View source for Froissy Dompierre Light Railway

{{Short description|French heritage railway; last World War I trench railway}}
{{Infobox heritage railway
| name           = Froissy Dompierre Light Railway <br> (P'tit Train de la Haute Somme)
| image          = [[File:Franco Belge 040 KDL.jpg|300px]]
| caption        = Franco-Belge 0-8-0 type KDL
| locale         = France
| terminus       = [[Froissy (La Neuville-lès-Bray)|Froissy]] - [[Dompierre-Becquincourt|Dompierre]]
| linename       = Le P'tit train de la Haute Somme
| builtby        = British and French armies
| originalgauge  = {{track gauge|600mm|lk=on}}
| preservedgauge = {{track gauge|600mm}}
| era            =
| owned          =
| operator       = APPEVA (''Association Picarde pour la Préservation et l'Entretien des Véhicules Anciens'')
| stations       = 4
| length         = {{convert|7|km|mi}}
| originalopen   = 1916
| closed         = 1972
| stageyears     = 1971
| stage          =
| map            = Froissy-Dompierre Railway map-en.svg
}}
{{Froissy Dompierre Light Railway}}
[[File:Alco WDLR locomotive 1995.jpg|thumb|280px|right|Alco WDLR locomotive at the [[Ffestiniog Railway]] 1995 gala.]]
The '''Froissy Dompierre Light Railway''' ({{langx|fr|Chemin de fer Froissy-Dompierre}}, CFCD) is a {{track gauge|600mm|lk=on}} [[Narrow gauge railway|narrow gauge]] light railway running from [[Froissy (La Neuville-lès-Bray)|Froissy]] (a hamlet of [[La Neuville-lès-Bray]]) to  [[Dompierre-Becquincourt]], through [[Cappy, Somme|Cappy]], in the [[Somme (department)|Somme]] department, [[France]]. It is run as a [[heritage railway]] by APPEVA (''Association Picarde pour la Préservation et l'Entretien des Véhicules Anciens'') and is also known as '''''P'tit Train de la Haute Somme'''''. It is the last survivor of the {{track gauge|600mm}} narrow gauge [[trench railways]] of the [[World War I]] battlefields.

==History==
[[File:Image-Réseau voie de 60 Somme 1923 map-en-.svg|thumb|250px|left|Service Map in 1923]]
In 1915, the [[French Army]] built a railway along the [[Somme Canal]] between [[Péronne, Somme|Péronne]] and Froissy. Between 1916 and 1918 the railway was at the Allied front line, and transporting 1,500 tonnes of materials daily. At Froissy, the [[metre gauge]] [[Réseau Albert]] connected with the CFCD.<ref name=Nfng>{{cite book | first = John| last = Organ| year = 2002| title = Northern France Narrow Gauge| publisher = Middleton Press| location = Midhurst| isbn = 1-901706-75-3}}</ref>{{page needed|date=January 2020}}

After the war, the railway was used in assisting with the reconstruction and also to bring food into the villages it served. New lines were laid including a zig-zag to reach the Santerre Plateau. The line was by this time being used for the transportation of [[sugar beet]] to the sugar refinery in Dompierre. In 1927, a further deviation was built to avoid [[Cappy, Somme|Cappy Port]], which required a {{convert|300|m|yd}} tunnel. The line was extended to [[Chaulnes]] in 1931. The line escaped [[World War II]] with little damage, although one train of molasses was attacked by a British aircraft. Two Coferna [[diesel locomotive]]s were acquired in 1942, working alongside the Feldbahn [[0-8-0]]s. The [[steam locomotive]]s were retired in 1946 and replaced by three [[Plymouth Locomotive Works|Plymouth]] ''loco-tracteurs''. The extensions to Péronne and Chaulnes had been removed by 1954 and increased competition from road traffic meant that the line ceased operations in 1972, by which time a preservation society had already started operations.<ref name=Nfng/>{{page needed|date=January 2020}}

==Preservation==
APPEVA was formed in 1970 with the aim of preserving a {{track gauge|600mm}} narrow gauge railway as a working museum. The CFCD was a good location, being between [[Paris]] and [[Lille]] near [[A1 autoroute (France)|A1 motorway]] and close to [[Amiens]]. APPEVA operated its first train in June 1971 between Cappy and Froissy, a distance of {{convert|1|km|yd mi}}. By 1974 the line was operating as far as the top of the zig-zag and in 1976 the full line to Dompierre was opened to traffic, following improvements to the level crossing on the Santerre Plateau. In 1996, a new museum was opened in Froissy.<ref name=Nfng/>{{page needed|date=January 2020}}

The line starts from the Froissy terminus and follows the towpath along the Somme canal to the little station of Cappy. It then runs through a curved tunnel more than {{convert|200|m|yd}} long followed by a bridge to cross the road from Cappy to [[Chuignes]] and a [[Zig zag (railway)|zig zag]] which was built after World War I to allow locomotives to climb the very steep slope towards the [[Santerre (region)|Santerre]] upland area. Once on the Santerre, the line runs on the side of the road to Dompierre. The terminus is located near the former sugar refinery of Dompierre.

