Railway Study Association

The Railway Students' Association in France

(22 May - 1 June 1928)

 

One of the earliest formal RSA 'conventions' was to France in 1928, at the invitation of the French railway authorities.

It is perhaps of interest that the departure point for France was St Pancras station, counter-intuitively heading out north, just as one does today. This was at that time (and until the 1950s) a quite normal continental departure point, the LMS railway conveying traffic to the channel port of Tilbury via the Tottenham & Hampstead and London Tilbury & Southend Railway routes via Barking to connect with suitable ferries. The party returned on a Southern Railway steamer.

RSA members were obliged to visit the French south coast resorts of the Côte d'Azur, and had the opportunity to 'inspect' the casino at Monte Carlo; these apparent incidentals were no doubt illustrations of the French mind-broadening approach to railway management development.

The trip was written up in the Railway Magazine of July 1928, and the report reads as follows: 

 

ON the invitation of the French railways, a party of members of the Railway Students' Association of the London School of Economics spent 10 days in France, leaving London on the evening of Tuesday, May 22, and arriving back on the morning of Friday, June 1. The programme was an instructive one, covering the inspection of railway workshops, engineering works, docks, stations, etc, together with a number of visits to places of tourist interest for which the respective railway companies offer facilities to the general public.

Leaving St. Pancras on Tuesday, May 22, the party crossed on the steamship Lorrain, of the Angleterre-Lorrain-Alsace Société Anonyme de Navigation. At Dunkerque the party was met, notwithstanding the early hour of arrival, by M. le Besnerais, Chef adjoint de l'Exploitation, Chemin de fer du Nord, on behalf of M. P. E. Javary, Directeur de l'Exploitation, MM. Leliepre and Ceirin, and other officers of the Northern Railway. After passing through the customs a tour of the extensive docks was made by tug. This was illuminating, in that few of the visitors had any conception of the extent of these docks and the large amount of up-to-date plant now available.

The party then travelled by special train to the great shunting yard near Lille, known as Lille-Delivrance.

Returning to Lille, the party was entertained to lunch and then travelled by train to Hellemmes, the largest locomotive, carriage, and wagon works of the Nord Company. An interesting time was spent there, under the direction of MM. Marroula and Biez, Works Managers, and their assistants. About 1,800 men are employed, and the works have a capacity of some 30 engines for entire overhaul and 30 engines for general overhaul monthly, with a proportion of new construction and corresponding figures in regard to coaching and wagon stock.

Entraining again, at 4.25 p.m. the visitors joined an express from Lille to Paris. New all-steel vehicles were specially attached. This train, booked non-stop from Arras to Paris (120 miles) in 125 minutes, provided a good example of high speed running on the Chemin de fer du Nord. Omnibuses conveyed the visitors to their respective hotels, and were used again next morning to join the 8.35 a.m. train for Chantilly. Autocars, on a service working in “correspondence” with the Northern Railway, conveyed the visitors to the Chateau de Chantilly, round which they were conducted. Afterwards the autocars toured the Forest of Chantilly before proceeding to Senlis for lunch, where M. L. Piot, Engineer, Central Division, occupied the chair. Travelling thence to Chantilly, the party returned to Paris by train, then making a comprehensive tour of Paris by autocar (with a trip by Seine river steamer from the Pont d'Austerlitz to the Trocadero), and at 7 p.m. visited the Arc de Triomphe, where a wreath was deposited on the grave of the “Unknown soldier.”

Next morning the party left the Quai d'Orsay station of the Paris-Orleans Railway by special train at 8.1 a.m., drawn by an electric locomotive as far as Aubras-Orleans (the junction for Orleans), 761-miles. This was an interesting experience, as few of the visitors had had any experience of a relatively long mainline journey worked by an electric locomotive. The journey to Tours was completed behind a steam locomotive, and after lunch the visitors were taken by autocar to the Chateau de Chenonceaux and the Chateau d'Amboise. These are two of the numerous historic chateaux in the district for which the Paris-Orleans Railway offers facilities, the cars being indicated as working in “correspondence” with the P.O. Railway, and as weather had become very fine, this part of the programme proved most enjoyable. After dinner at Tours, over which M. L. C. David, Inspecteur Divisionnaire des Services Techniques, presided, with M. A. Jacquet, the visitors, at their own convenience, joined the “couchette” cars prepared for them and left at 1.42 a.m. by a train travelling as a special by a cross-country route to Saincaize, where the P.L.M. line was joined. Actually, the train continued a further 561 miles to St. Germain des Fosses, where breakfast was served, to avoid having to change trains at an inconveniently early hour. A P.L.M. special train was used from St. Germain des Fosses to Lyons, where lunch was served, the party then visiting various places of interest in the town and vicinity by autocar. Leaving Lyons at 4.52 p.m.. Marseilles was reached at 9.50 p.m., tea and dinner being served en route. M. R. J. F. Grande, Inspecteur Divisionnaire de l'Exploitation, accompanied the party while on the P.L.M.

