B&BLR

The resumed trafic is halted again!

We just managed to sort out the problems at Padgham junction, ran a few trains with fire wood and coal, before another snowstorm hit us. Not quite as much this time but quite as sticky. The wind doesn't help either. Snow dunes are pretty high and the trenches filled in.

                                                                                                                                             The last train in to the station, the firewood has been unloaded, the logs will have to wait.

All the engines are safely in their sheds.

                                                                                                                                                Track 4 and 5 to the south, it doesn't look as if everything was cleared only yesterday.

                                                                                                                                                St. Geniez doesn't look inviting for small wheels either.

                                                                                                                                               We will see what can be done on monday morning, we are closing up and go home for an early night.

P.S. the good people from the EFM are looking for a second hand stove for their cantine! 

Too much snow!

Snow started to fall during the night. At dawn the O&K Caroline equipped with a snowplough went round to clear the track.

By noon it was decided to cease all trafic on the line, except for snowploughing. The layer of snow was nearly two feet by then.

The main station late in the afternoon.

Visiting Garratt

The TVB's Garratt has come to our workshops for overhaul and some modifications.

Our n°2 O&K Suzanne fetched the Garratt from Blaye les Mines. A view from the convoy at their arival at Barnac. 

The 040 Krauss has been spotted at Barnac station with a new brake van. 

The van at the back of a logging train. The van apparently doubles as a canteen/workshop for the lumberjacks.

A closer look at the van.

The engine has left the logging train in the station, and is ready to take some empty's and its brake van to St Géniez. 

The CFEBB n°1, Caroline in action!

snowploughin 1

snowploughing 2

Steam snow ploughing 3

Steam snow ploughing 4

We are snug and warm in our new station. But only just in time, the same night it started snowing. So we had to go out yesterday and clear the tracks. A good occasion to try our new snowplough. The new one attached to the Caroline is quite an improvement on the old one carried by the Polly.

This is what the station looked like at dawn.

Uphill towards the summit, took a bit of effort.

At the summit. From there on it was an enjoyable ride all the way down into the station.

Track 3 & 5 are clear, time for a quick tea break, and of to Padgham Junction.

The new snowplough leaves the track much cleaner then the old one.

After a little bit of arm twisting, the electricien did turn up finally. The painter has at last finished with his scaffolding and pots of paint, so we are ready!

And a good thing too, it is minus 8°C and we are expecting snow!

Anyway, we are snug and warm in our station, and so are our passengers from now on.

Guess who turned up with a cart load of windows and doors, while we were laying the fifth track?

He made a good start the first day. A couple of days later everything was in place.

As soon as the electricien has finished, we will be ready for the first passengers.

The CFEBB wishes a happy New Year to all its customers. We hope to improve the service over the next year with the extended tracks and the new station.

If Santa is a reader, can we please have our doors and windows for the station, before it starts freezing? A fifth track for the station would be very usefull too. Yes, we have all been very good this year!

The work on the Krauss for the EFM is now almost finished.

As you can see its profile has slightly changed.

At the front, a wooden support for the buffer has been added to prevent damage to the well tank. The engine runs well on air. Soon we will have it on the track for its first outing and steam test.

The boiler of the Krauss has been repaired and tested. The steam intake and blast pipe arrangements have been modified. Here it is on its way home with the new lagging in place. Before long it should be back on its frames. 

The power for our village fête this year, was supplied by Daniel with his brand new Burrell Showman's compound engine. We are looking forward to seeing this fabulous engine again.

The long awaited replacement for the Krauss has arrived. We managed to take a couple of pictures on its first outing. The Orenstein & Koppel 0-6-0 WT makes light work of this logging train. The new n° 2 engine will be called Suzanne.

The disassembling of the Krauss goes on. When the cover of the left hand cylinder was taken of, we found a nasty surprise. Hard to tell if this is due to a leaking drain cock  and/or lack of oil. But it will take some hard work to get the piston out.

A week later it looks like this!

