Lille Delivrance

[Sulzer023]

Could anyone please tell me if Lille Delivrance yard can be viewed from anywhere good if travelling by car? Also, what might be seen there these days?

Thanks

 

[Gordon]

Could anyone please tell me if Lille Delivrance yard can be viewed from anywhere good if travelling by car? Also, what might be seen there these days?

Thanks

Yes there is at least one road overbridge and a footbridge at the south end where you can park nearby and watch from the bridge. There are various public roads close to the yard

Have a look around using Google street view






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[Sulzer023]

Many thanks for that Gordon. By the way, how would I find out more about the SNCF Society please?

 

[Ploughman]

I thought initially that someone knew of a European version of Duelling Banjoes

 

[Gordon]

Many thanks for that Gordon. By the way, how would I find out more about the SNCF Society please?

www.sncfsociety.org




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[Sulzer023]

Thanks again - most interesting!

 

[Sulzer023]

Have now looked at Google and sorted likely viewing points out - hoping to visit this Friday

Does anyone know what might be seen please - freight traffic and loco wise?

Also, are there any other good spots on the lines around Lille to see freight traffic?

Thanks

 

[starrymarkb]

Have now looked at Google and sorted likely viewing points out - hoping to visit this Friday

Does anyone know what might be seen please - freight traffic and loco wise?

Also, are there any other good spots on the lines around Lille to see freight traffic?

Thanks

Not freight but the B&B hotel near the Grand Palais overlooks the approach to Flandres and Europe stations, with TGV's often shunting and occasional Non Stop E*s - only saw one freight but wasn't looking that hard!

 

[Gordon]

A lot of freight is likely to be 27000, some 36000. There should also be some Belgian and private open access locos (including Sheds?). Not sure if the Fret 67400 diesels are still doing the Lille – Antwerp moves

Check out the blog of a model railway contact of mine (‘Jobiwan’) http://jobiwan.over-blog.fr/
who phots around the Lille area a lot. Traditionally, Dunkerque – Lille is good for freight, with Dunkerque being the busiest port in France (I think it still is anyway) so somewhere like Armentières might be OK. However, lots of freight from Dunkerque (such as the one to Le Havre) will dive south at Hazebrouck towards Lens via Béthune, and thus not go to Lille, so a ‘safer’ bet might be Hazebrouck. You will notice that ‘Jobiwan’ often goes to Dunkerque itself, or the stations between Dunkerque and Hazebrouck, which suggests that he may prefer those locations to locations around Lille.

Lille – Valenciennes used to be busy with all the freight on the ‘Nord-Est’ route Dunkerque – Lorraine, but the closure of traditional industries and the recession has made traffic volumes much less these days AFAIK.

Further afield , Somain used to be my yard of choice throughout the 1980s and 1990s but haven’t been there for a few years.

Try these maps:

http://www.bueker.net/trainspotting/map.php?file=maps/lille-area/lille-area.gif

http://www.rff.fr/cartes/


Gordon


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[Sulzer023]

Thanks for the advice - a good vantage point was found at the southern end of the yard with good parking and easy access to a footbridge. A couple of hours saw 5 x 27xxx's on a variety of freights including iron ore, bolster wagons and intermodal. A Belgian Vossloh - 5702 came by with tanks and a light 66xxx appeared.
The yard itself seemed to contain large numbers of stored wagons but no traffic was seen entering or leaving the actual yards during this period although the rails looked well used to some parts. The " balloon" loop that runs from the south around the north end of the yard was overgrown and disused as were two humps. There was no apparent sign of locos stabled anywhere. Certainly worth a visit.

 

[Gordon]

Thanks for the advice - a good vantage point was found at the southern end of the yard with good parking and easy access to a footbridge. A couple of hours saw 5 x 27xxx's on a variety of freights including iron ore, bolster wagons and intermodal. A Belgian Vossloh - 5702 came by with tanks and a light 66xxx appeared.
The yard itself seemed to contain large numbers of stored wagons but no traffic was seen entering or leaving the actual yards during this period although the rails looked well used to some parts. The " balloon" loop that runs from the south around the north end of the yard was overgrown and disused as were two humps. There was no apparent sign of locos stabled anywhere. Certainly worth a visit.

SOunds like you succesfully found exactly the spot I used over 10 years ago! A very depressing comment about stored wagons and nothing actually serving the yard itself, I fear a symptom of the horrendous state of freight in France. As one expert (Brit resident in Lille as it happens) wagon load traffic in France has imploded in recent years and many formerly huge very important yards are effectivley now closed:cry:




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[RichmondCommu]

SOunds like you succesfully found exactly the spot I used over 10 years ago! A very depressing comment about stored wagons and nothing actually serving the yard itself, I fear a symptom of the horrendous state of freight in France. As one expert (Brit resident in Lille as it happens) wagon load traffic in France has imploded in recent years and many formerly huge very important yards are effectivley now closed:cry:




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Back in the days of my InterRail adventures I really admired SNCF for their determination to stick with wagon load traffic. However the harsh reality of economics means that all too often its not feasible. In the late 80's many stations still had goods yards, some even had a goods shed! Surely this could have never been economical. Please don't take this as a criticism because i've long respected SNCF for their principals.