Helene Anderson
New member
I took myself off to take a few photos of the next station along the line from where I was a few days ago. This one is closed to passengers, has been since before 1992 though no one can recall the date of closure. The station has been owned by the Canton for a number of years and is used as offices though the platform side of the building is unkempt.
A lot of sparse bushes, thistles, looking at this time of year very sparse. A bit slippery also on the platform. Opposite there are the silos where trains still arrive. The line is still active for grain wagons. It is not uncommon I have found to find that a station is closed to passengers but is still registered as being open for freight, though here the only freight is grain. The wagons are moved along the track by a tractor, like any large tractor one might find on a building site rather than by a locommotive!
This now really is the end of the line. I was told that the trains travel no farther than the bridge iron in the picture. I know that a bit further on the track has been taken away, it is no more.
There was one last place to look at. From St Saviol the line is pretty flat, a very slight incline and the road crosses by level crossings except for one place. The road is well below the level of the railway and there is a small viaduct over a very small valley.
There are a few more pictures here. The level crossing in the album was not far from Civray, probably the former crossing keepers house. Certainly the house was 'attached' to the railway. The line is electrified (overhead) for a very short distance from the main Paris Bordeaux line, as far as the silos at St Saviol, then it will be upto a diesel locomotive to take the trains to the silos at Civray.
I think it might be interesting to take this a bit further and perhaps contact the SNCF to try and find some history about this line. Also to try and look at the industrial heritage of the area. I don't think for a moment that there is a great industrial hertage here, it being so rural but I wouldn't be surprised to find out about various small workshops that existed in the past, small business providing those things that are needed by a rural community.
A lot of sparse bushes, thistles, looking at this time of year very sparse. A bit slippery also on the platform. Opposite there are the silos where trains still arrive. The line is still active for grain wagons. It is not uncommon I have found to find that a station is closed to passengers but is still registered as being open for freight, though here the only freight is grain. The wagons are moved along the track by a tractor, like any large tractor one might find on a building site rather than by a locommotive!
This now really is the end of the line. I was told that the trains travel no farther than the bridge iron in the picture. I know that a bit further on the track has been taken away, it is no more.
There was one last place to look at. From St Saviol the line is pretty flat, a very slight incline and the road crosses by level crossings except for one place. The road is well below the level of the railway and there is a small viaduct over a very small valley.
There are a few more pictures here. The level crossing in the album was not far from Civray, probably the former crossing keepers house. Certainly the house was 'attached' to the railway. The line is electrified (overhead) for a very short distance from the main Paris Bordeaux line, as far as the silos at St Saviol, then it will be upto a diesel locomotive to take the trains to the silos at Civray.
I think it might be interesting to take this a bit further and perhaps contact the SNCF to try and find some history about this line. Also to try and look at the industrial heritage of the area. I don't think for a moment that there is a great industrial hertage here, it being so rural but I wouldn't be surprised to find out about various small workshops that existed in the past, small business providing those things that are needed by a rural community.
