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To permit me to use my scratchbuilt stock, I built this narrow gauge layout in 1:43.5 scale.
History :
The origin of this system dates from World War I : both allied and enemy forces built light railway systems based on the 60 cm gauge. After the conflict the ’’Ministère des Régions Libérées’’ (MRL) was in charge of managing all the track and rolling stock using it to help with reconstruction.
In 1923, a part of this system was bought by an industrial company, the ’’Société des Chemins de fer à voie de Soixante’’ (60 cm gauge company), to transport sugarbeet from around the countryside to the sugar plants. This system was nearly 65 miles in length located batween the towns of Arras (Pas-de-Calais) and Cambrai (Nord).
In 1953 the Vis-en-Artois workshops decided to modernize the motive power roster by fitting three 460T War Department (Baldwin) steam locomotives with diesel engines and a gearboxes. The bodies and new footplates were steel. These three diesels supplanted all the previously used steam engines. |
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Carriages |
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Locomotives |
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1:43.5 scale — 16.5 mm narrow gauge |
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Sugar-beet loading |
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Goods |
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Houses |
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LC |
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Bridges |
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Canal Boat |
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Garage |
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Engine Shed |
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Fiddle Yard |
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This layout has begun to look dated. It was publicly shown for the first time in 1997 at "FLANDRAIL" - the exhibition of the Coudekerque-Branche club. For its next appearance at Châtellerault in September I have decided to renovate it with new scenery and backdrop. The scene is now set at the end of September 1959: the school term will begin in a few days and the sugar-beet harvest has begun.
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