On Sunday morning the party inspected the Museum and Zoological Gardens, and made a tour by autocar of Marseilles, until, at 4 p.m., they left for Nice by train, reached at 8.22 p.m. Monday was devoted to an autocar trip via the high level (Grande Corniche) road to Mentone, undoubtedly one of the most entrancing road tours anywhere available. To the left the Maritime Alps are visible, while to the right the traveller has magnificent views of the beautiful Mediterranean coast, the Côte d'Azur, looking down, in places from a height which reaches 1,600 ft. above the sea, upon the chain of seaside resorts which the railway serves as it winds its way along this wonderful stretch of coast. A halt was made at La Turbie, overlooking Monte Carlo, and the visitors then went on to Ventimiglia, the frontier between France and Italy. After lunch at Mentone, the return journey was made by the Moyenne Corniche (lower road), with a halt to inspect the Casino and for tea at Monte Carlo.

Tuesday morning was spent at Nice, and at 2.25 p.m. the party left by “couchette” cars for the long direct journey back to Paris, reached at 8.10 a.m. next morning. The remainder of the day was left free, thus enabling the visitors to see Paris on their own account, to purchase souvenirs, and to see something of the big termini and of the “Metropolitan” and “Nord-Sud” underground lines.

On Thursday morning the party inspected the extensive works in hand at the Est station, under the direction of several members of the engineering staff. Here there will eventually be 30 platforms, and work is well in hand with the clearance of the area which is being incorporated, the erection of new station buildings, and the construction of several new bridges. As reconstructed, the existing platform lines will be lengthened, others added to bring the total to 30, new station buildings provided to include adequate luggage-handling equipment, restaurant and other facilities, and nine lines provided outside the station in place of six as at present, together with improved approaches for passengers and luggage coming to or leaving the station. This part of the programme proved most interesting to the engineering members of the party.

The visitors then travelled by road to Malmaison and Versailles, and after lunch inspected the Palace at the latter place. St. Germain was then visited and the party returned to Paris (St. Lazare) by one of the newly-electrified State Railway routes, being accompanied by MM. Corteggiani, Manrique and other officers. After dinner they entrained for Dieppe, by special train, crossing on the French State and Southern Railway steamer Dieppe, and reaching Victoria at 6.5 a.m. on the Friday morning.

Unfortunately, Sir Josiah Stamp, President of the Association, was unable to join the party, but most satisfactory arrangements, complete in every detail, were made by all concerned. The committee of the Association, together with the representatives of the French railways, are to be congratulated in this respect, particularly Mr. W. Fanthorp, Hon. Secretary of the Association, and M. Dubois, of the Chemin de fer du Nord, who were mainly responsible, in conjunction with Thos. Cook & Son, Ltd., who made all arrangements apart from railway travel, road travel in railway-owned or “correspondence” vehicles, and matters not covered by the railway companies themselves. The special coaches and special trains provided added much to the comfort of the visitors, together with the provision of " couchette " compartments for night travel and the supply of meals from the International Sleeping Car restaurant cars as required.

At Lille, Senlis, Tours, Nice and Paris, short speeches of welcome were made by MM. Besnerais, Piot, David, Grante and Corteggiani, to which Messrs. W. Fanthorp, A. J. Jenkin, H. Bailey and Whitworth replied. In each case Mr. Fanthorp extended greetings from the General Managers of the English railways and expressed appreciation of the generous facilities which had been provided. At Nice, Mr. F. Young, Riviera Superintendent of Thos. Cook & Son Ltd., also spoke. The visitors were very greatly indebted to M. L. Miéville, one of the chief couriers of Thos. Cook & Son, who accompanied them throughout, and who so efficiently looked after every detail. The L.M.S. and Southern Railways courteously supplied travelling facilities on this side of the Channel.

PLM Autocars on the front at Mentone

 

Left: PLM Autocars for Grande Corniche tour at Nice

Middle: The Paris Express leaving Nice

Right: Paris-Orleans Autocars at Chateau d'Amboise

The above leaflet appears to have been produced to facilitate the trip to France in 1928.

The above leaflet relates to the return visit, during 1929, when French officials visited England; this visit was hosted by the RSA on behalf of the four main line railways who each arranged events.

 

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