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History of the line |
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The line BLANC-ARGENT (BA) has been the object of numerous discussions and procrastinations about
its plan before its opening :
- 1868 : 1st Gièvres project – Le Blanc aimed at opening up a vast zone devoid of railroads.
- 1872 : The Cie de Bressuire in Poitiers is appointed for the construction and the exploitation of a line
going from Gièvres to Le Blanc, taking into account the incapacities of the railroad network noticed
during the war of 1870. (The railroad was, at that time, a double track standard gauge).
- 1878 : The Cie de Bressuire having gone bankrupt, the railroad line was integrated within the State
network, making up a new line Vierzon – Le Blanc.
- 1879 : Classification under N° 92 of the plan Freycinet, projecting the line to Gièvres with extentions to
Salbris and Le Blanc-Argent.
- 1883 : The line is running through a zone already deserved by the PO (Paris-Orléans), in accordance
with a redistribution of the concessions in a concern of coherence of networks. It is henceforth planned
single-track by concern of economy.
- 1890 : The Cie du PO showing no enthusiasm to build this line, the local representatives obtain the
authorization to establish it in metric way decreasing the cost and thus obtaining finally its construction.
- 1893 : Modification of the concession in the PO, the metric narrow-gauge is then enacted. Since the
PO does not wish to burden itself with such a narrow-gauge line, attributes its construction and
exploitation to the Cie Faugère et Chatelin, a Company already concessionary of the network of Anjou
as well as the Bordeaux to Cadillac lines. Persevering local discords on the projects between
Romorantin and Valençay, the acquisitions of ground finally take place in 1898.
The works begin in 1899
and the line is opened as follows for a total of 191 km :
-
Salbris-Romorantin on the 26th of December 1901
-
Salbris-Argent on the 15th of May 1902
-
Romorantin-Écueillé on the 6th of November 1902
-
Écueillé-Le Blanc on the 17th of November 1902
The Le Blanc-Argent Railroad Company will be effectively established only on June 24th 1906!
Several other narrow-gauge lines, today bygone, will be connected to the Le Blanc-Argent, such as
connection at Argent towards Guèrche, others connections: TL at Brinon, towards Orléans, TLC at
Romorantin towards Neung-on-Beuvron, TI at Valençay towards Châteauroux and to Le Blanc towards
Argenton, CFD at Écueillé towards Loches. All theses different networks formed, at that time an
extraordinary group of narrow-gauge (metric) networks of more than 1000 kilometers !
The BA (Blanc-Argent) line is built with care, using rails attached with 25k/m double-mushrooms.
A minimum of 150m radius is used on curves, with a maximum of 15mm/m grade.
The stations are build in a classical style, with integrated passengers waiting room and having been the
object of architectural treatment proper to the specific line. The building corners and framework are made
out of bricks of Sologne and tuffeau of the Berry region, ceramic ornamental banners of colors with
flowers, leaves and chestnut fruit trees design, not forgetting to mention the exceptional Valançay style
"Neo-Rennaissance" and financed by the duke of Talleyrand. (F. Houssin, architect).
The type of
material and rolling stock, originally, was similar to that used on the Anjou
network,
including 16 locomotives 030T – 20 tons. The first 8 locomotives were
built by the ANF Company in
Blanc-Misseron, the others were built by Buffon and
Robatel Company of Lyon. 56 "2-axles" passenger
cars with multiple
lateral doors, as well as 14 luggage vans, and more than 200 covered cars, flat
cars
and tipcarts, all built by the ANF Company were part of the rolling stock
of the Railroad line.
Afterward
supplementary material will be added.
Four locomotives of 3 types built by Carel and Fouché,
Dyle and Bacalan
and coming from other networks such as SE of l'Allier or RB or POC will come to
strengther the park of origin, followed, as of the year 1950, by another 5
diesel switchers.
