AMTP in Pithiviers, France

[ALAIN DELASSUS]

A FEW FURTHER CLARIFICATIONS ABOUT THE AMTP BRIGADELOCK
 Those locomotives were built for the purposes of the WW1. They were designed to run on short  track pannels prefabricated with light rails and thin iron ties, that way the gauge kept dimensionally stable, so the brigadeloks were fit out with wheels with a narrow wheelspread that accomodate more easily the tiny inside of the frame and the KL axles. AMTP like other tourist railways that run those locomotives have no longer prefabricated tracks and if the KL axles system works well to make up for the small differences in level between the two rails and other small kinks of the track as well, it may be a big downside if the gauge exceeds 24.6''.The engine is most likely to go off the track, which I experienced  once at full speed ,it's a funny feeling to run on the road. With the KL axles system and its low center of gravity the locomotive runs smoothly at 15mph on a pretty much tamped and lined track but given the current condition of our track a  substancial yaw motion comes about if you run at over 13mph  that turns the locomotive into a galooping goose of sorts and lessens  quickly the engineer's eagerness for speed. Until last year our brigadelok was painted in light brown and due to its length and its low chassis its moniker was Teckel like the dog.

[ALAIN DELASSUS]

SAFETY FIRST Part #12
In replies 139 and 140 I told you about how things actually went on the ground and I concluded that despite its shortcomings the way volunteers were training for safety positions was not that bad all things considered. But for years the shortage of volunteers has outweighed the absolute premise Safety First. In those days if by any chance a new volunteer joined the association everything was made to keep him at any cost, his training was shortened to allow him to climb on the footplate of a steam locomotive as soon as possible. When the current leadership was elected in early 2017 the shortage of volunteer had reached a critical point. As the AMTP officers were young and very  active they attracted a few youngsters through social medias . Those very young newcomers were instrumental in keeping the trains running but their training was botched while most of them were eager to do their best.
In Spring 2018 a minor accident brought about by a traincrew failure to the rulebook occured and everybody agreed that it had been a near miss it had turn out into a major one that would have had serious aftermath on the operation of AMTP. From that point on, the leadership and the volunteers became more safety conscious. Copies of the rulebook were printed and handed out to those who had safety positions, conductors and firemen included plus  a couple of safety meetings were set up and well attended.
Since 2019 everytime I've been to Pithiviers I've noticed a steady improvement in the compliance with the rulebook. Last year new older volunteers have joined the  AMTP and their training  is running its course normaly.

[Bill Baskerville]

Alain,

Thank you for sharing your reasons for renewed emphasis on Safety at AMTP in Pithiviers.  We are fortunate to have many talented individuals who have railroad experience and are dedicated to maintaining and improving our focus on safety at the WW&F.  With our expansion down the 'mountain' grade and given the increasing complexity of our schedule and special events this necessary emphasis has increased, as so it should.

You sharing helps justify the importance in understanding and adherence to the rules to live by.

[ALAIN DELASSUS]

Thank so much you Bill for your reply .Ever since 2017  AMTP have had also individuals that are very much famillar with railroad safety since they work  at the National French RR SNCF, the President as an engineer , the Treasurer as a swichtman and the director  in charge of MOW as an engineer as well plus  our long time trainmaster  was an executive at SNCF in charge of  operating safety issues. As I said it in my previous reply the new leadership found a critical situation not only the shortage of volunteers but a fouled atmosphere among the rest of them , the main line in poor repair conditions, and not a lot of money on the checking account. I must admit that the safety of operating was not the priority of the leadership and BOD untill that minor mishap in 2018.
You are quite right to be adamant as far as safety goes . Firstly I'm sure you'll cross 218  one day and then you'll fall into the scope of the RFA and secondly it seems to me that the WW&F main line features quite a lot of hasards like very steep grades, tight curves with poor visibility, sloping stations like AC and maybe other ones I don't know of course. I've read carefully the comprehensive WW&F rulebook and especially the S&EP  that requires  a period of acclimatization to  allow the newcomer to become famillar with the railroad, its specificities and its dangers.  The new position of trainman now included in the 150 hours seems to me an excellent means of acclimatization and moreover it avoids the risk of putting the new volunteer off. Hopefuly, if the number of volunteers goes on being on the rise AMTP will  work out and implement such a program in adapting it to its own specificities and  needs of course but also to the attitude of mind of the French railroad enthiousasts  that are in most cases unruly and  always eager to grab the throttle.

