The blue Train of the Valley of the Saone

The blue train of the Valley of the Saone was a tram connecting Lyon with the Neuville-on-Saone (the Rhone) of 1932 to 1957. It made following a tram with vapor, which circulated on this same way since 1891.

The ancestor: the TLN

In the years 1880, Neuville was already connected to Lyon by two railways, both pertaining to the PLM : small the Line Lyon - Trévoux and large the Paris line - Lyon, which passed on Right Bank of the Saone, with Villevert, without counting diligences on the road, and boats on the the Saone (of which " Parisien" , with paddle wheels, which disturbed the fishermen extremely).

Since 1888, Misters Allioud & Pétrequin obtained General advice the Rhone the concession of a tram line with vapor connecting Lyon to the Neuville-on-Saone: quay of the Fisheries, in the north of the Peninsula, until Neuville while following the Saone in edge of road, 16 kilometers length, about null declivities, few crossroads, projected budget 500.000 gold franc.
Work was undertaken quickly: a line with double track of horse the tram of the company of the Slow trains and Tramways of Lyon (OTL) was usable on the first two kilometers, to the bridge of Canary; it was prolonged to the exit of Lyon, and beyond in single track; as of October 1889, the first oars tractor drawn by Rowan engines circulated until Fontaines, with 10 kilometers of Lyon-Fisheries. It is only in February 1890 that was published the Déclaration of public utility, and was recorded the constitution of the Compagnie of the Tram of Lyon with Neuville and extensions . In June 1895, the line reached Neuville, and the service road was assured entirely by 4 locos with a total 12 remorques.
The success of TLN was real, because it made it possible to the Lyoneses to go in edge of the Saone, with the Île Beard , Collonges or Rochetaillée, or in the middle-class properties of Caluire, Fontaines, or Neuville. Between 1895 and 1899, the material was replaced: engines standard Winterthur 030 and new trailers. The ducted form of the locos and the accidents that did not fail to cause this train on road were worth him the nickname of Guillotine .

The new line

In 1899, then in 1909, projects of prolongation until Trévoux (Ain) started to be born, without result. Competition developed, in particular by coach services towards the Island Beard and Collonges; one lives even in 1925 a transitory service of electrobus to battery. But the multitude was always with go of TLN.
In 1923, the department repurchased the line, which he entrusted in control to OTL in 1925. In 1927, a public survey was open for a prolongation on Trévoux in metric gauge Track and with electric Traction. Finally, in 1929, the replacement of the existing line was undertaken by a new line with metric gauge track and electric traction under D.C. current 600 volts, likely to be connected later on to Trévoux with the departmental network of Ain.
Fountains with Rochetaillée, an independent platform was built in fill at the edge of the Saone, avoiding the crossing of the two villages; the new way was open on January 15th, 1932 of Fountains to Neuville.
The Lyon section - Fountains, which was to remain in edge of road, posed problem. To remove the circulation of the tram with misinterpretation, the new way was rebuilt in edge of the road side hill, separated physically from the principal roadway, and avoidances overflowing on the roadway organized with crossing on the left, so that the oars which uncoupled on the roadway circulated there on the right. In Lyon, it was necessary to pose a third rail on the ways with normal spacing used by the urban trams. This work required the complete neutralization of the line of Lyon with Fontaines for 6 months, with replacement by coaches. The summer was particularly difficult, the coaches sufficient step to ensure the traffic, in particular Sunday. The line was brought into service from beginning to end on September 15th, 1932.

The " train bleu"

The service was ensured by oars designed particularly well and comfortable, of which the motor coaches were able to tractor draw to 6 trailers (5 maximum in regular service), which made true " of it; trains" - up to 90 meters, absolutely exceptional length for a tram. The users, enchanted, baptized it " the train bleu" in reference to its delivered which sliced with the black of the old material. Success was immediate, exceeding the hopes of the promoters. Not only the rate/rhythm of an oar every half-hour was held, except off-peak hours, but it was necessary to seek reinforcement: old oars of the abandoned lines all around Lyon were brought into service Sunday for services partial to the bridge of Collonges.

