L'Association

Our visit to the CFC

	François au manche de La Bouillote sur la voie 1
	La Tabamar qui ient de franchir la courbe Rive de Seine, traverse Les Fiancés avant d'arriver à la station. Vincent est dans la cabine.
	La Bouillote à La Ferme est déjà en tête de sa rame et s'apprête à regagner le dépôt.  David détient le bâton pilote.
	La Tabamar, cabine en avant est en station
	la Bertha dans la rampe vers Passage de Verdure. C'est le premier train, il n'y a pas encore beaucoup de monde.
	La Tabamar qui assure le T1 vient de se remettre en tête de sa rame et attend le signal du départ pour Les Fiancés.
	Un P'tit Train s'en va dans la campagne. La Bouillote dans la rampe vers Passage de Verdure avec les wagonnets de bois

It is just over a week since I visited the Chemin de Fer des Chanteraines, situated in the Chanteraine Park Center some six kilometres from the French capital.

The railway was established nearly twenty years ago with about a six kilometre journey, six stations, a number of level crossings, an immense depot for all the railway stock made up of two buildings each of four roads, an administration block and some wonderful views. The rail and track layout throughout the park is of a high standard and is maintained by the local authority.

Our two day visit to help prepare and drive the locomotives for the September Gala was an amazing experience. Early on the Saturday morning David and I arrived at the depot with our host and friend Marc Andre Dubout, a key member of the railway association and the proud owner of a 0-4-0 Decauville. We began by helping to clean and prep his blue Decauville. In between time we also watched a few of the many shunting operations, a favourite activity of the French it would seem. Then we helped coal and finish the preparation of the green Decauville and grey and white Koppel. These are the two steam locomotives used on the regular services supported by two types of diesel. During the two day gala the association had organised to run six service trains, two steam and the rest diesel. 

Then came the call form Vincent, an active member of the group for five years and onto the footplate of the Koppel I stepped. Our train was made up of two toast racks (forty passenger capacity per coach) plus a skip full of coal, we collected our guard and we were off to Pont d’Epinay, our destination. We were given the right of way and we left the depot to join the main line. On we went passing the riding school and then into La Ferme, the station for the farm and one of the entrances to the park. Now was the moment Vincent offered me the regulator and advice on how to drive the road ahead. My first obstacles were the spiral and the incline in order to reach the level section on the bridge, which crosses the Boulevard Charles de Gaulle and then we coasted down into Georges Pompidou, here we would take on water on the return journey. Then in order to keep to time we steamed through the upper section of the park, whistling at each of the level crossings and along the long straight section to the Pont D’Epinay. As we travelled along the straight the river Seine accompanied us on our right. We hand shunted the coal skip and wedged it next to a tree and then a quick run round the train, coupling up including the air brake system and then back to the depot junction. Here we were met bt the down train pulled by the green Decauville, owned by the infamous Gaston, an experienced railwayman and personality. Vincent took us back into the depot where we exchanged passengers, coaled, watered and lubricated the locomotive, ready for the next turn.

This time we were on our way to the CFC station at the other end of the park. On leaving the depot junction, we travelled steadily up the incline to the station Passage De Verdure. On we went with the green Decauville round the top curve with magnificent views of the upper lake and the Eiffel Tower and Montmatre in the distance. We coasted along the twisting track to the Petit Lac station. At each one we met or were met by another train, exchanging tokens and setting the appropriate ooints. Finally we arrived at the terminal CFC ‘RER’ having seen on the way many water borne birds, including Pelicans. Again we had to take water and low and behold what did we find in the water regulator pit but a little frog but it wasn’t croaking or at least I didn’t hear it. 

During the two days we had footplate rides on all three steam locomotives, including Marc’s Decauville. The locomotive is virtually complete except for the cab. It was used on freight duties throughout the two days and on other running in turns. The engine had been recently restored and attracted the interest of the local visitors. The Sunday was a very busy day with a large number of families enjoying not only a train journey but the many facilities within the park. The weather was exceptional,
Over 30 C on both days, so it was imperative that the staff maintained their fluid intake. I have to say that all the association members made us welcome and were very helpful when it came to operating the stock. At the beginning and end of each day we were greeted with handshakes by most of the staff, engineman and guards alike. David and I would like to thank everyone for the way they treated us. It had been an amazing experience visiting the railway of the croaking frogs.

Next year we hope to visit the railway again celebrating its twentieth birthday and hopefully we will be accompanied by two British narrow gauge locomotives, a DeWinton vertical boiler quarry locomotive and a baby Hunslet locomotive called Alice, which also worked in the Welsh quarries.

I cannot wait for June 12th and 13th 2004 and to see our friends again.

Good steaming !!!!! 

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