In the second half of the 19th. Century, as everywhere in France, the Conseil Général de l'Yonne considered the possibilities of building intérêt local railways and the question was debated officially for the first time in August 1874. Four years later in 1878 the proposal was made for a line along the Serein valley: leaving Laroche-Migennes, this would link the village of Guillon, on the PLM line from Avallon to Semur-en-Auxois. Menawhile, however, the PLM had decided (1881) to build a standard-gauge line connecting Avallon to Nuits-sous-Ravières, and the Yonne decided to extend its route to join the latter at l'Isle-Angely.
Building the line
Applicants for the Concession were not slow in coming forward, notably the two big names in secondaires: the Société Générale des Chemins de fer Economiques (S.E.) and the CFD. The latter won the contest, and on 17 January 1885 the line was declared d'utilité publique, to be operated under the terms of the Law of 11 June 1880 governing Chemins de Fer d'Intérêt Local
Although on many similar lines the works dragged out over a long period, this was not the case with Laroche-Migennes - L'Isle-Angely. As soon as the declaration was passed, the CFD began moving earth. No major problems were encountered, and the track was down by mid September 1887. After a reconnaissance of the installations by a special train on 10 October 1887, the official opening to traffic took place with due pomp on the 15th, even though the telephone and signals were not yet operational.
The route
The route, 74.9 km in length, originated at the gare d'eau on the right bank of the Yonne at Laroche-Migennes. It climbed up to the main PLM station, where the CFD had a station building opposite the platforms serving the Morvan lines. After crossing the Armançon and the line to Auxerre on two girder bridges, the line entered the valley of the Serein, which it would follow for its whole length, crossing the river three times en route. Entirely on its own right-of-way, the infrastructure was well laid, with curves of minimum radius 200 m and gradients no steeper than 20 mm/m.
After serving Seignelay, trains reached Pontigny (km 18.8), passing under the PLM Saint-Florentin-Vergigny - Moneteau-Gurgy line (opened only in 1926). Next came the celebrated wine-growing village of Chablis (km 33.4), which was also the nerve-centre of the line, with depot and workshop. Still heading south-east, the route now led to Noyers-sur-Serein (km 58.0), then Massangis (km 67.4), whose quarries provided substantial goods traffic, and finally L'Isle-Angely (km 74.9), which the CFD served before the PLM and which it continued to serve after the PLM passenger services ceased [1933].
Although passenger traffic was always rather sparse, the same could not be said for goods. By 1887, only two years after the opening, the volume carried greatly exceeded the most optimistic forecasts. As a result, the company had to acquire additional wagons and expand the handling facilities. Cement from l'Isle-Angely, stone from Massangis and Dissangis and wine from Chablis all proved profitable. After the First World War, during which many consignments were handled for the military, the first operating losses began to appear. Freight traffic continued to increase, requiring an influx of stock from other lines, but passenger usage rapidly fell, mainly as a result of road competition.
Despite satisfactory trials with a railcar, an upturn in goods movements due to the establishment of the military camp at Varennes and a recovery plan drawn up by the CFD to replace the slow steam trains, the Conseil Général de l'Yonne decided on 25 April 1939 to close the line outright. But users and the CFD objected and operation was provisionally extended until 1 July 1940.
Meanwhile, with the declaration of war, road coaches stopped running for lack of fuel. Passenger traffic on the railway quadrupled and freight doubled. CFD continued to work the line and of their own initiative began modernising, with a diesel locotracteur and autorails. The latter were modified to run on producer-gas, whose reliability was questionable, causing many on-line failures. The State authorised operation to continue until the end of hostilities.
Bombing of the railway installations at Laroche-Migennes on 31 July 1944 caused extensive damage and it was 10 July 1945 before normal service could be resumed. At this time conversion of the SNCF line between L'Isle-Angely and Avallon to metre gauge was proposed, but quickly rejected for reasons of cost. Road competition was increasing again and the provisional agreement to continue operating the line was called into question. Despite a recovery in traffic and protests from users, the Département decided to close the line for good on the evening of 31 December 1951.
