End of Renault railcar service in Corsica

All:

In this month's Club 760 e-mail newsletter, there was mention that the last of the Renault railcars on the Corsican Railway have been retired, and replaced with some less classic looking DMUs.

If you are interested in European narrow gauge, the newsletter is informative. Contact the Club 760 via their website to be added to their list.

www.club760.at

Thanks Garrett,
I haven't heard anything official from my sources here yet but I'm not at all surprised at the sad news.

I have been expecting this since summer 2007 when the first of the new AMG800 high speed panaromic units were put on trial. The whole Corsican track network was upgraded with heavier rail and improved signalling.

The Renault railcars in question are the venerable Renault ABH8 series delivered direct to Corsica in 1949.
These were the last of the ABH series dating from the ABH1 delivered to the CP Provence in 1935 and cousins to the standard gauge ABJ series.

They shared many characteristics and components notably the huge and powerful (300cv) 517 series V12 turbocharged engine. These were subsequently replaced on the Corsican machines with Poyaud straight 6 engines.

At the depot at Casamozza they said at least one and probably two of the three survivors will be kept for special trains.

I took quite a few photos on my last visit in the summer of 2007 as some of you may remember.

I'll get some out for nostalgia later but I have to go to work this afternoon.

I just rembered I did a short feature a long while ago about these.

Here it is again.

Metre gauge monster
Renault ABH8 autorail, railcar in Corsica 2007

These venerable machines, once the most powerful narrow
gauge railcars in the world have been in service for over 60 years.
In Corsican the trains are called U trenu or U Trinighellu which
means the wobbly one or boneshaker, a bit like 'tacot' in French.

Take a ride on one and find out!


And a short sequel to that,