[James Patten]

...railroad enthiousasts  that are in most cases unruly...

Gee, that sounds a lot like American railroad enthusiasts.

[ALAIN DELASSUS]

A FEW NEWS FROM PITHIVIERS
Last weekend AMTP ran Halloween specials and despite some lousy weather they made it big with 295 riders for the two days. On the occasion MTP Schneider built  small steam locomotive that is 150 years old was put in service again and ran the loop in Bellébat the terminus station. But then again, on account of the C19 , there is a ban on most indoors entertainments except museums, theaters and movie theaters and on most outdoors entertainments such as popular fleamarkets and, sad to say, AMTP have benefited from those bans . AMTP whose operating season ends usually in late September  ran trains every sunday in October and will go on  untill the end of the year unless there is a ban on the tourist railways activities by then.  For pictures of the weekend feel free to visit my fb page.

[ALAIN DELASSUS]

SAD NEWS FROM PITHIVIERS
 It was bound to happen, regarding the dreadful second assault of the C19 French Government has decided on reinforceing the stay at home order as of today for at least 4 weeks. Consequently the museum is closed  and the trains don't run and the weekly work sessions are called off. Let's hope the weather stays balmy because the steam locomotives have not been winterized yet and nobody can go  over to the AMTP facilities without breaking the law.

[James Patten]

You should review the stay at home order carefully.  When Maine issued ours, one of the exceptions was that you could go into your place of business for purposes of security, getting the mail, and securing property.  I would think that winterizing a steam engine is an important enough task for the property that it could be done without violating the order in some way.

[Wayne Laepple]

I imagine the restrictions in France are more stringent and more strongly enforced that here in the USA. They are serious about overcoming the pandemic. My friends in Victoria, Australia, for example, are just coming off an 8-week lockdown which included closures of all stores except groceries, restaurants, bars, schools, etc., and civilians were restricted to a radius of 1.8 miles from their homes. They were only to go out for exercise and to shop for necessities. Violation of those restrictions subjected one to fines and possibly jail time. The net result of that strict lockdown was, in the past week, NO new cases and NO deaths.

[Roger Cole]

Out in West Virginia where I live, the nearest grocery store is 20 miles.  There's NOTHING within 1.8 miles except for farms and forests.

[ALAIN DELASSUS]

Hello .  Thanks for your replies. The restrictions are far more stringent out here. You are only  allowed to go beyond a radius of 0.65 miles around  your home to go to work, to buy the life bare necessities , to take your kids to school and for medical reasons. Social and cultural life  is temporarily  banned. No more bar, restaurant and enterntainment such as museums, movie theaters etc and of course tourist railways whose most of them are  not place of business because they are alltogether volunteer run. Most everything is closed and law breakers are fined. I'm afraid as long as people are packed in public transportations , even if they wear their mask properly, the pandemics wont be stayed. For the Government it's tall order to strike a balance between the public health and the economy of the country. At AMTP every volunteer lives beyond the mandated distance of 0.65 miles and for the time being they have to rely on the global warming and a mild winter to  avoid a disaster unless things are getting better and the stay at home is lifted or at least loosened. I'll keep you posted.

[ALAIN DELASSUS]

SOME NEWS FROM PITHIVIERS
Hello Good news ! The Département du Loiret that owns the ROW of the association just put this brand new tamper at  AMTP disposal. Unlike Wilmar it's  a mere tamper you have to shove  but this much hoped-for rig will save the back and the joints of the members of the track crew . Despite the stay at home order, that is lifted as of today, the volunteers of tourist railways were allowed by the French Culture Department to go to Pthiviers to winterize and keep up the National French Industrial Heritage listed locomotives and cars whose the two steam locomotives that had run  during the 2020's short operating season are part of. I'll go to Pithiviers as soon as I can to gather more information and keep you posted.
 

[Graham Buxton]

So, does your new tamper have a name yet? 

How can a tamper not have a name? 


 

[Bill Baskerville]

Alain,

What a great addition to your MOW equipment.

Bill

[John Kokas]

How about Jacques Tampiere?