Les Train Des Mouettes, Charente Maritime, France

A rare trip to see some French steam action brought Totally-transport.co.uk to the 21KM 'train of the gulls' in the Charente Maritime department on 1st August 2011 to ride behind the oldest operational standard gauge steam locomotive in France. The experience was something quite different to your average preserved line in the UK, as you shall see if you care to read the report. For someone that has never really visited any preserved lines outside of the UK this was a most interesting experience, complete with a 'guided tour' over a PA system in French and occasionally English too. Is this sort of thing 'normal' on continental preserved lines?
Anyway, if you haven't heard of this line before, or even if you have, you may want to take a look at the following links:
Report: http://totally-transport.co.uk/lestraindesmouettes.aspx
Video (available in HD): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHgMRf8egLU
Photos: https://picasaweb.google.com/115609395788457768316/LesTrainDesMouettes10711#
Offical website English translation: http://www.traindesmouettes.fr/en/
What with there being just two round trips a day, and having taken the first train of the day from Saujon at 10AM which returned at shortly before 1PM and the next departure
a) was bunker first and..
b) not until 3:15PM
it was decided not worthwhile to hang around and get any lineside shots.
Hope you enjoy these humble offerings which should provide a flavour of the line. As always any feedback, positive or negative is most welcome! Au revior for now!