Cool! So does this mean all of the cool little narrow gauge and mining steamers (see YouTube) are now also gone?
Have no clue. The BBC usually is pretty accurate with researching their stories. Though maybe the specialty systems you refer to aren't considered trains in the strict sense of benefit for the general public.
Hope you will also like this steam train maintained and driven by enthusiats ! Running every summer for the pleasure of tourists. http://www.nicetourisme.com/nice/1360-train-des-pignes-a-vapeur http://en.nicetourisme.com/
Michel, what an interesting locomotive. I could not see the front set of drivers clearly enough to determine if it was a 1-2-3, or in the US, a 2-4-6T, with the water tanks along the boiler sides. Thank you for posting this interesting video.
To add to Jim's questions, the track bends were not sharp enough to determine if the locomotive was articulated or had a rigid frame. Is this little beauty an articulated locomotive? Furthermore, I was impressed by the small amount of coal in the bunker needed for the trip. I am more familiar with the standard American steam locomotives at the end of the steam era with tenders that carried 15-25 Tons of coal. Of course there was the magnificent New York Central Niagara that carried over 42 Tons of coal in its tender. But she was considered the ultimate in steam locomotive efficiency, just too late in the evolution of steam power to compete with the operational and maintenance efficiencies of diesel-electric technology.
Looks like what we reference as being a 2-4-6-0T? That scenery has some similarities to my area of the USA.
There are some more details here : http://traindespignes.fr/materiels.html Sorry, it is in french and not possible to have it directly google translated ... But it is a real Mallet articulated locomotive, I would say 1-2-3-0 (your 2-4-6-0T), made in Germany, and ultimately operated in Portugal. The track is metric (1m large). The distance of the usual trip for the steam locomotive is about 20 miles, so no much coal is needed. But the mean slope is 2%. There is a pause in a station in order to rise pressure, once the train was stopped, out of steam. The line is regularly operated with modern or recent material between Nice and Digne les Bains (~ 100 miles) and for commutors near Nice : http://tourisme.trainprovence.com/accueil-english/
Certainly, but a bit smaller ... Difficult to compare with the rockies ! A shot taken this afternoon during snowshoeing (~2h bus from Nice, sorry no train there, the Train des Pignes stays in the valley)
Great !! I had a ride on this awesome railroad line about 10 years ago, but "infortunately" it was on board of a railcar. Should come back to ride on the steam train. Dom