AMTP in Pithiviers, France

[Jason M Lamontagne]

Woah, has your team already experimented with that fuel?  I’m curious on their effectiveness.  I wonder if that’d produce a lot of sparks.

Thanks again
Jason

[Benjamin Richards]

I wonder if that’d produce a lot of sparks.

I've watched a fair few videos of steam tractor pulls, and a few scoops of loose sawdust seems to be standard practice just before the pull. Combined with the heavy exhaust beats, it really puts on a fireworks show.

[ALAIN DELASSUS]

Yes they have experienced  that kind of logs  first in Pithiviers but not on the main and yesterday in Outarville on the oval line where there was  apparently no probs. Given that  the speed limit is 6.2 mph, the  light consist and the track totally flat that fuel should fit the bill and consequently there won't be not too much sparks. But I'm fairly sure it'd be an other kettle of fish on a regular operating day in Pithivers let alone on the Mountain extension. I'm afraid that kind of fuel wont be a good alternative to coal if some day they put a ban on it in Europe or you can't find it anymore. As regards the cost of  sawdust log firing likened to the one of the coal I don't have the slightest idea. Anyway I'm going to Outarville on Friday and I'll see on the spot how that fuel actually works and what the steam crews thinks of it.

[Jason M Lamontagne]

Thanks Alain- look forward to a report if you think of it. 

Imagine early Sandy River days firing those little Hinkley locos on wood alone...  What a fascinating era...

Thanks
Jason

[Carl G. Soderstrom]

Thank you from the away crowd    for that report Alain.

[ALAIN DELASSUS]

Hi! Of course I 'll post a report on the forum and pics on my fb. For the moment a pic of the coalbunker of the Brigedelok loaded with sawdust logs.

[ALAIN DELASSUS]

Hi ! Here is he very special VIP announced on my reply # 221 above standing in front of the Brigadelok with the leadership  of the AMTP. Unfortunately he didn't ride our train because, true to form ,he was behind his agenda. But still it's an off-charts event. I'll soon tell you about the ins and the outs of the involvement of the AMTP in that big agricultural show.

[James Patten]

Is that French president Macron?

[ALAIN DELASSUS]

Yes he is. And I'm going to introduce the volunteers that were around him. From left to right Antoine the association clerck, Renaud the treasurer, Eden member of the BOD and crewcaller, President Macron ,Sebastien President of the AMTP and Victor a volunteer. As you can see they are really young, the oldest Sebastien is 41, but they have a lot of get-up-and-go and they were bent on rocking the house at that agricultural show and they did.

[Bob Holmes]

Bravo!

[Jeff Schumaker]

Did President Macron ride on the train?

Jeff S.

[ALAIN DELASSUS]

 A ride on the train have been officially planned and the train powered by MTP #10 plus an open car decorated with flags and flowers was waiting for him for over 2 and an half hours but as he was behind his agenda the Elysée Security that guarded the train and the track informed the AMTP President he would'nt ride it. But finally ,on his way to his car in the late afternoon, he came  up to the second train powered by the MTP Brigadelok and the volunteers that were around to say hello.
.

[Jason M Lamontagne]

Congrats Alain and your team!  How proud you rightfully should be. 

Do you think your crew caller would offer his services for an over-seas railway?

Thank you for the report!  Oh- how'd that compressed sawdust work? 

Jason

[ALAIN DELASSUS]

Hi! Thank you so much for your congrats I'll tell Sebastien ,the President, about them on Sunday. As regards those compressed sawdust logs they worked really well during the show.  On the previous weekend they had been tested during a regular operating day in Pithiviers. Renaud, the engineer, told me that there was no problem as regards the stoking of the locomotive but he also said they had two major inconveniences. Firstly those logs make a tremendous quantity of sparks and Renaud told me that they had set the backside of the line on fire twice in the afternoon. Secondly using those logs costs twice as much as using coal fortunately they were supplied for free  by Total Energie a sponsor of the show. For me steam locomotives and coal are inseparable and  the day they put a ban on coal will be be a  really sad one.

[ALAIN DELASSUS]

MTP and TERRES DE JIM TDJ 2022
 On September 9th ,10th, 11th the MTP two trains were one of the popular attractions of TDJ 2022 the biggest open-field agricultural show in Europe that this year was held in Outarville a small town located at hardly 12.40 miles from Pithiviers. The show has attracted 105 000 visitors for that long weekend and the local Young Farmer Organisation that was the event planner rekon that 10000 to 12000 visitors rode  the trains that were packed solid from 9am to 6 pm even the gondola cars were crowded with standing riders. The two steam powered trains were mixed trains with two open passenger cars  and three freight cars in each consist. They ran around a large rectangle of almost 1 mile long with a  tight curve at each angle and a single  short spur to park  the spare diesel locomotive or a train if need be  . The track was made of around 150 30.30 feet long portative track pannels. A station was set on each side of the rectangle to serve the different parts of the show located inside and outside the rectangle the show itself has an area of 0.205 square mile. The two trains  folowed each other the first train left a station when the second was leaving a station located on the opposite side of the rectangle. The trains were radio-connected and ran mostly very slowly because of the crowd around them .
I'll soon tell you how that unheard-of event in the 56 year long history of AMTP has been possible and how the leadership and the volunteers have taken up that  outstanding challenge.