Railroad company of Caen to the sea

The Ligne of the railroad of Caen to the sea belongs to these small secondary lines established by private investors towards the end of the 19th century following the fashion of the sea bathings. It was, at its origins, synonymous with relaxation and summer holidays for many easy families. It was also used to transport the “boarders” towards the schools of Caen thanks to specific trains. In 1944, it was used by the allied armies to transport material and ammunition bound for the face.

The journey time was of 1 hour with 1 a.m. 30 per 23 kilometers and 35 minutes from Caen to Dover. The tariffs in 1893 were of 3,30 F in 1st class, 2,45 F in 2nd class, and 1,80 F in 3rd class.

At the exit of Luc, the line was joined by the line with Narrow gauge railway exploited by the Railroads of the Apple-brandy. The latter came from the Gare of Caen Saint-Pierre (Courtonne Place) via Ouistreham. The joint section (Luc-Courseulles) was exploited thanks to a third rail, separation between normal way (1,435m) and sees 60cm was done without moving part by a “point of heart” adapted to the rolls of wheels of each material and by 2 contre-rails (for each type of width of way) with the right of the point of heart. The common rail was the rail more in the South. It should be noted that, at the only middle station of crossing (St-Aubin) between Luc and Courseulles, where the convoys in normal way could cross, there was, before the needle of normal way, separation of the 2 types of ways. We thus had with St-Aubin 2 normal ways (1,435m) of crossing and southern part 2 narrow gauge railways (0,60m) of crossing too. Let us announce that Langrune and Bernières were only halts (thus deprived of needle) and not of the stations.

On the photograph, one distinguishes the way well from 60cm.

History

The railway line Caen (St-Martin) - Courseulles, via Luc-on-sea open in the 1875 and was inaugurated on June 30th. It quickly was called “the local train” and more generally “the small train of Caen to the sea”. Initially, it went from Caen to Luc-on-Sea then was prolonged of 8 kilometers in June 1876, until Courseulles-on-Sea. At the request of the residents, stations were then open to the Madness, Malon, Cisey, and Epron. Connection with the railroad of the West (Paris-Cherbourg line) was carried out on September 12th, 1877 at the station of junction called “bif of Courseulles”. This station managed 4 directions of line: double track of Cherbourg, double track of Flers, single tracks of Jurques and Courseulles. It was demolished in 1996. From 1886, it was exploited by the Railroad company of Caen to the sea, then it was taken again on March 23rd, 1933 by the Compagnie of the state railways. The line was modernized in 1937-1938. The concession being completed on August 9th, 1937, the exploitation - except and summer services direct Paris-Courseulles train - was reassigned at the company of bus “the Norman Courriers” which signed an agreement in 1938 with the any news the SNCF for the maintenance of the ways. The trains were maintained for the season of summer but the bus service from now on being ensured by coach, a road service had partly replaced the rail. The line knew a renewal of activity during the years of war. It was touched little during the unloading of 1944. Some movements of tanks, only, deteriorated the ways at several places. The genius replaced them so that the allied armies could make there circulate their trains. The civil travellers were again accepted at the end of the summer 1944 but the network was in fact taken again by the company on December 21st, 1944. The traffic regressed considerably as from 1945. The passenger traffic represented 6 times what it was in 1938 and 2 times what it was in 1943. Unfortunately, the majority of the travellers were war veterans profiting from the exemption from payment on public transport. In 1950, the traffic was active only during the summer and the decision was made to close this 28 kilometers length line. Incompetent then to compete with the development of the car, the line was officially closed on December 8th, 1950. It was it definitively in 1952. However, of the convoys of goods continued to borrow it until 1970 in its part “connection” to the avenue of Creully (with 6 level crossings) serving the warehouses which skirted the boulevard Dunois then (Ets Dumond & Jaussaud, Usine Igol, etc).

Rolling stock

The driving material was composed of four engines 030 Fives-Lille built especially in 1875 for the line. One 030 Corpet-Louvet was added to it in 1883, then the 030-1392 of the network of the West (built in 1869 for the old network of the Eure). Lastly, one 030 St Léonard and one 030 Corpet-Louvet supplemented the park traction in 1927.

The cars traveller were axle cars and case out of wooden known as “Bidel”, identical to those of the network of suburbs. A score of enters were cars with imperial.

There were also cars with Bogie S of the network of the State which ensured the direct Paris-Courseulles trains.

Lastly, the line was equipped with rail-cars as from the 1924. Their park was composed of a railcar Renault RS4 and 4 tyred “Rail-cars” (2 “type 11” and 1 “type 14”). They were withdrawn from the service in 1939.

Stations

See also: Station of Caen Saint Martin's day

The Caen-Courseulles line served many halts or stations:

There was sometimes a halt with the hippodrome of Courseulles when there were races.

For the trains coming from Paris, there was also a halt for the Beaulieu district, in the west of Caen. The way passed then by current the " Napoléon" course; and the Dunois boulevard then the site of the current Weygand boulevard skirted to the end of which the railway platform always exists (close to the library to sciences to the university to Caen).

Layout of the line on Google Maps or Wikimapia

Model making

The line of Caen to the sea, and more particularly the station of Courseulles on Sea, at summer reproduced on the scale O (1/43°) and presented at the time of the living room of the model in 2005.

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