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 200 kilometres 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/2017/11/20/ligne-de-central-var-part-1

 

The second post in a series about the Central Var line in Provence:

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2017/11/23/ligne-de-central-var-part-2-chemins-de-fer-de-provence-14

 

Here is the third one .........

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2017/11/25/tramway-between-vence-and-cagne-sur-mer-chemins-de-fer-de-provence-17

This tramway links in with the Central Var at Vence.

 

The next length of the Central Var Line takes us from Vence to Le Pont de Loup, the iconic viaduct which for many people defines the line:

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2017/11/27/ligne-de-central-var-part-3-chemins-de-fer-de-provence-18

 

This fourth post covers the length of the Central Var line from Le Pont de Loup to Grasse.

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2017/11/28/ligne-de-central-var-part-4-chemin-de-fer-de-provence-19

 

A number of different railways met at Grasse.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://rogerfarnwor...-de-provence-20

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

https://rogerfarnwor...-de-provence-21

 

There was also a Tramway between Grasse and Cannes. This next post covers that line ....

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2017/11/29/tramway-between-grasse-and-cannes-chemin-de-fer-de-provence-22

 

Grasse also enjoyed a funicular railway lining the town centre with the PLM railway station. This post provides details of the funicular and also of plans which have been made but not yet implemented(if they ever will be) for a new funicular. .....

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2017/11/30/funicular-railway-in-grasse-chemin-de-fer-de-provence-23

 

The next post in the series about the Central Var line in Provence. The post covers the PLM branch line between Cannes and Grasse.

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2017/12/01/the-grasse-to-cannes-standard-gauge-line-chemin-de-fer-de-provence-24

 

It might be that I am posting in the wrong place. These lines in Southern France are narrow-gauge. But it may be that members of this forum would prefer me to use the international area on the forum? I've chosen this area for the thread because I assumed that since these lines are closed, they do not qualify as international heritage lines. I'd appreciate guidance.

I hope you find these posts interesting. You'll see from them that I have developed quite an interest in these metre-gauge lines in Provence.

 

The Central Var line of Les Chemins de Fer du Sud de La France continues to engage our focus. This length runs from the station in Grasse to Peymeinade:

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2017/12/01/ligne-de-central-var-part-5-chemin-de-fer-de-provence-25

 

This next length of the Central Var line runs from Peymeinade to Tanneron. After the invasion by allied forces in 1944 and the destruction by retreating German forces of a number of Viaducts, Tanneron became the eastern terminus of the Central Var line and renmained so until full closure of the line early in 1950.

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2017/12/03/ligne-de-central-var-part-6-chemin-de-fer-de-provence-26

 

The next length of the line starts at Tanneron and finishes at Seillans:

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2017/12/03/ligne-de-central-var-part-7-chemin-de-fer-de-provence-27

 

The journey continues from Seillans to Claviers. One of the most enjoyable things about parts of the route of the Ligne de Central Var is that it is possible to follow them in a car. We did this over as much of the length of the route as we could in November 2017.

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.co...ntral-var-part-8-chemin-de-fer-de-provence-28

 

The journey along the Central Var metre-gauge line continues from Claviers to Figanieres.

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2017/12/06/ligne-de-central-var-part-9-chemin-de-fer-de-provence-29

 

In this next post we reach Draguignan which very quickly became the premier town on the Nice to Meyrargues line.

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2017/12/06/ligne-de-central-var-part-10-chemin-de-fer-de-provence-30

 

We travel on from Draguignan to Lorgues

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2017/12/08/ligne-de-central-var-part-11-chemin-de-fer-de-provence-31

 

And now from Lorgues to Sillans-la-Cascade on the Chemin de Fer du Sud de la France Ligne de Central Var

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.co...tral-var-part-12-chemin-de-fer-de-provence-32

 

Thank you for these articles; I traced out as much as I could of the route of this line last December and got as far as Meyrargues. I also explored the remains of the Tramway du Sospel, which has left a crazy twisted horsehoe viaduct in the mountains above Menton. A few years ago I managed to find parts of the CF du Tarn and the PO Correze. A lot of these lines have left substantial traces once you get off the beaten track.

 

Yes sleepermonster. The viaduct on the Sospel to Menton line is Viaduc du Caramel.
I'll post something in the next few minutes on another thread about the Tramways in Provence.