1. Trip to Nantes-05.04.78

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-1978 > 6. French exchange visit to Nozay-30(?).03-06(?).04.78 > 1. Trip to Nantes-05.04.78
My host family in the town of Nozay arranged fro me to go to Nantes to do some spotting, something they had never come across before! I spent an afternoon at the station collecting numbers and getting some interesting shots.
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Images 1-15 of 15 displayed.

Class X4900, unidentified working, unidentified location Over the annals of time, I have lost the detail of where this picture was taken. All I can say was that it was on a non-electrified mainline between Ancenis and Nantes. It shows a pair of SNCF's class X4500 units. These units, constructed between 1963 and 1970, were known colloquially as 'Caravelles' by railwaymen due to them sounding similar to the airliner of the same name! All were withdrawn by 1990 but a few examples live on after being sold to Romanian railways. Keywords: Class X4900
72058, unidentified working, unidentified location At the same unidentified location as the previous photograph somewhere near to Nantes on the Angers route an SNCF class CC number 72058 speeds past with an unidentified express service. These 140kph 3400hp diesels were built between 1967 and 1974. At the time of writing in 2018, some are still in service. Keywords: 72058
72040, running round, Nantes station SNCF class CC 72040 runs round a train at Nantes station. I remember being impressed by the size and noise of these relatively new diesels as an impressionable 14-year-old spotter! Notice in this image the two platform-end water columns. Steam had only finally been banished from SNCF rails four years prior to this image in 1974, a lot later than in the UK. Keywords: 72040 running round Nantes station
72065, unidentified working, Nantes station SNCF CC 72065 appears to be preparing to leave Nantes station sometime in the early afternoon heading east. Notice the steam age water column on the platform ramp. I had no issues at Nantes station wandering around unchallenged taking photographs. Looking at modern day images from Google Earth, the station and its environs have undergone a huge redevelopment. However, the architecturally interesting spiralled spire in the background still stands atop the building now being home to a branch of Compagnons du Devoir, a training organisation for young people. Keywords: 72065 Nantes station
72074, running round, Quai de Malakoff, Nantes Browsing Google Earth reveals that this view is still available and virtually unchanged. The multi-story carpark to the far left is now largely covered in greenery but still doing its job some forty years on, even the green fence in the foreground is the same! Despite the lines now being electrified, SNCF do not appear to have re-sgnalled as the two signals in the image are still present and exactly the same! 72074 is seen running round at the western end of Nantes station and is about to re-enter the station that is in the distance. Keywords: 72074, running round, Quai de Malakoff, Nantes
67441, tanker train, Nantes SNCF class BB 67441 waits at Nantes station with a tanker train that had probably linked to the extensive docks at nearby St. Nazzaire. These large B'B' locomotives were built between 1969 and 1975 and, at the time of writing in 2018 are still in service throughout the SNCF network on both freight and passenger duties. Keywords: 67441 tanker train Nantes
67322, freight train, Nantes A BB class number 67322 eases a freight into Nantes station from the east. This view shows some of the area south of the station that looked to a particularly run-down part of the city. Looking at it today, it appears to have been completely re-developed with a proliferation of flats, restaurants, sporting facilities and tree lined boulevards all down by the river. Keywords: 67322 freight train Nantes
67035 & 67032 light engines & 67441, tanker train, Nantes station A trio of class BB 67s at Nantes station. In the foreground are 67035 and 67032 running through the station light engine from the east. Behind them, a member of the 674XX sub-class 67441 wait with an east bound tanker train. This was probably making its way to the Total Donges oil refinery a short distance just down the river near to St. Nazaire. Keywords: 67035 67032 67441 tanker train Nantes station
72070, unidentified working, Nantes station It's 1600 and 72070 has just arrived with a train from the east, possibly Paris? The continental style of low platforms seem to accentuate the size and bulk of locomotives and these SNCF class C'C' diesels are no exception. These Alsthom (now Alstom) built locomotives were a familar sight throughout the French network. Varieties of the basic design are found on other networks too and many are still in use today. Keywords: 72070 unidentified working Nantes station
67426, running round, Nantes station There were an awful lot of light engine movement at Nantes station mainly associated with freight workings of which there was a significant number. Here, 67426 runs through the station. Notice the unusual design of the vertically parked window wipers. The glass has been drilled to allow the spindle to pass through to the motors inside the cab. The French have always had a flare for design and done things a bit differently; just look at the cars they produce! Keywords: 67426 Nantes station
72072, unidentified working, Nantes station 72072 arrives at Nantes station with an unidentified working from the east. As was the case on UK railways of the time, note the parcels wagon coupled directly behind the locomotive. Close observation reveals that this particular loco. is named. Try as I have, I can find no record of the names applied to a number of the class C'C' locomotives. Keywords: 72072 Nantes station
XR8803, unidentified working, Nantes station A two-car XR4500 unit leaves Nantes station working a local service. The car leading this service is XR8803 with a trailer XR83XX at the rear. All these units are now withdrawn from service but a few live on working out their years on Romanian railways. Keywords: XR8803 Nantes station
72066, unidentified working, Nantes station Class C'C' 72066 has just arrived at Nantes station amid much activity on the platform. The tower block in the background is the station building and it still stands today even though the rest of the station has been extensively re-moddelled. Keywords: 72066 Nantes station
67354 & class 67, unidentified working, Nantes station Two class B'B' 67s have arrived at Nantes station with an unidentified working. The locomotive leading is 67354. The SNCF staff are looking as through they are preparing to detach the front locomotive before it continues its journey east. Keywords: 67354 class 67 Nantes station
Class T2000, unidentified Bordeaux or Lyon-Nantes working, Nantes station One of SNCF's technically advanced gas turbine high speed units has arrived at Nantes and sits in one of the east facing bay platforms. It has probably worked in from Bordeaux or Lyon. These units were a great success and loved by the travelling public for their comfort and speed. They were replaced in 2005 by the Corail trains that passengers did not warm to! Keywords: Class T2000 Bordeaux Lyon-Nantes working Nantes station

Images 1-15 of 15 displayed.