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Rescue of a railcar HAWA
By M. Golinelli
Several vestiges of railways of Ardennes were indicated to the MTVS several years ago. One finds there the box of an already protected coach and that of a HAWA railcar situated in the Vendresse's station. Having identified the owner, Mr Guerin, the first contacts were taken, but the associative life is what it is and the MTVS hesitates then cannot finance this rescue. Finally, the rescue operations took place on August the 28th. Mr Guérin and myself prepared the site. The base in stones is unsettled in two places to leave the passage for belts and the roof is cleaned of all which had been added to assure its waterproofs. Indeed, the box bought in 1949 by Mr. Louis Guérin, father of the current owner, served as second home with a common room and a "stay" which served as bedroom. Monday in the early hours, the company for the lifting was on time. It is not the weight of the coach (3 tons) but the situation that required the use of a telescopic crane of 30 tons. Indeed, the ground was decorated with pines, everything around the "place of residence" situated10 meters of the road. In time, trees grew and prevent any machine from penetrating. It is so suspended to the arrow of the crane that the railcar went out of this wood and loaded in a lorry and taken to Butry. These operations were realized in the presence of one journalist of the " Union - Ardennais " the local daily.
C'est à 15 h que le camion pénètre dans l'emprise du Musée. La caisse est déchargée avec la grue de l'association et placée le long de la piste, puis bâchée. Elle prendra un repos bien mérité avant d'être rénovée.
Some days later, taking advantage of more luminosity more important than at Vendresse, we manage to read the relief number under the paint. It is about #37
History of the HAWA railcars
During World War I, the railways of the Ardennes undergo heavy destructions requiring several years for the restoration of the network. Since 1923, the network exploited by the group Baert & Verney endows of railcars built in the Usine Factory of the group in Le Mans and in Prix-les-Mézières. At the beginning of the 30s (1930 or 1932 according to sources), the network receives 9 railcars built in Berlin by the Deutsche Getriebe Geselschaft under license Hanoversche Wagonfabrik (HAWA) for compensation of the World War I. These small railcars in two axles are equipped with a 45-ch engine working with gasoline SELVE and a chain transmission. They offered 24 or 25 sitting places. Five of them were completed by a one-axle trailer accessible by an intertraffic with the engine. This small complement offered 10 sitting places and a mail compartment. The railcar 37 was not equipped with it. The car 35 was destroyed during the second conflict in 1944 whereas autoengines 36 - 39 were made out of order same year. These four last ones will be crossed off in 1949. At this time Mr Louis Guérin bought the autoengine 37. The 4 survivors would pursue their service until 1954 and even until 1961 for the 34 on the lines of Semoy (Monthermé Sorendal) and Goutelle (Nouzonville - Gespunsart).
After the construction of a first line of Local Interest in 1879, the department of Ain releases in 1897 and 1898 a local network of 182km, granted to the Company of the Chemins de Fer Economiques du Sud-Est (E.S.E. or SE- not to confuse with the Société générale de CF Economiques -) and including the line from Bourg-en-Bresse to Jassans (then Villefranche-sur-saône). At few kilometers from the village, the station of 2-nd class of Corgenon will live from 1898 till 1937 at the rate of the passage of the locomotive 030T Corpet-Louvet of 19 tons and on wooden coach, in two axles and five windows. When the tramway was abandoned, and as often in our countryside, a mixed coach was preserved by an inhabitant of Corgenon, Mr Deloy ) It was used as chicken run then as kennel. It would serve also as playground for the children of the village, attracted by this hut different from the others. In February 1993,it was given up to Mr. Curial, who was renewing the Corgenon's gare station, thing made in 1997 for the centenary of the small train. In 1998, the car was confided for restoration to the center of forming professional (AFAPA) of Bourg-en-Bresse, but without result. Threatened with destruction, it was offered to the MTVS on November 14, 2000.
The box is that of a 1-st and 2-nd class coach, puts into series AB 1 - 11, built in 1897 by the establishments Carel and Fouché for the E.S.E (absorbed in 1926 by the regie departementale de l'Ain). The box with five small windows is in slats of pitchpin varnished then painted in Van Dick brown. It contained 6 places of 1-st class on transverse seats and 12 places of 2-nd on transverse seats on one side and longitudinal on the other one. Some "important" elements are still present on this car: access door opening towards the outside, luggage rack, blind of blue color... The MTVS would like to thank Mr Deloy for its reception at Corgenon, Mr Morin-Marty, who informed us n about the availability of this coach, and naturally Mr Curial, who worked hard at the protection of the local railway patrimony by restoring the station and by protecting - then by offering to the MTVS - a traveler coach.
