Chemins de Fer du Morbihan

The Chemins de Fer du Morbihan (CM) was a metre gauge railway in Morbihan, France, with some track in Loire-Inférieure. The first lines opened in 1902 and the system had a total extent of 433 kilometres (269 mi).

Former railways in Morbihan

Chemin de Fer du Morbihan

Gourin La Magdeleine Plouray Langonnet Le Saint Le Faouët Meslan Berné Poulhlbet Berne St. Caradec-Kernascléden Plouay Lignol Lanvaudan Cléguer Guémené-sur-Scorff Sèbrévet-Bubry Pont-Scorff Guern-Locmalo Pont Augan Quistinic Quéven Malguénac Lorient Languidic Baud Kerbédie Lorient-Ville Lochrist Baud-Camors Cléguérec Hennebont-Ville La Chapelle Neuve Stival Kervignac 73km Locminé Pontivy Merlevenez Colpo Royal St. Thuriau Plouhinec Pont du Loc Moréac Moustoir-Remungol Riantec Locqueltas-Plaudren Naizin Port Louis Le Champ de Tir Moulin Gilet Lesvellec Réguiny 106km Vannes Radenac-Pleugriffet Theix Lantillac 122km Surzur Josselin St. Armel Ambon Guillac St. Colombier Muzillac 47km Ploërmel Sarzeau Diston-Arzal Taupont St. Gildas du Rhuys Marzan Helléan Le Net 148km La Roche-Bernard (Rive Droite) St. Malo-des-Trois-Fontaines Arzon 149km La Roche-Bernard (Gare Définitive) Herbignac Mahon 152km Port Navalo La Chapelle des Mazuin 0km La Trinité-Porhoët

St. Gildas station, CM

Sarzeau station, CM

History

The CM was a Voie Ferrées d'Interêt Local system. In 1892, the Compagnie des Chemins de Fer du Morbihan was given permission to build a network of metre gauge lines in Morbihan.[1] The first lines opened in 1902, with further lines opening in 1903, 1905, 1906, 1910 and 1921. The first closures were in 1935. Although railcars had been introduced in the 1930s, all rail passenger traffic ceased in 1939, along with another series of line closures. The passenger service was provided by buses from then on.[1] Most of the surviving lines closed in 1947 and the final closures were in 1948.

Lines

The main line was Gourin - Lorient - Meslan - Lochminé - Vannes - La Roche-Bernard.

Branches were from Meslan - Pontivy - Ploermel. Surzur - Port Navalo, Baud - Port Louis, La Roche-Bernard - Herbignac - Piriac-sur-Mer - Guérande, Herbignac - Saint-Nazaire, Pontivy - Moulin Gilet, Pontivy - Guémené-sur-Scorff.

Rolling stock

No. 101

Steam locomotives

• 14 Pingueley 0-6-0T
• 101 Pingueley 0-6-0T works number 165/1905. To Forges de Gueugnon after closure. Preserved on the Chemin de Fer de la Baie de Somme.[2]
• 103 Pingueley 0-6-0T works number 167/1905. To Forges de Gueugnon after closure. Preserved at Tournon.[3][4]
• 3 Corpet-Louvet 0-6-0T locomotives delivered in 1922. Works numbers 1605-07.[5]

Railcars

• One petrol railcar is preserved at the Musée des Tramways à Vapeur et des chemins de fer Secondaire français (MTVS).[6]

Passenger stock

• B153, a bogie carriage, is preserved at the MTVS.[6]

The line today

The station building at Préfailles survives, recently restored.[7]

References

1. "Histoire de la CTM" (in French). Compagnie de Transports du Morbihan. Archived from the original on 2007-06-16. Retrieved 2008-03-18.
2. "Locomotive Type 030 Pinguely Numéro 101" (in French). CFBS. Archived from the original on November 26, 2006. Retrieved 2008-03-20.
3. "Locomotive Pinguely 030 T des chemins de fer du Morbihan N°101 (1905)" (in French). FACS. Archived from the original on 2008-03-31. Retrieved 2008-03-20.
4. "CFILM No. 103". steamlocomotive.info. Retrieved 2008-03-20.
5. "From Malletts to Models". The Industrial Railway Record. Retrieved 2008-03-18.
6. "Musée des Tramways à Vapeur et des chemins de fer Secondaire français" (in French). La France vue du Rail. Retrieved 2008-03-19.
7. "Extraits de "La Voix du Petit Anjou" n° 74, septembre 2007" (in French). l'Association des Amis du Petit Anjou. Archived from the original on 2008-07-05. Retrieved 2008-03-18.

External links

• Rail Bretagne A site for all railways in Brittany, forums have photos of old postcards of the line. (in French)