Metre-Gauge Railways in Provence
 

There was a very extensive network of secondary lines in France of which many were of metre-gauge. The line from Nice to Meyrargues was one of these. The route was over 200kilometres in length and left the Nice to Digne Line at La Manda near Colomars. The link below takes you to the first of my blog posts on this line:

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com...ral-var-part-1

Interesting stuff Roger, you have put a lot of work into that.

Hi Hereward

I have recently completed a full survey of the line. Here is the second blog post in the series:

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com...de-provence-14

The Chemins de Fer du Sud de la France made connections with a number of tramways operated by TAM. The first of these was a tramway between Cagnes-sur-Mer and Vence. This next post covers that metre-gauge tramway.

There were a significant number of electric tramways in the area around Nice which connected either to the Chemins de Fer du Sud or linked towns on the coast with those further inland. This tramway did both. It operated from around 1911 until around 1932.

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com...de-provence-17

One further step along the journey from Nice to Meyrargues. Staring in the town of Vence and travelling towards the perfume capital of Grasse.

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com...de-provence-18

The next step on the journey from La Manda/Nice to Meyrargues along the Central Var line takes us from the emblematic Pont du Loup to Grasse.

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com...de-provence-19

Grasse was at one stage full of different rail transport. Two TAM tramways, one from Cagnes-sur-Mer and one from Cannes approached the town from the south. A PLM branchline also linked Grasse to Cannes. There was a funicular railway linking the PLM (SNCF) railway station to the town centre, and there was the Chemins de Fer du Sud de la France Central Var line crossing the town on its way between Nice and Meyrargues.

This next post covers the first part of the story of the TAM tramway between Cagnes-sur-Mer and Grasse:

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com...de-provence-20

The second half of my blog on the TAM tramway between Grasse and Cagnes-sur-Mer:

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com...de-provence-21

This next post covers the TAM tramway from Cannes to Grasse.

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com...de-provence-22

There was a funicular railway in Grasse which took people to and from the PLM (SNCF) railway station and the town centre.

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com...de-provence-23

This next post might be considered a little off-topic. If that seems to be the case, please accept my apologies. I have included it because it completes the story of the various lines that intersected the Central Var metre-gauge line. Just like in the short post about the funicular there are videos to be watched ...... This is about the PLM branch-line between Cannes and Grasse.

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com...de-provence-24

Roger, why are the photographs stamped on the wrong side, if they are postcards, or is it a tax?

Hi Hereward

I am not sure about the reason why. The various French postcards I have photos of, if used, are invariably stamped on the picture side rather than the side we are used to. I have looked at quite a few different postcard selling sites in doing my research and this seems to be standard practice.

Best wishes

Roger

The next length of the Central Var line runs from Grasse to Peymeinade:

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com...de-provence-25

The next length of the line runs from Peymeinade to Tanneron. After the invasion in 1944 and the destruction which surrounded it, Tanneron became the eastern terminus of the line until closure in 1950:

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com...de-provence-26

We travel on from Tanneron to Seillans ........

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com...de-provence-27

Thanks Roger

And from Seillans to Claviers:

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com...de-provence-28

Claviers to Figanieres

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com...de-provence-29

Figanieres to Draguignan. Darguignan became the defacto centre of the Central Var line and is approximately half way along its length between La Manda and Meyrargues.

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com...de-provence-30

Draguignan to Lorgues

Draguignan became the defacto headquarters of the Chemin de Fer du Sud. It was the most significant town on the route from Nice to Meyrargues.

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com...de-provence-31

Lorgues to Sillans-la-Cascade

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com...de-provence-32

Sillans-la-Cascade to Barjols

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com...de-provence-33

The length of the Central Var line from Barjols to Rians:

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com...de-provence-34

This is the final length of the Central Var meter-gauge railway line in Provence

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com...de-provence-35

In due course, I will publish a blog post on the locomotives and rolling stock on the line.

In November each year, my wife Jo and I visit Provence. We have been doing so regularly since 2001. We have travelled on the Nice to Digne line on a number of occasions and increasingly also become aware of the remnants of a number of different tramways. The three blog posts below were written at about the time when we were beginning to become aware of the extent of the network of these lines.

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com...er-de-province

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com...-de-provence-2

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com...er-de-provence

This post is the first in a series which focusses on the Coastal Line between Toulon and Saint-Raphael, another metre-gauge line. It was know locally as Le Macaron.

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com...de-provence-36

The second post in a series about the line from Toulon to Saint-Raphael:

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com...de-provence-37

This is the next post in a series about the Chemins de Fer du Sud de la France's Coastal line between Toulon and Saint-Raphael. This post focusses on the PLM line which both competed for passenger traffic with Le Macaron between Toulon and Hyeres but also provided an essential link into the national network through the exchange sidings at Hyeres.

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com...de-provence-39

This post covers another competitor for passenger services from Hyeres to Toulon - the Toulon Tram System which also had a track-gauge of one metre:

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com...de-provence-38

I have updated the blog about the length of the Central Var Line between Pont de Loup and Grasse to include the full text of the blog rather than a downloadable file. if this has been a handicap to you accessing the text and pictures, please review the blog post:

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com...de-provence-19

The next post in the series about Le Macaron ......

This post focusses on a number of branch-lines which extended either side of the main-line from La Londe-les-Maures and provided access to mining concerns and to a torpedo factory.

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com...de-provence-42

This post provides the introduction to the mainline of Le Macaron. It starts at the terminus in Toulon and covers the length to Hyeres.

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com...de-provence-39

And this next post covers the length of the line from Hyeres via La Londe to Bormes-les-Mimosas

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com...de-provence-41

And this next post covers the Coastal line, Le Macaron, between Bormes-les-Mimosas and Cavalaire:

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com...de-provence-41

The journey along Le Macaron continues. This time it is the length from Cavalaire-sur-Mer to La Foux les Pins. ...

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com...de-provence-44

At La Foux, two branch-lines left the mainline of Le Macaron, the first of these headed for St. Tropez:

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com...de-provence-45

The second of the two branch-lines leaving Le Macaron at La Foux travels inland a short distance to Cogolin. It was always intended that this branch should be extended beyond Cogolin but this extension was never built:

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com...de-provence-46

The next instalment of the journey along Le Macaron, from La Foux to Sainte-Maxime

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com...de-provence-47

And now the last length of Le Macaron. The distance from Sainte-Maxime to Saint-Raphael.

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com...de-provence-48

There will be one further post in this particular series which will cover the locomotives and rolling stock on the line.