[ RURAL RAILWAYS IN FRANCE ][ CHEMINS DE FER RURAUX DE FRANCE ]

[ Laqueuille - Le Mont-Dore, PUY-DE-DOME ]

Published May 2007

The branch line from Laqueuille to Le Mont-Dore is 14km long and was opened in June 1899.  The line, with severe gradients reaching 1 in 30, runs along the side of the upper valley of the Dordogne river in the Parc Régional des Volcans d'Auvergne.  Le Mont Dore is a spa town dominated by the Puy de Sancy summit at 1 875 metres altitude. It is also a winter sports resort.  Further down the valley, the railway line serves La Bourboule, another spa town.  Nearby, a mineral water bottling factory has a rail link.

During the 1960's, 1970's through rail services from all over France arrived at Le Mont Dore.  But the resort towns declined in activity over the years and visitors came by road so in 2007 only two railcars a day reach Le Mont Dore from Clermont Ferrand. 

The existence of the line is assured by the daily train of wagons to the bottling plant at La Bourboule.

Gare de Laqueuille, change for Le Mont Dore !  This scene could be dated from the 1950's, but was staged on April 28th 2007, with railcar X 2403 preserved on the Chemins de fer d'Haute Auvergne.

The junction at Laqueuille at 1 000 metres altitude is described here.  Let us board the train and depart for Le Mont Dore

All the many different express trains to Le Mont-Dore have been withdrawn over the years as traffic has declined.  The last one still running in 2005 was a high summer section of the 12.31 Corail express from Paris Gare de Lyon.  At Clermont-Ferrand, the through carriages for Le Mont-Dore were detached and formed a short passenger train ( the "Thermal Express")to be hauled up the steep gradients to the terminus at Le Mont-Dore.

The stock and locomotive stayed overnight and departed at 10.38 the following morning.

The "Thermal Express" with through Corail carriages to Paris Gare de Lyon is seen here approaching Laqueuille on June 20th 2005, in its penultimate summer of activity.  It was withdrawn at the end of August 2006.

La Bourboule, the view is towards Le Mont Dore.  A "grand" station suitable for a spa town, but sadly deserted nowadays.  The platform sheltor on the left is rare.

The attractive abri de quai at La Bourboule is, sadly, not used any more, one hopes it will survive.

X 2403 acts as a time machine again, here at La Bourboule, so that we can put the clock back fifty years. Now, on to the terminus of the line.

It is May 2006 and the railcar from Clermont Ferrand has just arrived.  It will return immediately at 14.30.

A few passengers wait to board the railcar for Clermont Ferrand which will depart in two minutes, leaving the station to sleep for the rest of the afternoon.

Le Mont Dore SNCF on a wet afternoon in May 2006.

Here is our time machine again.  The two motors on X 2403 burst into life early in the morning of April 29th 2007. The autorail is here on a photo charter.   As late as February 1974, this class of autorail served Le Mont Dore on a regular timetable.

Thanks to the iniative of Mr J M Henry who purchased the railcar 25 years ago we can relive the past.

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All rights reserved /  J.G.Skinner  /  2007

August 2005.  The Thermal express parked in a siding at Le Mont Dore.

Photo by D Michel Costes.