Historic Metre-Gauge Railways in Provence - the Nice to Digne Line

Discussion in 'Miscellaneous & Oddities' started by Roger Farnworth, Apr 6, 2018.

  1. Roger Farnworth

    Roger Farnworth Full Member

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    This next post relates to a different line - the Nice to Digne metre-gauge line. This line is the only one of the metre-gauge lines near Nice toremain open. Despite a chequered history its future now seems relatively secure. This is the first post about this line. I have travelled on it a few times in recent years and will do again when we are in Nice once more. It has seen some dramatic improvements in the permanent way and rolling stock in the past 5 or so years.

    https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.co...ins-part-1-nice-chemins-de-fer-de-provence-57
     
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  2. Roger Farnworth

    Roger Farnworth Full Member

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  3. Roger Farnworth

    Roger Farnworth Full Member

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  4. Roger Farnworth

    Roger Farnworth Full Member

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  5. elimatta

    elimatta Full Member

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    This is an excellent introduction to the line, thanks so much. I loved the postcards and the share certificate.
    It's a shame that the new railway station wasn't modelled on some of the brilliant new ones in Japan, like the one in Kanazawa.
     
  6. Roger Farnworth

    Roger Farnworth Full Member

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  7. jakesdad13

    jakesdad13 Staff Member Moderator

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    Interesting looking loco CP51, I hope someone saved it for future generations to enjoy.

    Pete.
     
  8. Roger Farnworth

    Roger Farnworth Full Member

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    Hi, the loco is still in storage on the Nice to Digne line. I have seen it in a few photos recently.
     
  9. Roger Farnworth

    Roger Farnworth Full Member

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    The next length of the journey along the Nice to Digne railway line starts at La Manda and takes us to Plan du Var, where the TAM formed a junction with the Nice to Digne line. The TAM operated the line from Plan du Var to St. Martin Vesubie.

    https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/07/08/nice-to-digne-les-bains-part-3-la-manda-to-plan-du-var-chemins-de-fer-de-provence-63


     
  10. Roger Farnworth

    Roger Farnworth Full Member

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    In the last post we noted that there was a short-lived tramway which left the Nice to Digne line at Plan du Var. It travelled up the Valley of the River Vesubie as far as St. Martin Vesubie.

    https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/07/10/tam-tramway-from-plan-du-var-to-st-martin-vesubie-revisited-chemins-de-fer-de-provence-64


     
  11. Roger Farnworth

    Roger Farnworth Full Member

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    This is the next stage of the journey up the Valley of the River Var on the Nice to Digne metre-gauge railway:

    https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/07/12/nice-to-digne-les-bains-part-4-plan-du-var-to-la-mescla-chemins-de-fer-de-provence-65


     
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  12. Roger Farnworth

    Roger Farnworth Full Member

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    This post covers another short-lived tramway which provided a service up the valley of l'Esteron from Pont Charles Albert over the River Var to Roquesteron, a distance of more than 20 kilometres.

    https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/07/16/tam-tramway-in-the-valley-of-the-river-esteron-revisited-chemins-de-fer-de-provence-66


     
  13. Roger Farnworth

    Roger Farnworth Full Member

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    Another of the branch tramways left the Nice to Digne line close to La Mescla Station and travelled up the valley of La Tinee.

    https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/07/18/tam-tramway-from-la-mescla-to-saint-sauveur-sur-tinee-revisited-chemins-de-fer-de-provence-67




    The available imagery from the time of the tramway is limited in extent and is supplemented by images from later dates.
     
  14. Roger Farnworth

    Roger Farnworth Full Member

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    The next length of the line from Nice to Digne takes us from La Mescla to Le Pont de Gueydan. It is at Le Pont de Gueydan that the line leaves the banks of the River Var and follows one of its tributaries.

    https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/07/21/nice-to-digne-les-bains-part-5-la-mescla-to-le-pont-de-gueydan-chemins-de-fer-de-provence-68


    Although I have travelled on this line a number of times, I have only once travelled beyond Entrevaux and that was in 2001. So looking at the line in 2018, I am almost in virgin territory by the end of this post!
     
  15. Roger Farnworth

    Roger Farnworth Full Member

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    New territory for me. The now removed TAM tramway from Pont de Gueydan to Guillaumes up Les Gorges de Daluis .....

    https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/07/25/tam-tramway-from-le-pont-de-gueydan-to-guillaumes-chemins-de-fer-de-provence-69


    One of the bridges on this route has the distinction of being one of the earliest reinforced concrete arch structures in France.
     
  16. Roger Farnworth

    Roger Farnworth Full Member

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    After a detour up the tramway to Guillaumes we continue on our way towards Digne and travel as far as Annot.

    https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/07/27/nice-to-digne-les-bains-part-6-saint-benoit-pont-de-gueydan-to-annot-chemins-de-fer-de-provence-70


    The line has left the River Var behind and now wends its way along a number of different watercourses.
     
  17. Roger Farnworth

    Roger Farnworth Full Member

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    https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/08/04/nice-to-digne-les-bains-part-7-annot-to-meailles-chemins-de-fer-de-provence-71


    We are close to the highest point on the route by the time we complete this section of the journey. Soon, after a long tunnel we will be on a downward ruling grade.
     
  18. Roger Farnworth

    Roger Farnworth Full Member

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    This is an aside from the string of posts about the Nice to Digne Line. The valley of the River Var has been prone to flooding over many years. A friend mentioned landslips which occurred at Annot in 1994 and 1996 as a result of heavy rains. The 1994 incident was part of a much wider catastrophic event affecting the whole River Var catchment area. The link below provides some details of the 1994 floods:

    https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.co...-and-landslides-chemins-de-fer-de-provence-72

    The volumes of water involved in the 1994 floods were unbelieveable!
     
  19. Roger Farnworth

    Roger Farnworth Full Member

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    The next stage of our journey takes us out of the catchment of the River Var and into the Valley of the River Verdon. ....

    https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/08/10/nice-to-digne-les-bains-part-8-meailles-to-thorame-haute-chemins-de-fer-de-provence-73


    The centre piece of this section of the line is the 3.5 kilometre long tunnel which links the valleys of the Verdon and the Vaire together - the Tunnel de la Colle Saint Michel.

     
  20. Roger Farnworth

    Roger Farnworth Full Member

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    Its been highlighted to me that in my last post in this series I did not provide details of Thorame-Haute Viaduct. In that post, I provided rail-level images and then rushed on to the site of Thorame-Haute Station. This short blog is an attempt to rectify that mistake! I guess you could also see it as a bonus for patiently bearing with me as I meander along the line between Nice and Digne-les-Bains!

    https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/08/13/nice-to-digne-les-bains-part-10-thorame-haute-viaduct-chemins-de-fer-de-provence-74
     

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