The first
railcar, a Renault RS4 is put in service from 1924 (it is a failure), will
follow from 1936, 23 other
more reliable railcars of diverse origin built by Dion (type JA / JM ex Loiret, also MZ ex Ain and OC2 ex
RB), Billards (A800 ex CFD) and SCF Verney (type CBA built especially for the Blanc-Argent line).
Six
trailers were also used.
Total
dieselisation came about from 1954 on. This contributed certainly to its
preservation, but all steam
locomotives were scrapped, unfortunately too early
allowing for some material to be preserved. The cars,
on the other hand, were
kept.
The line
escapes total closure repeatedly in the 50s, 60s and 80s but knows nevertheless
severe
amputations.
- The section Salbris-Argent was closed first
for passengers in 1939, then totally closed in 1973,
- Buzançais-Le Blanc was totally closed on the
1st of November 1953.
- Luçay-Buzançais was first closed for
passengers on the 26th September 1980, then for goods
on the 31st December 1988.
In 1983, 2
new railcars CFD Socofer and the complete renovation of 4 Verney railcars marks
the
beginning of modernization of the service.
The
regionalization then allowed to start important works of renovation financed to
a great extend by the
"Région Centre": progressive modernization
of tracks and right of way (replacement
of the tracks of
origin by heavy rails of 60 kg/m, welded, heavier ballast in
certain sections, automatic level crossings
and renewal of points),
rehabilitation of stations and intensification of the service. The delivery of
5
railcars of the Type X 73500 from 2003 of a performance level as
yet never known on the line is the most
visible sign.
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LA SABA |
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In 1988, the imminent closure of the section Luçay-Buzançay does not leave indifferent some persons of
the region who decide to create an association to try to protect one of the ultimate vestiges of the former
rural metric narrow-gauge lines left still in an almost original state. And so is born the "Société pour
l'Animation de Blanc Argent (SABA).
The first action of the SABA will be to avoid dismanteling of the line by presenting to the local elected
representatives a project for the saving of the line and promoting it for the regional development of
tourism as a true railroad heritage.
Quickly however, the SABA has to abandon the idea to reach Buzançay, the decision having been
taken by the Region Centre to transform the section Argy-Buzançay to standard gauge having to
serve and important grain silo.
The action taken by the SABA ends in the recognition of a definite interest of the line in terms of
heritage, furthermore officially recognized on the 18th of January 1993 as part of the National Historical
Monuments together with all the railroad's buildings along the line Luçay-Argy and the line
Luçay-Écueillé.
The railroad station of Valençay is also protected in this occasion. It is the most important protected
railroad network this day in France.
The removal of the line is avoided, remains now to make her come back to life again…
The first works to clear the tracks right of way are begun from 1991 and will continue until 2000,
the year when the station at Argy will be again accessible ! At the same time it was necessary to find
all sorts of rolling stock, to transport it here and to recondition it progressively.
In 1995, an association of communes buys the influences and entrusts to the SABA the exploitation of
the future tourist train which takes the name of "Train du Bas-Berry" (TBB) in reference to its
geographical situation (the department of the Indre is former Bas-Berry).
After more than ten years of efforts, the prefectorial authorization to exploit the tourist train
between Écueillé and La Foulquetière was obtained on August 14th 2003 and the operation began the
August 24th 2003.
The exploitation was widened to the section Écueillé-Heugnes in 2004 and to the whole line in 2005.
The strong support brought by the SIVU to the project allowed to realize important works to put on
again the level of the infrastructure during 2004 and 2005 (replacement of 4500 sleepers, installation
of new corner, repair of 3 level crossings), roof repair of buildings, and the construction of the superb
workshop of Écueillé, the size and layout of which are inspired by the former Indre Streetcar workshop of
Vatan. A second part of the work is in the course of assembly within the framework of an important
project of tourist development of the region to restore the line its full capacity to see circulating
passenger trains, including the driving of steam locomotives on which the short-time return was decided,
while preserving carefully the atmosphere of its particular origin.
The road is henceforth clear for the TBB.
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