APPEVA owns or has in store 9 [[steam locomotive]]s, of which three are operating and some are considered as a ''[[Monument historique]]'', and 24 diesel engines. The Froissy Dompierre Railway operates from April till the end of September, on Sundays and holidays, and every day of the week (except Monday) in July and August. The journey between the Froissy museum and the Dompierre terminus takes one hour. The CFCD is twinned with the [[Leighton Buzzard Light Railway]].

APPEVA publishes a monthly magazine in French devoted to narrow gauge railways and touristic railways (Standard, metric and narrow gauge) called ''Voie Étroite''.

==Museum==
<!--LINKED SECTION. Article: Froissy (La Neuville-lès-Bray)-->
[[File:Decauville 030T appeva.jpg|thumb|300px|right|0-6-0 WT Decauville]]
[[File:AMTP 040T Henschel.jpg|thumb|left|[[Henschel & Son|Henschel]] No. 15311]]
The ''Musée des chemins de fer Militaires et Industriels'' (Military and Industrial Railways Museum), located near the line terminus in the hamlet of [[Froissy (La Neuville-lès-Bray)|Froissy]] (French commune of [[La Neuville-lès-Bray]]), features a large collection of {{Track gauge|600mm}} gauge railway material, steam engines, diesel engines and wagons, in an {{cvt|1800|m²|sqft}} exhibition hall inaugurated in 1996.

It also features an interesting [[Fairbanks-Morse]] [[railroad speeder|speeder]] of 1917, used by the US Army.
{{clear}}

==Rolling stock==

===Steam locomotives===
{|class="wikitable"
!No.
!Name
!Builder
!Wheel Arrangement
!Power
!Works Number
!Year Built
!Origin
!Notes
!Photo
|-
|1
|
|[[Henschel]]
|{{whyte|0-4-0|T}}
|
|
|
|
|Henschel N°23735 de 1937
|[[File:Henschel No 1 CFCD.jpg|120px]]
|-
|2
|
|[[Neumeyer]]
|{{whyte|0-4-0|T}}
|
|
|
|
|Neumeyer N°19 of 1922
|[[File:Neumeyer-2.jpg|120px]]
|-
|3
|
|[[Decauville]]
|{{whyte|0-6-0|T}}
|{{convert|50|hp|kW|abbr=on}}
|1825
|1928
|Port de Bordeaux
|Decauville N°1825 of 1928, Type Progrès
|[[File:Decauville-3.jpg|120px]]
|-
|4
|
|[[Krauss-Maffei|Krauss]]
|{{whyte|0-8-0|T}}
|{{convert|70|hp|kW|abbr=on}}
|7373
|1917
|German Army
|Type DFB. Operated till end of 2007.
|[[File:DFB-4.jpg|120px]]
|-
|5
|
|[[Decauville]]
|{{whyte|0-6-0|WT}}
|{{convert|50|hp|kW|abbr=on}}
|1652
|1916
|Ex-Réseau Nord-Est (Reims)
|Type 17. In working order.
|[[File:Decauville No 5 CFCD.jpg|120px]]
|-
|7
|''Geneviève''
|[[August Borsig|Borsig]]
|{{whyte|0-8-0|T|T}}
|{{convert|50|hp|kW|abbr=on}}
|10334
|1918
|Poland
|Type DFB. In working order.
|[[File:Borsig No 7 et Krauss No 4 CFCD.jpg |120px]]
|-
|8
|
|[[AG Vulcan Stettin|Vulcan]], [[Szczecin|Stettin]]
|{{whyte|0-8-0|T}}
|{{convert|150|hp|kW|abbr=on}} to {{convert|180|hp|kW|abbr=on}}
|3852
|1925
|Ex Deutsche Reichsbahn No 99 3461, Ex [[:de:Mecklenburg-Pommersche Schmalspurbahn|Mecklenburg-Pommersche Bahn]] No 9.
|Prototype. Under restoration to working order (goal is 2011).
|[[File:Vulcan-8 CFCD.jpg|120px]]
|-
|9
|
|[[Cooke Locomotive and Machine Works|Alco-Cooke]]
|{{whyte|2-6-2|T}}
|
|
|
|
|RL 1257, N°57148 of 1916
|[[File:Alco-Cooke-57148-d.jpg|120px]]
|-
|10
|
|[[Société Franco-Belge|Franco-Belge]]
|{{whyte|0-8-0|T|T}}
|{{convert|250|hp|kW|abbr=on}} to {{convert|300|hp|kW|abbr=on}}
|2836
|1945
|Ex Sucreries Ternynck, [[Coucy-le-Château-Auffrique|Coucy-le-Château]] and TPT No. 4-14.
|Type KDL (''Kriegsdampflokomotive'').<br>In working order.
|[[File:KDL-11-CFCD.jpg|120px]]
|-
|11
|
|[[Orenstein & Koppel]]
|{{whyte|0-6-0|T}}
|about {{convert|100|hp|kW|abbr=on}}
|8083
|1915
|ex TPT No. 3-6.
|
|
|-
|12
|
|[[Orenstein & Koppel]]
|{{whyte|0-10-0|T}}
|about {{convert|195|hp|kW|abbr=on}}
|8285
|1917
|ex TPT No. 5-3.
|
|[[File:Orenstein-Koppel-12.jpg|120px]]
|-
|13
|
|[[Orenstein & Koppel]]
|{{whyte|0-8-0|T}} DFB
|{{convert|70|hp|kW|abbr=on}}
|8627
|1918
|Ex Sucreries [[Coucy-le-Château-Auffrique|Coucy-le-Château]]
|Type DFB. On loan from AMTUIR
|[[File:DFB-13.jpg|120px]]
|}

