AMTP in Pithiviers, France

[Jeff Schumaker]

Great photos, Alain.

Jeff

[ALAIN DELASSUS]

Thank you so much Jeff but the limit of 400 KB is really too low.

[ALAIN DELASSUS]

An other pic of La Nuit des Musées

[Ed Lecuyer]

[Moderator's Note]
A discussion on how to post images to the forum has been split from this topic and merged into this thread:
https://forum.wwfry.org/index.php/topic,373.0.html

[ALAIN DELASSUS]

NEWS FROM PITHIVIERS
May 13th was really a busy day on the narrow gauge. At 10 am the 2022 General Meeting was held at the back of the museum and attended by 30 members out of 100 and 39 others had sent a proxy and their ballot paper for the reelection of the President and of the Clerk and the election of two new BOD members due to the resign of two directors. A very good piece of news was announced to the assembly by the President of the Community of the townships of the region of Pithiviers that had just voted a very significant subsidy in order that AMTP is able to buy the whole rail facilities- land and buildings- located in Pithiviers that until then were rented out to the association by the SNCF and in the process ensure the future of the AMTP.
That day was also a special one for me and Jean Paul Balensi since 50 years ago the day we had both joined the association and become active and commited volunteers. In his speech the President stressed our role during all those years and announced that the lunch after the meeting would be in our honnor and that before it Jean Paul and I  would invite the whole assembly to have a drink to celebrate the event. Everybody drank and eat in a friendly joyfull atmosphere for two hours. Then some volunteers  went on the job to run a special steam powered train chartered by a movie crew to shoot scenes with actors in period costume at Bellébat Station. In the meantime other volunteers were mowing the main and some were preparating the museum for La Nuit Européenne des Musée ( See reply above) When I told you that day was a busy one.  A few pics soon.

[Bob Holmes]

Congratulations!!  What great news for the railroad...

[ALAIN DELASSUS]

Thanks Bob. Good weekend.

[ALAIN DELASSUS]

A few pics of that busy day. My buddy Jean Paul former BOD member and trainmaster over the lunch and yours truly leaning on the Brigadelok.

[ALAIN DELASSUS]

A few more . The officers of the AMTP during the meeting. The lunch that followed the meeting and to finish with a scene in period costume at Bellébat Station

[Bill Baskerville]

Alain, I love 💕 the last picture of the passengers in period costume.

[ALAIN DELASSUS]

For you Bill more pics. AMTP has been renting its trains and buildings to the movie industrie since ever. Its location near Paris and the  authenticity of its rolling stock and buildings have always attrackted the movie scene.

[Bill Baskerville]

Thanks Alain,
Your period pictures remind me of the camp followers attire at our WWI re-enactments.

[ALAIN DELASSUS]

NEWS FROM PITHIVIERS
The next important event of the operating season was our annual Steam Festival that took place on the last weekend of May as the same time as a big gathering of vintage VW in the park of Bellèbat. That gathering is called" Coccspit" because "coccinelle" ' AKA ladybug is the French nickname for the old VW. fortunately the weather was fine and  warm what it's key to the success of any outside event.
Two steam powered trains ran on the line  each train ran five roundtrips  a day from 11 am to 6 pm  and met at Les Carrières crossover.
 Our ancester ran around the loop at full steam coupled to its two small cars and a tipcar loaded with coal and was very popular. Note that there is a column and a faucet with a hose at Bellébat Station for the water.
Just a reminder, the Bellébat Park, like it is aptly called now, is a public area so when there is a gathering of vintage cars or motorcycles or a yardsale - "brocante" in French- or other events the admission to these activities is free. Nobody has  to take the train to get to Bellébat where there is for that matter a large parking lot.
Anyway our Steam Festival was a success since 438 people visited the museum and rode the trains over those two days. A few pics soon.

[ALAIN DELASSUS]

A few pics of the Steam Festival. The powers were the Brigadelok and the 062 Decauville ,you can see running at full steam through the Beauce.

[ALAIN DELASSUS]

 Our ancestor 040 Schneider built in 1870 the oldest steam locomotive in running order of France and ists consist. And a meet at Les Carrières in the middle of nowhere.