Train des Pignes at the Le Fugeret Chestnut Festival

2013-11-14

Train des Pignes at the Le Fugeret Chestnut Festival

The month of October sees many chestnut festivals (Fête de la Châtaigne) in Provence, some where one or the other of the heritage railways is involved (cf an earlier post from ATTCV at Camps-la-Source).

The festival in Le Fugeret was held on Saturday November 2, 2013, with visitors from the whole area. The village of Le Fugeret is located at an altitude of approximate 800 m.

The Le Fugeret railway station is located at an altitude of 838 m, between Annot and Saint André on the Nice to Digne line. It was opened on July 3, 1911, when the track between Annot and Saint André was (finally!) built and opened, thus making it possible for trains to go all the way from Nice to Digne.

This day, the GECP Train des Pignes steam train from Puget-Théniers did not as usual stop at Annot and then return. Today the journey was extended to Le Fugeret, to bring visitors to (and later in the day from) the festival.

Some passengers for the steam train arrived from Nice on one of the new CP railcars, AMP 801-802, 15 minutes prior to departure of the steam train.

Leaving Puget-Théniers, AMP 801-802 passes some of the retired railcars parked at the station.

Railcar AMP 801-802 leaves Le Fugeret station, while GECP's locomotive E-211 La Portugaise is at full steam attacking the steep grades below Annot.

One of the soon-to-be-retired railcars passing above the Le Fugeret village, to reach Annot prior to the departure of the steam train for Le Fugeret.

Quite a few people, from the village or visitors to the festival, walked up the hill to the station to great the arrival of the steam train, a rare event.