l'Aubrac and Pau!

This trip was made up of a few mad cap ideas and the desire to photograph a few BB9300's. Flew Bristol-Beziers arriving at 09:30. A mad dash to Neussargues 160 miles north for pictures of the BB8500 on the l'Aubrac service running south to Millau, then over to Toulouse for the night, 360 miles! The next 3 days were spent between Toulouse, Pau and Bordeaux.

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During the afternoon of Monday 15th September 2008, Multiservices liveried 8623, passes over the viaduc de Sénouard near the Lozère department town of Marvejols, hauling 4 Corail coaches forming 15941, 12:40 Clermont-Ferrand to Béziers. As the journey down to the Mediterranean continues along the valley of the River Tarn, the train will pass beneath the impressive Millau Bridge, the tallest structure in France, with the highest mast reaching an impressive 343 metres. 8623, an Alsthom product, dates from the 11th March 1974, and would have taken over from a BB 67400 at Neussargues. Electrified at 1500 volts, the wires are suspended from the wonderful, ancient hooped P O Midi catenary dating from 1930.

Running half an hour late, 9334 puts down the power as it crosses the bridge spanning Gaves Réunis, a short river formed by the confluence of the Gaves de Pau and d’ Oloron at Hastingues in Aquitaine. Minutes previously, the BB9300 hauled 14131, 10:11 Toulouse Matabiau to Bayonne Corail service would have bustled its way through Peyrehorade, a most interesting wayside ville, wired at 1500 volts; however, when this photo was taken on the 17th September 2008, the installation still boasted semaphore signals. 9334 spent just over 40 years in revenue earning service, introduced on the 5th June 1969, and lasting until November 2009

7268 is shown working service 14140; 06:04 Hendaye to Toulouse on 17th February 2008.This location is just west of Lanespède, a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in south-western France. New to traffic on 18th January 1979, the loco is still working these service but now in an all over "grise" livery.

7265 slows her 4 coach train as she prepares for the booked stop at Orthez, whilst hauling 14150, 12:15 Bayonne to Toulouse Matabiau, during the early afternoon of 16th September 2008. Photographed from the 14th Centaury Pont Vieux, spanning the Gave de Pau, Alsthom’s 27th November 1978 introduced DC machine passes a most beautiful florally decorated tower.

STF Aquitaine 1500v DC machine 7280 is seen deep in the Forêt des Landes whilst powering the 17:46 Bordeaux to Hendaye at 18:40 on 17th September 2008. This location near the D27 south of Morcenx, nearly cost us the hire car. The road in front of the picture turned out to be sand, so we sank to the axles and as it was not a public road we would not have been covered by insurance! Lots of panicking, shoving and digging feed us in the end.This area is now grown up, if tempted to visit walk from the main road!

7287 runs next to the Gave de Pau (river) at Coarraze-Nay, near Pau with the 08:38 Hendaye-Toulouse (14142) service on 17th September 2008. Like many locations in France the double barrelled name actually refers to two towns located near each other, but sharing one railway station. This was a memorable day as due to the train timings we kept driving back and forth along a 50km stretch of road so we could photograph every loco hauled service with the sun angle correct on the train, madness! These classic French locomotives are referred to as “nez cassés”, which roughly translates translated to broken nose!

September 1980 built 7287 catches a reflection in the Gave de Pau at Orthez with the 14:00 Toulouse-Irun inter-regional express (14143) on 16th September 2008. This area was once a stronghold for the 9300 “Jacquemins” but most trains are now in the hands of “Nez Cassé” or broken nose 7200’s. This delightful town, 40 km east of Pau in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department is a popular tourist spot, the ancent 14th Centaury “Pont Vieux” bridge and 12th, 14th and 15th century’s houses being the main draw.

Dating from January 18th 1979, 7268 races its Corail stock towards Pau through Aressy, in the town’s eastern outskirts at 18:31 with 14149 16:32 Toulouse Matabiau to Irun, a few kilometres over the border in Spain on 16th September 2008. Pau has a claim to fame in that it was the birthplace of King Henry IV in 1553.

7268 was a regular on this trip and here its seen at Tourney, nr Tarbes with service 14142; 08:38 Hendaye to Toulouse Matabiau on 16th September 2008. Not a great location but one of the few places that would give us sun on the nose at 11:51 and close to the motorway which was a big help.

September 1980 built 7287 catches a reflection in the Gave de Pau at Orthez with the 14:00 Toulouse-Irun inter-regional express (14143) on 16th September 2008. This area was once a stronghold for the 9300 “Jacquemins” but most trains are now in the hands of “Nez Cassé” or broken nose 7200’s. This delightful town, 40 km east of Pau in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department is a popular tourist spot, the ancent 14th Centaury “Pont Vieux” bridge and 12th, 14th and 15th century’s houses being the main draw.