and BB 22200 are known as “Nez Cassés” (Broken noses) due to their cab styling by French industrial designer Paul Arzens who claimed the design had been inspired by the form of a “sprinter on the starting block”.

First up was class BB 7200 507246R wearing the colourful “en voyage…” livery at Gare de Bercy. 240 examples of this class were built between 1976-1985 and they are the 1500V DC member of the family. This particular locomotive is equipped for push-pull working as indicated by the “R” (Réversible) suffix to the number and was due to work a service to Dijon Ville.

SNCF Class BB 7200 507246 at Gare de Bercy, Paris, 2/8/16

On arrival at Gare du Nord class BB 15000 215016 was waiting at the buffer stops. Wearing the “Multiservices” livery, 215016 is one of a class of 65 built between 1971-1978 that collect traction current from 25kV AC catenary.

SNCF Class BB 150000 215016 at Gare du Nord, Paris, 2/8/16

Also at the buffer stops were class BB 22200 422208 (wearing the dull “Beton” (concrete grey) livery and 522274 (wearing the even duller plain grey “Ghost” livery). 205 of this class were built between 1976-1986 and they are the dual-voltage (1500V DC/25kV AC) member of the family. The 22200 class number is in fact the sum of 7200 (1500V DC locos) and 15000 (25kV AC locos).

SNCF Class BB 22200 522274 & 422208 at Gare du Nord, Paris, 2/8/16

Class BB 22200 locos can still be found at work all over France and are regularly in charge of the trains I catch between Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire and Paris. During the mid-nineties they even made it as far as the UK, handling freight trains through the Channel Tunnel before British Rail’s class 92 electric locos were available.

Postscript: While I was writing this post I passed through Paris again and managed to photograph a couple more liveries…

SNCF Class BB 150000 115003 & 115063 at Gare de l'Est, Paris, 18/9/16

At Gare de l’Est BB 15000 115003 wears the TEE-Arzens livery (pictured with “en voyage…” adorned classmate 115063) while Gare de Bercy produced uniquely-liveried (as far as I am aware) class BB 7200 507321R, carrying the Bourgogne regional livery of grey with red and yellow ends.

SNCF Class BB 7200 507321 at Gare de Bercy, Paris, 18/9/16

The wrong sort of voltage…

March 18th 2016 saw Virgin Trains East Coast unveil the first of their new Class 800 bi-mode IEP (Intercity Express Programme) units at London King's Cross Station. In the main the Class 800s will be powered by 25kV overhead electrification but they are also fitted with seven 940hp diesel engines to enable them to operate on non-electrified routes and to provide so called 'last mile' and 'get you home' power.

Whilst in France recently I photographed a couple of SNCF Class B 81500 AGC (Autorail à Grande Capacité) at Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire in Burgundy, like the Class 800s these units are bi-mode, each set being fitted with two 887hp diesel engines in addition to overhead current collection equipment. One of the units was in use on local services to Nevers and as it departed I noticed that it was obviously running on diesel power even though the line is electrified…

SNCF Class B 81500 AGC unit departs Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire with a service for Nevers, 23/3/16

The train was indeed running on diesel power, its ability to pick up power from the overhead electrification rendered useless because the line here is electrified at 25kV AC and the Class B 81500 is designed to pick up power from 1500V DC systems as used elsewhere in France…

I did think that the anti-railway elements of the British press would have a field day using 'The wrong sort of voltage' in a headline!

From the (digital) archives - The Garabit Viaduct

Following on from my last post, a short distance south from St Flour - Chaude Aigues on the ligne des Causses is the Garabit Viaduct that spans the Truyère River.

The Garabit Viaduct, 14/9/07

Constructed between 1882 and 1884 by Gustave Eiffel and opened in 1885 the viaduct was, when built, the highest in the world at 122m (400ft). With a length of 565m (1,853ft) and a principal arch of 165m (541ft) it is a very impressive sight, one that can be enjoyed from a rest stop (Aire de Repos de Garabit) alongside La Méridienne, the A75 autoroute linking Clermont-Ferrand and Béziers.

After an overnight stay in St Flour breakfast was a picnic overlooking the viaduct (in very dull weather) and we were just about to continue on our journey when a train rumbled into view with a pair of FRET-liveried SNCF class BB 67400 diesels in charge, 467467 and 467448.

SNCF class BB 67400s 467467 and 467448 head north across the Garabit Viaduct, 14/9/07

The train consisted of empty steel wagons returning to Clermont-Ferrand from the Arcelor Mittal plant at Saint-Chély-d'Apcher in the Languedoc-Roussillon Region, the loaded trains, even double-headed by two 2,367hp locos, run south in two portions due to the severe gradients on the line.

One fact that always pops up whenever the Garabit Viaduct is mentioned (and I'm not going to miss the opportunity to mention it myself) is that it was used in the 1976 film The Cassandra Crossing that starred Sophia Loren, Richard Harris and Burt Lancaster but was universally panned by critics and audiences alike.

Signalbox Safari - St. Flour - Chaudes Aigues

A signalbox from a bit further afield today…

Poste 1, La gare de St Flour - Chaude Aigues, 13/9/07

'Poste 1' is at the eastern end of La gare de St Flour - Chaude Aigues (St Flour station for those with even less of a grasp of French than I have) on the ligne des Causses that links Béziers in southern France with Neussargues in the Massif Central area.

I spent an hour in the station area on the day I took these photos back in 2007 and apart from a couple of bogie wagons carrying steel coils parked in a siding to the north of the station I saw nothing else on the rails… What I didn't realise at the time was that most of the passenger services in the area are by bus, indeed the current timetable for the line shows a service calling at the station every couple of hours but only two of them per day are trains!

La gare de St Flour - Chaude Aigues, 13/9/07

For anybody with even the slightest interest in French railways I would recommend becoming a member of The SNCF Society, their website and journals are an absolute goldmine of information about every aspect of railways in France, standard and narrow gauge, prototype and model alike.