Tramways de l'Aude

Discussion in 'Historic & Abandoned Railways' started by Roger Farnworth, Aug 27, 2018.

  1. Roger Farnworth

    Roger Farnworth Full Member

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    My wife and I are spending a week or so in a village to the southwest of Carcassonne in France during September 2018. A little bit of research highlighted the existence of a network of metre-gauge tramways in the Aude. These tramways were only in operation for a few decades in the early part of 20th Century. Other matters will take priority during much of the time that we are in the department but I am interested in these lines and have pulled together a blog which gives an overview of the lines and which is based around a French Wikipedia article about the lines.

    http://rogerfarnworth.com/2018/08/27/tramways-de-laude-overview-part-1


    The plan is to look at the different lines in turn in future posts.
     
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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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    This next post follows up the first overview of the Tramways with information which comes from the first of a series articles from 1961 .....

    https://rogerfarnworth.com/2018/08/31/tramways-de-laude-overview-part-2


     
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  4. Roger Farnworth

    Roger Farnworth Full Member

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    This is the third part part of the overview and covers much about the locomotives and rolling stock on the line.

    http://rogerfarnworth.com/2018/08/31/tramways-de-laude-overview-part-3


     
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  5. Roger Farnworth

    Roger Farnworth Full Member

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  6. Roger Farnworth

    Roger Farnworth Full Member

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    On 6th September 2018, my wife and I visited a series of towns and villages in the Aude before visiting the Citadel in Carcassonne. We managed to combine an interest in ecclesiastical history (Saint Dominic and the Cathars) with some visits to spectacular castles and churches and two of the tramway routes serves by the Tramways de l'Aude.

    I have been working on the post below with a view to publishing it after travelling the route, which we did today. First thing in the morning, we walked the first 3 kilometres of the tramway which left Fanjeaux heading for Bram. We then drove the route of the tramway from Fanjeaux to Saint-Denis in our little hire car.

    We went on to follow another of the tramway routes, but more of that on another occasion!

    I hope you enjoy this post.

    http://rogerfarnworth.com/2018/09/06/tramways-de-laude-fanjeaux-to-st-denis
     
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  7. Roger Farnworth

    Roger Farnworth Full Member

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    Just back now from 6 days in France. We were able to travel along parts of, or along full length s of the lines I have been looking at in this series of posts up to now. On 6the September 2018 we travelled along the line from Fanjeaux to St. Denis and then crossed over to Lastours and followed the line from Lastours to Carcassonne. On 10th September we were able to travel along part of the line from Belpech to Castelnaudary.

    This post covers the line from Lastours to Carcassonne.

    http://rogerfarnworth.com/2018/09/11/tramways-de-laude-lastours-to-carcassonne


    This line passed through areas of significant industry in the early 20th Century. Areas which are now essentially rural but which in those days were primarily wealth generating. The decline of this industries and that of the tramway seemed to go hand in hand.
     
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  8. Roger Farnworth

    Roger Farnworth Full Member

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  9. Roger Farnworth

    Roger Farnworth Full Member

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    It has been a few weeks since my last post on the Tramways de l'Aude This next section is the length from Caunes-Minervois in the Aude to Siran in Herault.

    http://rogerfarnworth.com/2018/10/09/tramways-de-laude-caunes-minervois-to-siran


    Topography in this area means that road gradients and curvature at the time of the building of the tramway were such that at times the tramway had to find its own route. There are two such significant lengths on the tramway in the first part of its journey with the Departement of Herault.
     
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  10. ianvolvo46

    ianvolvo46 Staff Member Moderator

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    interesting as always Roger used to take coaching/camping trips down to Valras Plage near Beziers years ago .. we'd do various trips out including Carcassone I reckon Disney must have got the idea for his castles from there'

    Ian vt
     
  11. Roger Farnworth

    Roger Farnworth Full Member

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  12. Mark Newton

    Mark Newton Full Member

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    G'day Roger,

    Thanks for posting your reports on these lines. I've always found minor French railways and tramways very interesting, so I've enjoyed your writings very much.

    All the best,

    Mark.
     
  13. Roger Farnworth

    Roger Farnworth Full Member

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    Thanks for your kind comments, Mark
     
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  14. Roger Farnworth

    Roger Farnworth Full Member

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    Roger Farnworth Full Member

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  16. Roger Farnworth

    Roger Farnworth Full Member

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    Roger Farnworth Full Member

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    Roger Farnworth Full Member

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  19. Roger Farnworth

    Roger Farnworth Full Member

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