Boulogne Diesel - SNCF Trip Report 29-30th June 2019

The highlight of the trip - BB67471 works the 14:45 Boulogne - Paris (to Amiens) on 30th June 2019 at Larronville.

As you may recall from my previous reports France just has this habit of  never being easy. Tackling the SNCF always seems to be a challenge- one route though had almost always been good to me; the Boulogne line and the diesels which continue to maintain the Intercity trains from Boulogne to Amiens. How this trip was to prove that not to be true!

One of the remaining Sud-Est TGV's #13 near Bergues. 29/06

Starting on the Saturday morning it was an early start for the 09:36 Shuttle across to Calais. The trip got off to a good start with us making our booked shuttle possibly for the first time and the added bonus of not even being delayed! Before heading to the Boulogne line there were a couple of other targets which first brought us to the pretty town of Bergues just outside Dunkirk. The plan was to pick up a couple of the Lens based BB22200's which operate out of Lille. I didn't expect these push-pull trains to be particularly reliable and the first working disappointingly produced an EMU. To rub salt into the wound we then drove past a long freight one we were back in the car.

No Push-Pull passenger locos but BB27070's appearance at Cassel means we don't go home empty handed. 29/06/2019

One of many fine AGC shots! The 18:31 Amiens - Boulogne
passes Larronville- if only it had been a loco! 29/06/2019.

Heading down the line to the next spot near Zuytpeene things looked a little better. We got lucky and got a good shot of a short freight near a level crossing and then settled on a rather nice vista to wait for our next BB22200. It wasn't to be with a Regiolis unit turning up in it's place- but we did at least catch a classic (all be it Vermillion) Sud-Est TGV and another Prima hauled freight.
Unfortunately our luck was no better with the diesels. We set up in a great location north of Rue and waited for our first shot, the one train each week booked for a pair of locos. It was a unit. This wasn't a massive shock as I knew weekend diesel reliability of late had been poor with a vice or two not uncommon. Maybe the heat wasn't helping with very high temperatures across the country- no doubt a factor in the reason that almost all trains seemed to be running about 40 minutes late.

66203 is our only Boulogne line loco of the day! We need not
have crossed the border to see these! 29/06/2019.

What I had not anticipated was ALL of the trains being DMU's with not a loco hauled Corail set in sight. Indeed the only loco I saw all afternoon was a small shunter Y.6471 located in a concrete works near Conchil-le-Temple. With all the diagrams viewed as locos there was no point sticking around, and best use was made of a gorgeous evening by dining in Le Crotoy. Everyone else had the same idea and by the time we had paid the bill it was going to be a race down the A26 to make 23:00 check in at our hotel! We made it... but not quite by 23:00!

BB22338 in the 'Ghost' non-livery is our only loco of three potentials at Dommartin. 30/06/2019.

After a very warm night Sunday dawned somewhat more cloudy. Feeling that our chances with the diesels were looking poor we headed before breakfast down to Dommartin for a couple of electrics. The first, naturally, was a ghost BB22338 - what we really needed was a 'concrete' on the train up to Amiens. This wasn't a line where we were expecting a unit vice, but it came. As did another on what should have been the first BB15000 due to work out of Amiens. With no more trains due it was time to bury our sorrows in breakfast!

The first Fret photo- BB67471 passes a sea of poppies on the
platform at Dreuil les Amiens. Finally a loco! 30/06/2019

Despite knowing there had been no diesels out on Saturday we weren't quite prepared to give up ono our Sunday plans completely and headed over to the station to check if there was any information on the 2014 the 09:33 Amiens - Boulogne (ex Paris). Waiting under the footbridge was Fret BB67471 waiting to back onto the train. Game on. This is what we had come for!
There wasn't anywhere wonderful to photograph the northbound working and time was not on our side so Dreuil les Amiens became the location by default. We would catch the loco again later.

#19 runs around it's train at Cayeaux-sur-Mer on the Baie du
Somme railway. 30/06/2019.

During the middle of Sunday there is a large gap in loco hauled workings. Just about time to visit the Baie du Somme narrow gauge railway where we could at least guarantee to see a loco or two! No19 was working the Cayeaux service and after being photographed there was time to walk to the beach and grab an ice cream. Time was still available to capture #1 at Morlay working the train from Le Crotoy to Noyelles on our way to catch BB67471. The weather had become increasingly cloudy through the day but as the time of the train approached our position north of Rue seemed to clear substantially- Maybe despite all the adversity we were actually going to get the shot we had both come for- a Fret BB67400 - Something I had never seen moving in 8 years of visits to this country.
The barriers came down, and the green front came into view. We had it!- and this may have been celebrated audibly.

#1 gets away from Morlay on the Baie du Somme tourist railway.

There was little hope of much more diesel activity but we got into position just in case. Just before the next southbound train was through a Frenchman approached in his car. The English translation of his remark was along the lines of 'if you have come to see diesel engines, there are no more today'. This confirmed what we already really knew. It was only a few minutes wait for our final photograph of an AGC of the trip and we then headed to Boulogne for dinner- there really was no point waiting for the final train we could have seen.

A final AGC of the trip, vice loco once again on the 17:33 Boulogne - Paris.

Thanks to JH for the company as usual - fortunately we got 'the' shot, so I guess this trip was worthwhile despite being one of the least productive I have ever been on! Looking back though of all the locos that could have worked the train I suppose we were lucky it was a Fret example that was chucked out- plus I do now have even more great shots of AGC units!

The week after our return the first Regiolis unit was introduced on through Paris - Boulogne workings. The end really is neigh for the last Intercity diesels in France. Maybe I'll be back one last time? I really don't know.