The Chemin de fer du Cambrésis was a long
metre gauge
Metre-gauge railways are narrow-gauge railways with track gauge of or 1 metre.
The metre gauge is used in around of tracks around the world. It was used by European colonial powers, such as the French, British and German Empires. In Europe, la ...
railway in the
Nord and
Aisne
Aisne ( , ; ; pcd, Ainne) is a French department in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France. It is named after the river Aisne. In 2019, it had a population of 531,345.[France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...]
. There were four lines with Caudry at the centre.
History
The Cambrésis railway opened in 1881. It was a ''voies ferrées d'intérêt local'' system. From Caudry, lines ran to Cambrai in the north, Denain in the east, Catillon in the south, and St. Quentin Cambrésis in the west.
The first section of line to open was the section from Cambrai to Le Cateau in 1881, this was extended by to Catillon in 1886. In 1887, a branch from Caudry to Villers-Outréaux was opened, extended by to Le Catelet-Gouy in 1888. The line from Caudry to Denain opened in 1891. In 1892, the line was extended by from Le Catelet-Gouy to St. Quentin Cambrésis, with a final extension of to St. Quentin Nord opening in 1904. Caudry and St. Quentin are only apart, but the railway took a route that followed contours and avoided heavy engineering, thus lengthening the distance by train.
[ (fr)]
Wars
World War One
The Germans destroyed the CF du Cambrésis' infrastructure when they retreated in 1918. The lines were rebuilt, with Caudry - Villers-Outréaux reopening in 1921 and Villers-Outréaux - Saint-Quentin-Cambrésis reopening in 1923.
[ (fr)] St. Quentin Cambrésis - St. Jean reopened to freight only in 1923. The line west of St. Jean did not reopen after the war.
[
]
World War Two
In 1943, the CF du Cambrésis received three Corpet-Louvet 2-8-2T locomotives that had been destined for the Chemin de Fer Conakry-Niger in French Guinea
French Guinea (french: Guinée française) was a French colonial possession in West Africa. Its borders, while changed over time, were in 1958 those of the current independent nation of Guinea.
French Guinea was established by France in 1891, ...
. These locomotives were numbered 40, 41 and 42 in the CF du Cambrésis fleet. They were returned in 1947, and subsequently delivered to their intended customer.[
]
Closure
Closure occurred in stages. The line between Cambrai and Awoingt closed in 1936. Passenger service ceased between Le Catelet-Gouy and St. Quentin in 1936.[ Le Catelet-Gouy to St. Quentin Cambrésis closed in 1954, and the entire system except Caudry - Denain closed in 1955. Final closure occurred in 1960.
]
Freight
The main freight was coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen.
Coal is formed when dea ...
from Denain. Agricultural produce and general merchandise was also carried.
Locomotives
* Three Corpet-Louvet
Corpet-Louvet was a steam locomotive manufacturer based in Paris, France.
History
Founded in 1855 as Anjubault, based in the Avenue Phillippe-Auguste in Paris, the firm was taken over by Lucien Corpet in 1868. Corpet's daughter Marguerite married ...
locomotives built in 1881. ''Cambrai'' Scrapped in 1936.[
* No. 5 ''Clary'' Corpet-Louvet 493/1888 ]0-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles and no trailing wheels. This was the most common wheel arrangemen ...
T. Sold to the Loddington Tramway in the UK, then to the Waltham Iron Ore Tramway
The Waltham Iron Ore Tramway was a gauge industrial tramway serving the ironstone pits of the Waltham Iron Ore Company, a subsidiary of the Staveley Coal and Iron Company. It was located to the north of the village of Branston in Leicester ...
. In 2017, preserved at the Irchester Narrow Gauge Railway Museum
The Irchester Narrow Gauge Railway Museum is a small railway museum and metre gauge railway near Irchester, near Wellingborough in Northamptonshire, England.
History
The area around Wellingborough was rich in iron ore. A quarry opened in ...
with nameplates from ''Cambrai''.
/ref>
* Corpet 2-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, usually in a leading truck, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles and no trailing wheels. ...
T locomotives built in 1917, ex tramways de la Côte d'Or
*Pinguely 2-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, usually in a leading truck, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles and no trailing wheels. ...
T locomotives built in 1904, ex tramways de la Côte d'Or.
*Piguet 2-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, usually in a leading truck, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles and no trailing wheels. ...
T locomotives built in 1914, ex tramways de la Côte d'Or.[
*3 Corpet-Louvet ]2-8-2
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, usually in a leading truck, eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles and two trailing wheel ...
T locomotives, on loan 1944-47. (#40, 41 and 42)[
]
Railcars
The CF du Cambrésis had some four-wheeled Renault-Scémia railcars. These were only used on the lightest of trains.
Gallery
File:ST QUENTIN - La gare.JPG, St-Quentin ( Nord network) station.
File:SAINT-QUENTIN - Intérieur de la Gare.jpg, St-Quentin (Nord network) station.
File:Gare cambrésis cambrai.jpg, Cambrai station.
File:Gare cambrésis le cateau.jpg, Le Cateau station at the beginning of the 20th century
File:Carnieres nord gare cambresis.jpg, Carnières station, August 2009
File:Gare caudry cambrésis.jpg, Caudry station, November 2009
File:Le Cateau Railway Chemin Fer Cambrésis.jpg, The site of Le Cateau station, May 2008
File:Gare_cambrésis_Inchy.jpg, Inchy station around 1920
File:Catillon sur sambre gare.jpg, Catillon-sur-Sambre station, August 2009
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chemin de Fer du Cambresis
History of Nord (French department)
Aisne
Metre gauge railways in France
Railway companies of France
Railway lines in Hauts-de-France
Railway lines opened in 1881
Railway lines closed in 1960