This neat little engine was passing through. It needed a some assistance going up the 1 in 25 Barnac incline, but was doing fine the rest of the way.

Our n° 2 engine the 0-4-0 WT Krauss from 1876 has been sold to the sawmill EFM. She was in need of a major overhaull and a boiler repair and has been laid up for the last couple of years. As we really need a more efficient and stronger engine she will be replaced by a new O&K 0-6-0 WT. She will be really usefull to the sawmil now that they will be connected to our railraod. The repairs on the frames and boiler, will be done by outside contractors, everything else in our workshops. A few modifications towards better efficiency are under discussion with the new owner.

The frames passing Barnac-Gare on their way to the workshop. 

Caroline went to the Allier.

Caroline and the CFB's n°1 loco double headed a heavy stone train over the massif central to La Bourse. Here she is in the CFB shed, made ready for the return trip.

In the mean time we had a visit from a 0-4-0 T Corpet Louvet all the way from Nantes.

The new lay-out has been tested to its limits on this very busy day. All went well and the wheather was good. An ideal occasion for some train spotting.

The new O&K 0-4-0 has arrived, it will run as n° 3 of the CFEBB.

On the insistence of its driver, Thomas, it has been fitted with a donkey pump in addition to its injector and axle pump. Talking about wearing a belt and braces! It is of course known as Thomas's tank engine. 

A visiting german 0-6-0 and brakevan, note the compressor and airbrakes.

As you can see it is busy around the shed, with amongst others, 2 Polly's from the Tarn.

An express train was hauled by this Paris - Orleans 2-4-2, very fast!

We are still adding up the fines for speeding!

This 0-4-0 engine brought a trainload of oak from the north. 

Five O&K's in front of the station, our n° 1 did most of the shunting. The engine behind it is going to the shed.

Its first visit from this british engine.

The engine in front of our n° 3 came from Paris to pick up some Cahors wine.

The first time we saw these good looking tippers on our tracks.

The last train out of the station! 

The new station building is taking shape. All mod com's will be available to passengers before long.

In the distance, the foundations of the new signalbox can be seen.

In the main building are the ticket office, buffet and waitin room. On the near side are the rest rooms and lampisterie.

On the left will be the offices for our personel.

The first of the new style double signals. The lights can even be seen in bright sun light!

This one protects the points on track 3&4.

 With the good wheather comes the heavier trafic. As far as the track is concerned, we are ready for it this year.

The O&K "Caroline" goes light engine towards the station for a busy days work.

Other engines visit our station, this one is a O&K with extended water tanks from the CFB. Having delivered timber from the Allier,  it is ready for the return trip with ballast and Cahors wine.

Between the timber, the output of the stone quarry and the Cahors wine there is so much work that the "Caroline" and the elderly 0-4-0 Krauss can't cope anymore. A second O&K has been ordered to replace the Krauss. We are looking into the possibility of buying a more powerfull O&K 0-6-0 T as well.

Both the bridges are now in use, the end of the delays for our passengers!

There is still more ballisting to be done, the good wheather helps a lot.

One of the new ballasting wagons bought recently by the B&BLR.

Two are in regular use, a third one spends most of its time in Nice.

The new lights for the signals are very effective, this one protects the point coming out of the turntable.

A heavy snowstorm during the night. The crews had a little difficulty coming to work this morning. The B&BLR has a routine by now. In the time it took to brew a cup of tea, the snowplough was bolted on the Polly III, and of she went.

Half an hour later the first regular trains left the station. Eager to get the days work done as soon as possible, the mince pies are waiting!

Taking advantage of the dry wheather, all the trenches are filled in. The track laying and ballasting can continue.

The points between the third and the fourth track are now in the station.

On the right, the siding (track 1) and the foundations of the signalbox.

The third track is now connected to the turntable, so that movements between the station and the turntable, no longer hinder trough going-traffic on tracks 2 and 4.

The siding (track 1) on the left has been extended from 7 m to 24 m.