by G. Masson
Dorothée, as every year, had the elegance of the young ladies of the 1900s
And yes, it has been now three years that I am a part of the MTVS, and it is only this year that I spent for the first time the weekend of the Festival under the sun! As every year, Saturday morning, teams came early at the museum to put in service their machines. This year, only two of them were used: the CdN #36 and the Pinguely. I took charge of the Pinguely with Jean-Jacques Stefanazzi. The hearth being already cleaned, we had not more than to fetch some wood and good blocks of coal to switch on the machine. The fire setting slowly, we quickly started to clean of this beautiful small monster. It is not always funny to clean and to polish brass instruments, but it is more beautiful when one can see himself inside! Having greased mechanisms and other pieces in movement, the pressure in the boiler became sufficient to move the machine, what allowed us to go "to make some coal and water" to be able to assure the first train of this long weekend. It was about 11:30 AM when we put ourselves at the head of the first train which already overflowed of travelers impatient to see the first panaches of smoke. The whistle of the guard rings, and the signal of departure was given to me: I adjusted the moving direction, I opened slowly the regulator, and we left for the first round trip to the Bois Thibault. After two trips during the morning, we agreed a break to satisfy our hunger with tray meals prepared by the volunteers of " the cafetaria team" whom it is once again necessary to thank. During this time, the CdN (Lulu) relieved to assure one or two trains. Early in the afternoon, the number of guests quickly increased: it was the beginning of rush hours! Indeed, during the afternoon of the vapor festival, our small metric line was almost transformed on a subway line: Lulu's oar had not yet marked the stop, that we were already giving the first tours of wheels! The slightest incident of exploitation would have been fatal. Due to the seriousness of all the volunteers in charge of the exploitation everything took place marvelously and no incident, even minor, was noticed. At the end of the day, not less than seventeen trips were assured by our two locomotives.
our agents of safety of the PN of Parmain's street saw some festival only the round trips of the trains
The next day, we started again, but this time I was accompanied with Hervé Stefanazzi as driver. This time the locomotives needed much less time to rise in pressure because they were still warm. As for the Pliz, everything was to be done again! We even took advantage of it to clean the machine with a water spray. As the day before, we began to assure the traveler service t at about noon , but Sunday obliges, there was much more guests, especially since the nice weather was here. During the day, trains did succeed one another. All the members of the MTVS were at work: while some were driving the trains, others were tightening a doubtful splint. Others continued to work on the "Sarthe" which was waiting for the engineers of the Mines for a detailed visit of its boil or welcomed and took care of the guests at the cafeteria.
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To animate this festival, we rented services of mechanical organ turners .On Saturday afternoon, one of them was installed on the platform of one of the coach and warmed up the atmosphere in the convoy. Another organ was situated in the Halle - museum. The children were allowed to turn the crank and as we are big children, some, as our Secretary, were surprised when doing it. During this weekend, it is 1,111 paying guests who visited us. The Meeting is already taken for the festival 2001 during which we will celebrate the 25 years of the association |
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At the sunset, once the guests left, the endless operations began obviously to end with a lantern! As every year, it was a real " Chinese puzzle " to put back all the material to its place! Ouf, it finally ended: the locomotives hummed still a little, but we could take a good and well deserved shower, then spend time at the traditional meal with most of the members of the MTVS.
Reception of MRS. Corpet and Louvet
On November the 18th at 2:30 PM, the Museum is officially closed, but guests group together on the track. At 3:00 PM, the group exceeded the 40 persons. Near, the CdN #36 begins to make its singing exercises. Operations begin; one sees the Sarthe passing, then the car of Deux-Sèvres was hitched to the TIV. The machine in revision is placed on one of the track of the warehouse whereas the CdN is parked at its sides. This arrangement was realized for our guests who have all a common point with both machines. This day, we received, a part of the Corpet family that accompanied Mr. Michel Corpet and Gérard Louvet, the last leaders of the famous factory of steam engines. After the gift of the plans, the Board of directors had decided to invite them to discover the Museum. Our guests, whatever is their age, were delighted to see machines built by the firm. The youngest discovered what made their grandfather or defers grandfather. Two round-trips to the Bois Thibault were made. The day ended with a meal and the delivery of an honor membership card to Mr. Corpet, and to Bruno Corpet at the origin of this conservation.
Our Vice President, H. Dupuis, in big discussion with Mr Corpet
locomotive Corpet-Louvet, network of Ardennes 1909
Site conçu par M. Golinelli - MTVS - 1998 - 2003
