Angouleme

I have always been fascinated by Angouleme: four companies (PO, Etat, CFD, EC). A complicated layout and quite a lot left of the metre guage, even in the middle of town...

To start, here is the map (from Henri Domengie's Les Petits Trains de Jadis Vol 7 Sud-Ouest de France - such a shame that these books are now out of print.



Bold lines are metre gauge, thin lines standard gauge, hatched lines the town tramways. Angouleme SNCF station is the PO station: where the Etat station was is now flats and shops.

This is a train leaving the Etat station northbound (from my postcard collection) The sheds on the left are the PO goods sheds. The Etat line had its own tunnel under the town (which as most of you will know is on a steep hill). This tunnel is now a road tunnel. After 1934, the Economiques des Charentes line also used this tunnel.



But before then, the EC's station (Angouleme-Ville) was on a deck over the start of this tunnel: the line then went through the flank of the town hill in its own tunnel, crossed the PO line on a bridge, and meandered through the streets. After severe WW2 bombing, the Chemins de Fer Departmentaux station (formerly between the Etat and PO stations) was destroyed and they used Angouleme-Ville EC (but not the EC tunnel). This photo from Domengie is from that time.



That tunnel mouth is still there: this my pic from about 1992.



The location is just about where the "E" of "EC Ang-Ville" is on the map.

Looking south from the EC station, this is an old view of the Etat station and the "deck" (also from Domengie)



This was the view in 1992 - block of flats on right on deck, flats in background on Etat station site, but left flank wall clearly recognisable.



Looking north from the PO (now SNCF) station, the EC bridge can be seen crossing the main line (my postcard collection).



That's not there anymore - this is a similar view in 1992.



However, the metre gauge is still remembered:





I am gradually scanning postcards and my (pre-digital) pics of metre gauge remains in the Charentes and Vienne - so more will appear (eventually!)

Hope you like it

Phil

I do I do love it and if the current Mrs GeoffW can be persuaded of the shopping potential of Angouleme a visit may be on the cards

G

yes i have covered the story of Angouleme and its stations and the story of the illegal tunnel on this forum before, LOL . but its always nice to see it again Phil, especially in more detail.

Mikley

GeoffW wrote:

I do I do love it and if the current Mrs GeoffW can be persuaded of the shopping potential of Angouleme a visit may be on the cards

G

And Geoff and Celia, if you do viisit you absolutely must pay us a visit as we are only 35 minutes away !

Phil

Do these posts mean you are now over here?

GWhizz wrote:

Phil

Do these posts mean you are now over here?

Brian
Unfortunately not yet: arriving next Weds pm and will call you Thurs. My collection is in England and I am getting myself in the mood.

Phil