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 1925, 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.

Carriages

Locomotives

Sugar-beet plants

 

Stations

 

Locomotives shed

1:43.5 scale  —  16.5 mm narrow gauge

Sugar-beet loading

Goods

Houses

LC

Bridges

Canal Boat

Garage

Engine Shed

Fiddle Yard

This layout 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.

Here are a few very recent photographs of the completed layout...

Early in the morning, at the engine shed, the 4-6-0 T #752 Baldwin crew is doing the last preparations before to go. The refueling of water and coal has been done. The day of work can begin.

It’s still early in the morning, the weather is cold. The engine is pulling the empties to the spurs where the farmers will load the sugarbeets.

 

 

The exchange can begin : 2 empties wagons vs 2 loaded… There will be many exchanges like this one during the day.

 

Farmers are waiting for an empty open wagon to load their harvests.

In Haucourt station, the #753, modified by the Vis-en-Artois workshop, is going around his train. A tramp have a glimpse to this shunting.

 

A farmer try to pull his cow of the quay. She’s afraid because of the noise of the locomotive.

The locomotive has echanged her wagons. She’s now ready to come back to the sugarbeet factory.

To be continued...

Back

Meanwhile, the n°20 diesel is pulling his train of heavy loaded wagons.

It uses the track which lead to the sugarbeet factory.

The diesel is running on the ramp behind the water tank.

 

By the same time, in the engine shed, a crew is checking another steam loco : the 0-8-0 T DFB n°4.

 

A fisherman is preparing his boat.

The #20 diesel is still awaiting the free track to come back to the sugarbeet factory with its first train.