France 1

SNCF 0-6-0 no. 030 C 663 at dépôt Morlaix on 13/3/60.

SNCF 'USA' 0-6-0T, a locomotive class well know to British enthusiasts, no. 030 TU 4 shunting at Chaumont on 13/9/66. For the benefit of British viewers, the legend "SOYEZ VIGILANT" means "be careful" but the reason for it isn't evident. A French correspondent tells me that the sort of message that's painted on the tank side wasn't uncommon during the era when this picture was taken as accidents were 'uncommonly common'. Those are my words by the way and are an interpretation of what the correspondent actually wrote. No. 4 was a Vulcan Foundry product built in 1943 with works no. 4484 and was originally numbered 4322 within the WD/USATC scheme of things. [Gerald T. Robinson / Mike Morant collection]

SNCF ex-Prussian 'G8' 0-8-0 no. 040. D.549 at dépôt Calais on 14/5/67. I've not included this shot in the railtour galley because the engine, although used later in the day, is yet to take part in the LCGB sponsored Calais - Lille Rail Tour but would later meet the rolling stock for the final leg from St Omer - Calais Ville - Calais Maritime.

SNCF 0-8-0T no. 040 TA 69 at dépôt Le Mans on 11/4/68. The coupling rods have been removed and so this was, perhaps, the end of this engine's working life.

SNCF 0-8-0 no. 040 TX 16 at Montluçon on 12/4/68.

SNCF 0-10-0T no. 050 TE 523 shunting empty stock at Boulogne on 15/9/68.

SNCF 0-10-0T no. 050 TQ 5 'hump shunting' at Laon on 13/9/66.

SNCF 0-10-0T no. 050 TQ 26 at the head of a lengthy goods train at Laon on 14/9/66.

SNCF 2-6-0 no. 130 B 476, from the Est Region of France photographed at Oyrières was on the Chalindrey-Gray line on either 10th or 17th October 1970 whilst in charge of a special train for a British railfans group. Some rolling stock data comes from Jean-Daniel Muller: "The two first steel bodied four-wheelers are of German origin. -- First one, with tapered roof over platforms: ultralight design DRG Ci-33for secondary lines (tare 14,5t), 5 1/2 open compartments (2+3 seating) + 1 toilet at one end (6 windows), built between December 1933 and December 1934. -- Second one: one of the famous and numerous "Donnerbüchsen" (nicknamed "Far-West" in France because of open platforms) DRG Ci-28, 29 or 30, six open compartments, toilet in middle (7 windows) All the others (except the last with an open door), behind, are 6 wheelers rebuilt with steel bodies and pneumatic folding central doors from old PLM carriages. The second last one with open door is necessarily a four-wheeler DRG Bi-29 with closed vestibules). The last one cannot be easily identified." [Mike Morant collection]

SNCF 2-6-0 no. 130 B 709, from the Est Region of France. There's neither a supplied date nor a location for this negative but a viewer has kindly supplied this invaluable background data: this photo was taken at CFTA dépôt Gray in the first half of the 1960s during which nos. 130 B 709 and 462 were allocated there. These locos, made available to the CFTA, were administratively allocated to the SNCF Chalindrey depot. "Cette photo a été prise au dépôt CFTA de Gray, dans la première moitié des années 1960, au cours de laquelle les locomotives 130B709 et 130B462 figurant sur la prise de vue y ont séjourné en commun. Ces machines, mises à disposition de la CFTA (société générale de Chemins de Fer et Transports Automobiles), étaient administrativement rattachées au dépôt SNCF de Chalindrey." [Mike Morant collection]

SNCF 2-6-2T no. 131 TB 9 at Artonges on 19/10/69.

SNCF 2-6-2T no. 131 TB 9 at Condé-en-Brie on 18/10/69.

Looking somewhat careworn, SNCF 2-8-0 no. 140 C 17 at dépôt Chaumont on 13/9/66.

Bautifully spruced up SNCF 2-8-0 no. 140 C 20 in steam at dépôt Chaumont on 13/9/66.

SNCF 2-8-0 no. 140 C 245 stands forlonly at the head of a line of withdrawn engines at dépôt Mezidon on 11/4/68.

SNCF 2-8-0 no. 140 C 285 on passenger train duty passes the photographer near Hausbergen on 12/6/67.

SNCF 2-8-2 no. 141 C 40 at dépôt Mezidon on 12/9/66.

SNCF two cylinder simple 2-8-2 no. 141 C 170, a design dating from the period 1921 thru' 1923, from the Ouest Region of France. This class was copied from a P.O. (Paris Orléans) prototype. 250 were built for the Etat as 141 B with only 1,660 hp indicated power but were subsequently reclassified as 141 C after slightly raising the boiler pressure. 250 were built. They were used often for regional passenger trains on hilly lines. The last one has been withdrawn 1970. There's no supplied date for this slide but a viewer informs me that the location is probably dépôt Le Havre. N.B. This slide was sold to me as an original via Ebay but I now have reason to believe that it's actually a very good copy. It's so good, in fact, that it had me fooled which takes some doing. However, it's still possible that it is the original unless the owner of that comes forward.

SNCF 2-8-2 no. 141 E 624 at Montluçon on 12/4/68.

SNCF 2-8-2 no. 141 F 282 being on the turntable at dépôt Montluçon on 12/4/68.

SNCF 2-8-2 no. 141 P 131 at dépôt Chaumont on 12/9/66.

This smoke laden and atmospheric scene depicts three SNCF 141P class 2-8-2 mikados at dépôt Argentan which, back in my Fotopic era, Thierry Mazoyer described as the six road shed in the Orne department near Caen in Normandie.

SNCF 2-8-2 no. 141 R 60 slows for the end of the journey at Gare de Boulogne-Maritime on 16/9/66. [Gerald T. Robinson / Mike Morant collection]

SNCF 2-8-2 no. 141 R 183 runs light past the cameraman at Nevers on 7/9/68.