Tramway of Quend-Plage and Fort-Mahon

Tramway of Quend-Plage and Fort-Mahon
Decauville summer cars as known from Expo 1889 Route
Overview
Native name	Le tramway du Marquenterre
Technical
Line length	12.8 km (8.0 mi)
Track gauge	600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Minimum radius	30m
Route map +4.8 km (3.0 mi) Fort-Mahon-Plage 1889–1934 8 km (5.0 mi) Quend-Plage 1903–1934 Le Royon Routhiauville Monchaux Quend 0 Quend-Fort-Mahon 1889–1934 Amiens–Quend–Boulogne 1847-

The Tramway of Quend-Plage and Fort-Mahon (French: le tramway de Quend-Plage et Fort-Mahon or le tramway du Marquenterre) was a 12.8 km (8.0 mi) long 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in) gauge railway line, which operated from 1898-1914 and 1921-1934.

History

Station at Fort-Mahon-Plage

The Société Immobilière de Saint-Quentin-Plage built the 8 km (5.0 mi) long narrow-gauge tramway from the station Quend-Fort-Mahon to the beach at Quend-Plage (previously known as Saint-Quentin-Plage).[Rem. 1][1] The tramway was inaugurated in 1898. In 1903, a 4.8 km (3.0 mi) long branch line was built to the beach at Fort-Mahon-Plage. A single journey from Quend-Fort-Mahon to Quend-Plage lasted 30 min, and to Fort-Mahon-Plage it lasted 40 min.[2]

In 1914, the portable pieces of track with a rail weight of 9.5 to 15 kg/m (19 to 30 lb/yd) were lifted to be used during World War I and re-laid in 1919.[3] The tramway was re-commissioned on 13 Juli 1921. The tramway was used until May 1932 and formally closed on 26. February 1934.[2]

Rolling stock

Locomotives

Name[4][5]	Type	Manufacturer	Works No	Year	Weight	Comments
Jeanette	0-4-0T	Decauville	N°230	1898	5 t	Mark 3.1, obtained second-hand from Coulange & Tayart
Bienvenue	0-4-2T	Decauville	N°279	1899	7,2 t
Minus	0-4-0T	Decauville				Mark 3.2
	0-6-2T	Borsig/Decauville	N°7966		10 t	Delivered in April 1911
Marie-Antoinette	0-4-0T	Orenstein & Koppel

Carriages

Initially, two open Decauville summer cars, one Decauville saloon car and three V-skip trucks were used.[6]

Remarks

1. The Société Immobilière de Saint-Quentin-Plage was set-up in 1893 by Félix Martin under the name of Goutelon et Compagnie in Paris. It was re-incorporated on 27 August 1896 as Société Anonyme de Quend-Plage, a PLC with a capital of 700,000 Franc with its headquarters in 47 rue Taitbout in Paris. Félix Martin and Goutelon were the main share holders.

References

1. La station balnéaire de Quend-Plage: Historique.
2. Stephen Ramsay: Les Tramways de Quend et de Fort-Mahon. 2016.
3. David Matthewson: The Tramways of the Marquenterre: The Route.
4. Eric Fresné: Les Forums de Passions Métrique et Etroite: Quend Fort Mahon.
5. David Matthewson: The Tramways of the Marquenterre: The Locos.
6. Loco-Revue, N°17, September 1938.

50.3181°N 1.5957°E / 50.3181; 1.5957