The blue train circulated thus during 25 years without another problem that the floods which, on several occasions, cut the line. As 1940 to 1942, the line, whose service was not stopped, served to evacuate spoil of the boring of the tunnel under the Cross-Russet-red .

In 1942, the new whole trade union of public transport of the region of Lion (TCRL) indicated the OTL like farm company of the whole of the urban network and suburban, devoting the final disappearance of the " TLN".

From 1947, the urban trams of Lyon started to be replaced by buses or trolley buses. In 1955, the blue train was the only survivor. He did not survive besides very a long time, since he made his last voyage on June 30th, 1957. A line of bus was open in replacement, the line 40, which always exists on the same way. In spite of the multiplication of the lines of bus between Lyon and Neuville, the passenger traffic pains to equalize today that which ensured, only, the blue train, 50 years ago.

Data sheet

The line

16 kilometers length, including 3 intramural with double track, the remainder in single track, with 14 avoidances
the Lyons terminus was on the quay of the Fisheries; the blue train operated there out of drawer, sharing a way with the urban tram (line 2) until its disappearance; also operate out of drawer with the terminus of Neuville, circulation on the way of overflow being done on the roadway in the direction of the motor vehicle traffic
the deposit of the cars was in Fontaines, little before the bridge where was made the stop; access in the two directions of circulation by two connections in triangle
14 stops in all, as many d' avoidances, but some shifted compared to the stops because of a width of insufficient road (Island Beard, Combe, Fleurieu)
the Lyon way - Neuville was carried out in 47 minutes exactly; certain Lyon circulations - Neuville left in Fontaines part of their cars, and began again some with the return; partial services finished in Fontaines.

The only currently visible traces of the old line are:

two kiosks of the termini, which are still used as shelter to the travellers of line 40,
a short road by-pass between Fontaines and the bridge of Couzon, established on the platform of the blue train circumventing Fountain-center and Rochetaillée,
a cycle track in edge of road between the bridge of Couzon and Bellegarde, on the site of the old way.

Served communes

directly (left bank of the Saone):

by a bridge on the Saone (Right Bank):

Saint-Rambert-the Island Beard
Collonges-with-Mount-in Or
Couzon-with-Mount-in Or
the Albigny-on-Saone (Villevert)

The material

(not included/understood the red material of reinforcement)

6 reversible motor coaches, length 15 meters, on bogies, with two driving cabins, a compartment with luggage, rise of the travellers by double sliding central door with pneumatic control
food 600 V continuous, by pantograph (central) in extra-urban site, by pole with caster in urban site (a pole with front, one with the back); the pole with caster was replaced by a pole with wiper in 1956 to make it possible the tram to take the current on the positive wire of the feeder of the trolley bus (line 2) with which it shared the way of the bridge of Canary to the quay of the Fisheries (the food remaining autonomous on the way reverses)
4 engines coupled by 2 on each bogie; total power 240 kw; rheostatic braking
22 trailers, length 12 meters, on bogies, assembled by double central door; coupler standard Boirault
no indication of way, works at sight; by safety, a section in curve was put in double track on 650 meters (locality Combe, between the Island Beard and the bridge of Collonges)
for great maintenance, the cars were sent to the workshops of the OTL, Lyon

The motor coach number 6 was preserved at… the museum of the car of Lyon-Rochetaillée, and number 118 with AMTUR tows it; the remainder of the material could not be preserved, and left to scrap. The deposit of Fountains was transformed into purification plant.

Bibliographical references

the blue train, history of transport Lyon-Fountains-Neuville , by Rene Clavaud, Jacques Perrenon & Robert Chain, editions of the CABRI, 2003, ISBN 2.914603.13.4
On the rails of the Lyonese , by Jose Banaudo, editions of the CABRI, 2001-2002 (2 volumes)
History of transport in Lyon , by Jean Arrivetz, 1965
the tram Lyon-Neuville , article in regional and urban Railroads , re-examined FACS, special issue, August 1959.

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