Cap-Ferret tram

Route length:

2 km

Gauge :

600 mm ( narrow gauge )

Top speed:

18 km / h

Legend

	Plage de l'horizon

	Station Europe

	Avenue des Genêtes
	Avenue des Ajoncs
	Dépot Avenue des Lauries

	Rue des Mimosas
	Jetée de Bélisaire

The Cap-Ferret tram ( French : Tramway du Cap-Ferret ) is a narrow-gauge museum railway on the southern tip of Lège-Cap-Ferret in the Gironde department in southern France. It was originally opened as a horse-drawn tram . Today's only route is single-track, about 2 km long and connects the jetty ( Jetée Bélisaire ) in the east of the peninsula with the beach on the Atlantic coast in the west ( Plage de l'horizon ). The track width is 600 mm, there also referred to as Système Decauville , after the company Decauville, known in France, a manufacturer of narrow-gauge rail vehicles.

Horse tram (1879–1934)

On the other side of the Bassin d'Arcachon , a private railway company opened a full-gauge line from Bordeaux to La Teste-de-Buch in 1841 , which was continued to Arcachon in 1857 . With the increase in excursion traffic, there were more and more tourists who crossed over to Cap-Ferret by boat. Thus there was a need to transport the people arriving by boat to the beach on the Atlantic Ocean, about 2 km away.

In 1879, a narrow-gauge railway was therefore opened between the jetty and the southern end of the peninsula. Later a junction was added to the western end of the peninsula. Furthermore, various forest railway lines for the removal of wood were connected to the existing system. Today only the stretch from the jetty in the east to the beach in the west of the peninsula still exists. All other routes have long been dismantled. In 1925, gasoline-powered locomotives gradually replaced horse power. Around 1936 operations were completely shut down.

Le petit train (1952–1989)

In the early 1950s, the idea of a rail link between the jetty on the Bassin d'Arcachon and the beach on the Atlantic was revived by Jacques Milet, who was in Arcachon for a cure. He was a train friend and knew about narrow-gauge railways. He bought the existing railway systems and built a narrow-gauge railway system Decauville, which crosses the peninsula in an east-west direction.

The rolling stock consisted of open summer wagons pulled by diesel locomotives that were disguised like steam locomotives. We only drove in the warm season. Business continued without interruption until the founder's death in 1989.

Rolling stock of the "Petit Train"

3 locomotives from Schneider, built in 1922, marked No. 1, 2 and 3 (stored)
1 locomotive T50D from Billard, taken over from a wood grinding shop (stored)
2 locomotives from Diepholzer Maschinenfabrik, taken over from Germany

4 half-open cars with two axles
1 two-axle carriage with an end platform
1 two-axle car with a central platform
3 open four-axle bogie cars

Cap-Ferret tram since 1989

In 1989, after the death of Jacques Milet, the company was taken over by the municipality to ensure continued operation. In the meantime, the railway was too important for tourism to be discontinued. The rolling stock has been renovated.

The distance of 2 km is covered in about 12 minutes. The maximum permissible speed is 18 km / h. Regular operation is offered from April to September, except in the event of bad weather. Tickets are available at the counter at the east end of the route or from the conductor. During the French school holidays, every 30-40 minute drive is made in each direction, thus using the maximum possible timetable interval. Outside of the school holidays, there are fewer trips.

The diesel locomotives from Diepholzer Maschinenfabrik and the semi-open summer wagons from the 1950s, which can neither be lit nor heated, are used. There is only a loudspeaker system for announcements. A continuous compressed air line ensures that the entire train stops immediately in the event of a train separation.

The depot is at the end of Rue des Lauries. The planned route bends in a slight left curve; the depot is straight ahead. Some of the more busy roads to be crossed are secured by traffic lights that the train automatically switches on and off with metal sheets on the locomotive that actuate the corresponding contacts on the route.

There is a passing track at each end station so that the locomotive can move. Immediately next to the terminus at Plage de l'horizon, remains of the Atlantic Wall painted with graffiti can be seen.

There are intermediate stops that are only marked with a timetable, i.e. they do not have shelters, benches or the like. People boarding must make themselves known to the engine driver in good time, requests to get out must be communicated to the conductor at the start of the journey. In terms of the fare, the intermediate stops are calculated in such a way that a section from one intermediate stop to the next costs 1 EUR. In everyday life there is practically no stopping at the intermediate stations, as there are no attractions of interest to tourists and the train is almost exclusively used by tourists.

The average number of passengers a year is around 30,000.