Ian Fuller2006
The French Class 47
My first visit to France was in 1987 when, as a family, we ventured across the channel to the Poitou-Charentes region. It gave me my first taste of the SNCF, albeit mostly the diesels as in those days the area west of the main Tours - Bordeaux main line was devoid of wires.
Away from the juice, the big blue diesel was king. Largest contingent was the BB67000 series, which could be found just about everywhere. Over the years I've encountered these on all kinds of work, from double-heading heavy freights to propelling 4-coach push-pull local services. Over 400 were built making them as universal in France as the 47 was in the UK. 124 were of the original BB67000 version without train heat (they worked with steam heat boiler vans), 70 BB67300s (with ETH) and 232 of the later BB67400 (with improved bogies). In due course 20 of the BB67000s were fitted with ETH and joined the BB67300 class, while 80 of the remainder were fitted with TGV cab signalling for use on works trains and for thunderbird work on TGV lines (class BB67200). The latter seemed to live a bit of lazy life, languishing (usually in pairs) at locations close to the LGV routes.
The body design is yet another from the pen of Monsieur Arzens, and the characteristic arrow grilles were a feature of the type for most of their lives along with the blue and white colour scheme. In their later years, SNCF decided to repaint some in 'Multiservices' two-tone grey and red, or 'Fret' green and grey, a process that involved removing the grilles and leaving some rather odd shaped apertures in the sides. To me, they looked better like this, as Mr. Arzens intended. I admired their versatility and styling, but always found them a bit disappointing on the noise front as they rarely seemed to generate much above a burble. There was, however, a bigger version, the AIAAIA68000 (with Sulzer engine) or AIAAIA68500 (with AGO engine) - bigger, bulkier and a bit noisier, they were brilliant, but much less common.
This was the very first French diesel I ever saw. Arriving in La Rochelle, we stopped at the station and found Bordeaux' BB67408 ready to depart on a Nantes - Bordeaux train. Eleven years later I would ride behind this loco, double-heading with BB67402, to this very spot on a train from Nantes. The TGV Atlantique scheme later brought wires to this spot by electrifying the line from Poitiers.
The French Class 47
My first visit to France was in 1987 when, as a family, we ventured across the channel to the Poitou-Charentes region. It gave me my first taste of the SNCF, albeit mostly the diesels as in those days the area west of the main Tours - Bordeaux main line was devoid of wires.
Away from the juice, the big blue diesel was king. Largest contingent was the BB67000 series, which could be found just about everywhere. Over the years I've encountered these on all kinds of work, from double-heading heavy freights to propelling 4-coach push-pull local services. Over 400 were built making them as universal in France as the 47 was in the UK. 124 were of the original BB67000 version without train heat (they worked with steam heat boiler vans), 70 BB67300s (with ETH) and 232 of the later BB67400 (with improved bogies). In due course 20 of the BB67000s were fitted with ETH and joined the BB67300 class, while 80 of the remainder were fitted with TGV cab signalling for use on works trains and for thunderbird work on TGV lines (class BB67200). The latter seemed to live a bit of lazy life, languishing (usually in pairs) at locations close to the LGV routes.
The body design is yet another from the pen of Monsieur Arzens, and the characteristic arrow grilles were a feature of the type for most of their lives along with the blue and white colour scheme. In their later years, SNCF decided to repaint some in 'Multiservices' two-tone grey and red, or 'Fret' green and grey, a process that involved removing the grilles and leaving some rather odd shaped apertures in the sides. To me, they looked better like this, as Mr. Arzens intended. I admired their versatility and styling, but always found them a bit disappointing on the noise front as they rarely seemed to generate much above a burble. There was, however, a bigger version, the AIAAIA68000 (with Sulzer engine) or AIAAIA68500 (with AGO engine) - bigger, bulkier and a bit noisier, they were brilliant, but much less common.
This was the very first French diesel I ever saw. Arriving in La Rochelle, we stopped at the station and found Bordeaux' BB67408 ready to depart on a Nantes - Bordeaux train. Eleven years later I would ride behind this loco, double-heading with BB67402, to this very spot on a train from Nantes. The TGV Atlantique scheme later brought wires to this spot by electrifying the line from Poitiers.