===Diesel locomotives===
{|class="wikitable"
!No.
!Name
!Builder
!Wheel Arrangement
!Power
!Works Number
!Year Built
!Origin
!Notes
!Photo
|-
|T23
|
|[[Plymouth Locomotive Works|Plymouth]]
|
|{{convert|75|hp|kW|abbr=on|lk=in}}
|5117
|1946
|
|''Loco-tracteur''. One of the original CFCD locomotives.
|
|-
|T24
|Tatra
|Société de Construction Ferroviaires et Navales (Coferna)
|
|{{convert|200|hp|kW|abbr=on}}
|122
|1941
|
|Diesel locomotive. Fitted with a {{convert|212|hp|kW}} Tatra air-cooled engine, one of the original CFCD locomotives. In working order.
|
|-
|T25
|Iveco
|Coferna
|
|{{convert|180|hp|kW|abbr=on}}
|123
|1941
|
|Diesel locomotive. Fitted with a {{convert|180|hp|kW}}<!--or even 280 hp?--> Iveco water-cooled engine, one of the original CFCD locomotives. In working order.
|
|-
|T31
|
|{{proper name|[[Établissements Billard|Billard]]}}
|
|{{convert|100|hp|kW|abbr=on}}
|233 T75 G
|1958
|
|Diesel locomotive. In working order.
|[[File:Locotracteur Billard T75G No232.JPG|120px]]
|-
|T32
|Simplex
|[[Motor Rail|Motor Rail Ltd]]
|
|{{convert|40|hp|kW|abbr=on}}
|588/191
|1917
|
|Tractor.
|
|-
|T37
|Simplex
|Motor Rail Ltd
|
|{{convert|20|hp|kW|abbr=on}}
|7433
|1939
|
|Tractor. In working order.
|
|-
|T33
|
|[[Baldwin Locomotive Works|Baldwin]]
|{{whyte|0-4-0|D}}
|{{convert|50|hp|kW|abbr=on}}
|49192
|1917
|
|Tractor.
|
|-
|T36
|
|Baldwin
|
|{{convert|50|hp|kW|abbr=on}}
|49966
|1917
|
|Tractor.
|
|-
|T29
|
|[[Socofer]]
|
|{{convert|40|hp|kW|abbr=on}}
|333 SCF 303
|1968
|
|Tractor. In working order.
|
|-
|
|Speeder
|[[Fairbanks-Morse]]
|
|
|
|1917
|
|Draisine
|
|-
|}

===Passenger stock===

The CFCD operates a variety of open and closed passenger stock, most of which is built on chassis of freight vehicles dating from World War I.

===Freight stock===

The CFCD has a variety of goods wagons, both open and closed, that date from World War I, and also examples of wagons from the industrial use of the line after World War I.

===Visiting locomotives===
During the 40th anniversary of preservation of the line in 2011, three British-based locomotives visited, including [[Darjeeling Himalayan Railway]] [[DHR 778]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rail.co.uk/rail-news/2011/british-based-trio-steam-in-france/|title=British-based Trio Steam in France|year=2011|access-date=2021-01-23|work=Rail.co.uk|quote=40th anniversary of the Froissy-Cappy-Dompierre line entering preservation. … invitations extended to The Greensand Railway Museum Trust's [[Baldwin Class 10-12-D|Baldwin 4-6-0T]] [[War Department Light Railways|WDLR]] No. 778 and [[Adrian Shooter]]'s [[DHR 778|Darjeeling Himalayan Railway B-Class 0-4-0ST No. 19 (SS 3518/1888)]] to visit.}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Narrow gauge railway#France|Narrow gauge railway]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{commons category|Froissy Dompierre Light Railway}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050208154004/http://appeva.club.fr/index_e.htm APPEVA, official web site]
* [http://www.voieetroite.com/index_e.htm Voie Étroite, official web site]
* [http://home.iae.nl/users/summer/16mmngm/Pics_htms/FRoissyDompierre.htm Description] of a visit to the line

{{Heritage railways in France}}

{{coord|49|55|24|N|2|43|45|E|region:FR-80_type:landmark|display=title}}

[[Category:Heritage railways in France|Froissy]]
[[Category:Industrial railways]]
[[Category:Somme (department)]]
[[Category:600 mm gauge railways in France]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Somme (department)]]
[[Category:Railway lines in Hauts-de-France]]
[[Category:Railways with Zig Zags]]