Beflagged Billard with box van serving as fourgon prepares to depart for the last time for Laroche-Migennes. 31 December 1951 [Jacques Bazin]
Positively our last appearance… Crew and passengers pose with the railcar that will be the final departure from Laroche-Migennes to L'Isle-Angely at 20h55 on 31 December 1951. [Jacques Bazin]
Traffic
At the opening in 1887, the service included three return trips from end to end of the line, with a shorter service from Laroche-Migennes to Chablis, then from 1888 two facultatif goods. In 1895 an additional train léger for passengers only ran at certain times between Chablis and L'Isle-Angely. This pattern held until 1914, when one of the daily returns was withdrawn; at the same time the number of freight movements increased substantially for the duration of the War.
It was only in 1926 that the service returned to the pre-1914 level with, however, two partial services towards Laroche-Migennes, originating or terminating at Chablis. In 1932, the pattern was two out-and-home trips end to end and a periodic return journey from either Laroche-Migennes or Noyers-sur-Serein to L'Isle-Angely.
During the 1939-1945 war there were only the two return journeys over the full length of the line, by autorail. In 1946 was added a return Laroche-Migennes - Chablis autorail and a weekdays-only steam marchandises-voyageurs, Chablis - L'Isle-Angely. The latter was suppressed in 1948 and in the last three years of operation, the line was served by three autorails each way, one running only as far as l'Isle-sur-Serein-halte. From 1946 all goods traffic was diesel-hauled.
Journey times varied from 3 hours to 3½ hours for steam trains and were roughly 2 hours for railcars.
Locomotives and rolling stock
For the opening of the line, the CFD received
Between the wars, from 1926 to 1937, three Corpet-Louvet
In 1940, tracteur No 4 was delivered from Neuillé-Pont-Pierre works. It was initially fitted with a 75 CV C.L.M.L.C. 35 engine. This quickly proved too inadequate to haul heavy trains and was replaced with a 150 CV Willème, and later with an 80 CV Panhard 4HL. None of these proved satisfactory: continuing problems with the chain transmission of the prototype prevented it ever giving regular service and it was sold to the Mines de Carmaux after the line closed, having done a short stint on the La Ferté-sous-Jouarre - Montmirail line between 1 May 1946 and 27 April 1947.
Two other rod-coupled
As to railcars, early trials took place with a Renault YH in 1933, followed by the Billard A135D from Indre-et-Loire in 1935. But it was in 1940 that autorails made their presence really felt with three Billard A80Ds: 311 and 312 came from the Réseau des Charentes-Deux-Sèvres and 801 from Seine-et-Marne. The latter was quickly replaced with an articulated A150D No 223 from the Vivarais. This went on to the Ardèche in 1950 and two A80Ds, Nos 31 and 32 arrived in its place. These came from the Charentes, whose system had just closed. Bogie cars with driving cabs at both ends, the Billards were basically identical apart from their horsepower. Two of them were fitted with gas-producers during WW2 and from 1946 Chablis depot fitted them with a second radiator on the roof, which gave them an odd appearance.
Rolling stock consisted of 22 coaches, all with two axles and side doors: 7 1st/2nd and 15 3rd; there were 7 mail-fourgons, one bogie 2nd/3rd, one saloon and, from 1947, four coaches from the CF de l'Yonne. Goods stock included 24 vans, 51 open and 63 flat wagons (14 of the latter with pivoted bolsters). From 1923 the fleet was strengthened with stock from the CF de l'Yonne - 14 vans, 24 opens and 26 flats (4 with bolsters). There were also two travelling cranes.
Closed in 1951 despite substantial goods traffic, the Laroche-Migennes - L'Isle-Angely line has not completely vanished from the French railway landscape. Apart from preserved stock, the Petit Train de l'Yonne has been established at Massangis. 2½ km of the roadbed has been re-used for a 60-cm gauge line. Every summer Sunday, baladeuses hauled by a locotracteur (Campagne, CACL or Deutz) carry tourists on the track of the CFD.. Information:
ATPVM, la gare, 89440 Massangis.