AMTP in Pithiviers, France

[ALAIN DELASSUS]

You are welcome Jeff. At the beginning of the year I'll tell you why and how  the AMTP will be soon the owner of its whole facilities in Pithiviers. That purchase will guarantee the association its future. And while I'am at it here is an other foggy pic.

[ALAIN DELASSUS]

Hi you all. Don't worry AMTP is still up and kicking. As of tomorrow I'll give you some fresh news from Pithiviers.

[ALAIN DELASSUS]

NEWS FROM PITHIVIERS
Hi, a promise is a promise so there you go ! Between the two operating seasons nothing spectacular was done during the weekly work sessions but a lot of maintenance on the steam locomotives and the rolling stock. The track was repaired at some critical spots on the engine shed yard in Bellébat and of course on the main line. Given the low speed of the trains these days if the track is not perfect it doesn't matter since now it takes around 25 minutes to get to the end station.Iin the old days it took us 15 minutes for the same journey but then again we made 4 or 5 roundtrips in the afternoon instead of 2 or 3 now. For the season we have  3 up and running engines 3 steam locomotives and 1 diesel . The railcar is also in running order and the small Schneider as well. In case of  a failure of the diesel engine #T11 our only power in summer especially during the harvest season  we have a spare, a powerfull Diema that is a rented engine. So the situation is pretty good as regards the powers and the rollingstock although this last one is in a dire need of a general overhaul. The purchase of the land and facilities of Pithiviers is on the right track but as usual the procedure is slow I'll keep you posted of course. A pic of our Brigadelok and of a "Valenciennes".

[ALAIN DELASSUS]

OTHER NEWS FROM PITHIVIERS
Two replies in a row ,wow I have a quite a lot of catch up. Well the season has started  at Easter that is a long weekend here. A 5 car consist powered by #9 our flagship steam lococomotive ran the line four times each day to take the little ones and their family to Bellébat for te Easter Egg Hunting. In Bellébat  kids were able to enjoy the two inflate structures and their family the foodtruck that sold hot meals and all sorts of specialeties from the Aveyron. Finally before riding the train back to Pithiviers everybody went stood in line to buy a delicious pancake in the depot and drink a hot brew.
Despite bad weather conditions, there was even a Tstorm on Sunday afternoon, the ridership has been 765 for the two days, the second best ridership since the first hunting egg in 2017 but far from the 2023 one with 1164 riders.
The  AMTP's leadership thinks that the year 2023 with 8703 riders was an exceptionnal one versus 6749 the previous year. The President has told me, he would be satisfied if the association ridership  was 7500 this year given the rocketing inflation here and although our fare is still the same even for special events.
Next time I'll tellyou about Safety. Have a good weekend.

[ALAIN DELASSUS]

Sorry twice the same pic the third one now.

[Jeff Schumaker]

Thanks for the photos, Alain.

Jeff

[ALAIN DELASSUS]

My pleasure Jeff.

[John McNamara]

Wonderful juxtaposition of old and new technology in a scenic setting. Great photo!

[ALAIN DELASSUS]

Thank you John for your kind reply but you know as a photographer I'm not a fan of those windmills that ruin more than one landscape and are almost useless since the sustainable electric energy is only 13% worth in France and nuke  for the rest. Fortunately I have an ap on my computer that allows me to have them erase from my pics. But  when I take a pic using the zoom I must admit that those towering windmills can make our train still smaller and that the effect is finally not that bad.

[ALAIN DELASSUS]

NEWS FROM PITHIVIERS
Hi ! There have been a lot of trains under the brige since I gave you some news. " Safety First" In mid April the compulsory annual meeting was held led by Jacques  in charge of the operating  safety and Sebastiien the President it lasted the day long. Quite a lot of issues were addressed both in theory around a table and technically on the spot. The meeting was well attended and really interesting it was hands down the best I had ever been. Jacques even reminded the attendees how to check the good operation of a waterglass. I had never listened to such understandable explanations  about a so much critical topic.
 Our annual Steam Festival took place over the long Whitsun weekend.On Saturday it was the European Day of the Museums so ours stayed open late at night and a sold out steam powered train plus the railcar went to Bellébat at  sunset and came back when it was dark . During the three days there were activities in the park of Bellébat inflates stuctures for the kids, a foodtruck and of course our small #2 and its two small cars ran around the loop. Despite the uncertain weather the ridership reached 650  people. See  you soon ! By then I'm going to post a few pics.
 



 

[ALAIN DELASSUS]

A few pics of the safety meeting and the Steam Festival called this year the Springtime Celebration. BY THE WAY if you'd like to watch my videos about Pithiviers , please log on to my You Tube channel. Just enter alain delassus and you'll find it.

[ALAIN DELASSUS]

NEWS FROM PITHIVIERS
In June the weather was rainy windy and to top it all off the temps were under the normal. So the ridership was poor and several chartered trains were cancelled. But as every cloud has a silver lining the harvest time was delayed and our grassy track was as green as it can get consequently almost all the trains that ran in that month were steam powered. Certainly it was not really financailly efficient but the steam crews were happy about that boone. In the process two trainee steam engineers qualified for the position. They are young, hardly 50 years old together.
On June 22nd the General Meeting for the season 2023 was held but unfortunately it was the day I left for vacation. At the end of the meeting the President announced that the BOD had awarded  René Bury, the title of honorary member of the association due to his 50 year membership in 2024 and above all for his amazing regular attendance as a volunteer. René 78 who has been  a disabled person since his childhood manned the  Pithiviers  Musée station from 1975 to 1992 then he was in charge of the gift stand inside the museum until 2021. It was the first time, that a member was presented with that title although it had been provided in the by-laws since 1966. René was of course deeply moved because it was a real surprise.  The President of the Département du Loiret who attended the meeting , congratulated my friend René whose photo was in the local paper a few days later. Other news in a few days but for the moment a few pics.

[ALAIN DELASSUS]

Two pics of René manned the stand in the museum that  in 1992 had been designed especially for him to take his disabilty into account. plus a pic of Antoine on the Brigadelok and of Victor on the #10 At that time  in 2022  they were both qualified for driving diesel locomotives but were still trainees regarding steam locomotives. Antoine is the Clerk of the AMTP and Victor is a member of the BOD and is in charge of the volunteer planning for each operating day, what is called "la feuille " in French.

[ALAIN DELASSUS]

RECENT NEWS FROM PITHIVERS
 Almost half August already, How time flies. The operating season goes on normally. The museum is open on Thursdays, Saturdays , two round trips, and Sundays ,three round trips. Of course because of the harvest the trains have been all diesel powered since early July. I went to Pithiviers last Sunday and gave a look at the old notebook where the ridership and the receipts of each operating days have been recording and adding up in decades. The current  situation is pretty much the same as in 2022 that was a good year but we lack around 1000 riders to reach the 2023 ridership that everybody in the association agrees to say it was quite exceptionnal with 8700 visitors.
It's the last year before long that three steam locomotives, #4 #9 and #10, are in running order . At the end of the operating season 062 Decauville #10 will be displayed in the Museum because its boiler built in 1903 wont pass the scrutiny of the French administration in charge of the safety of the steam boilers that takes place every ten years because its fire box and outer firebox are worn out and consequently don't meet the rules and regulations. Given the age of the whole boiler ,120 years, a new one  will have to be built and the association can't afford it for the moment.
Next time I'll tell you about the 060 MTP #5  ex TPT #3-5 that is presently under repair. An iconic steam locomotive built in 1902 and that in April 1966 hauled the very first tourist train in France. Don't forget to give a look at my You Tube channel just type in Alain Delassus.