Interesting sights on the route

Cayeux-sur-Mer is a very lively seaside resort in the summer with a little "retro" charm about it. The sea front is graced with a boardwalk edged with a multitude of beach huts which overlook the beach and stretch for several kilometres.

The train rattles gently in the breeze. The passengers, seated on the wooden benches of the old carriages see the buildings of Cayeux-sur-Mer station disappear into the distance. The train gathers speed through the fields. On the left you can see the lighthouse of Cayeux-sur-Mer. Not far away is the little seaside resort of Brighton, built in 1884 during the reconstruction of the Noyelles-Cayeux-sur-Mer railway. Still today, a walk in the dunes or in the shelter of the sea pines is full of charm.

However, let us come back to our train. On the right, on a clear day you can see the impressive chalk cliffs of Ault at le Tréport. Passengers can see a wooded countryside of hedges and small fields at Lanchères. In 1980, many scenes from the film "Le Cheval d'Orgueil" were filmed in the railway station of Lanchères-Pendé.

Then the countryside changes. The small train climbs and puffs its way to the high point of the track, 28 m above the level of the Baie de Somme. Then, it starts its breathtaking descent under the trees whose foliage forms a very spectacular canopy. At the foot of the slope, you come across the first houses in Saint-Valery-sur-Somme. The train enters the station of the town of Saint-Valery, an excellent example of 1930s architecture. The station was renovated in 1988. After this, the train retraces its route as far as the port where it runs alongside the fishing boats.
Saint-Valery-sur-Somme is a small town combining the charm of a fishing port and sea wall promenade, which gives you a wonderful view of the ever-changing spectacle of the Baie de Somme. It also has an old picturesque quarter surrounded by ramparts. Roaming the streets bordered with old half-timbered houses, you reach the church of Saint-Martin whose flint decoration forms amazing checquered patterns. Leaving the port of Saint-Valery-sur-Somme, the train passes in front of the station and moves at walking pace onto the swing bridge overhanging the last lock of the Somme canal.

After the depot at Saint-Valery-sur-Somme, a channel where the old period "Locos" are stored, the countryside opens out. The train picks up speed and moves on to the sea wall which marks the limit of the Baie de Somme. At high tide, the waters of the Channel lick the sides of the train, a story which adds a bit of salt to the picturesque journey! Tthe bay is a vast grassland where the salt-meadow sheep graze.

One of the activities in the Bay is hunting waterfowl. In the distance, you can spot Le Hourdel and Le Marquenterre Points which mark the extremity of the bay. On the other side of the sea wall are the salt marshes, a paradise for birds. Here swans and ash-grey herons nest in large numbers. The train then moves into a particularly verdant area. After a level crossing, the number of tracks multiplies suddenly when the le Crotoy line appears.
The small train enters the resort of Noyelles. This town has pleasant shaded promenades at the edge of the small river Dien. There is also a small Chinese cemetery. A group of Chinese workers attached to the British army, took part in the 1914-1918 war.

Noyelles-sur-Mer railway station is special because it is in a cul-de-sac. You have to retrace your steps to continue the journey to le Crotoy. Both trains sometimes leave together and travel shoulder to shoulder for several hundred metres to the great joy of travellers. Then the le Crotoy line leaves the Saint-Valery-sur-Somme line and enters a rather mysterious landscape made up of hedges, pot-holed roads, and small waterways. The train passes a hut and pond where the Swiss chard, like ducks, seem to swim quietly on the stretches of water.
Then the horizon expands and the train crosses the river of islands. It cuts through the panoramic route and winds its way around a curve before arriving in view of le Crotoy. This is the end of the journey. The locomotive is unhitched and moves away to the depot to fill up with water and get itself ready for its next journe. Don't miss the weighing bridge used for weighing the carriages. It is still in working order. The locomotive shed is the only surviving bit of the original network. Its architecture of half-timbered walls and daub sealed red bricks is typical.

Le Crotoy enjoys a special position. At low tide, the sea goes back several metres leaving a vast expanse of fine sand. From the panoramic table of the "Butte des Moulins" you are able to admire one of the most beautiful panoramas on the Baie de Somme.

Take the Baie de Somme Railway. It is a good alternative to taking the car.

Real steam locomotives

Steam locomotives operating on the Baie de Somme railway are typical of the old "economical railways". Most often they are three-drive axle. Driving consists of two essential operations: adequately opening the regulator -R- and adjusting the percentage admission of steam. The driver must stoke the fire to keep the pressure at the right level and he must regularly check the water level in the engine. Fuel consumption varies a lot depending on the engine, the load being pulled, the contour of the line, and the skill of the driver. On average, it burns between 200 kg and 600 kg of fuel a day.

A bit of History :
Economical railways in the Baie de Somme Railway Association

In the second half of the nineteenth century, France built a large network of railways with "normal" gauge (1.435 m). However, the construction of these lines was too onerous to allow a dense rail service in rural areas. From 1880, the laying of "local interest" lines with narrow gauge (1 m) were planned and these finally took the name of "chemins de fer économiques" or economical railways.

From 1884, the Somme department decided to construct a local network using metric track and entrusted the operation to the "Société générale des Chemins de Fer Economiques" (S.E.). The lines provided services for the Baie de Somme and the surrounding area which took the name of "groupe des Bains de Mer" (Seaside Spa Group).

They connected Noyelles to le Crotoy, Saint-Valery to Cayeux-sur-Mer, Abbeville to Dompierre-sur-Authie and Noyelles to Forest-l'Abbaye. The network immediately had a great rush of passengers during the summer period: this period coincided with the first developments in seaside tourism but this network was also operated for economic reasons, namely the transportation of shingle between Cayeux-sur-Mer and Saint-Valery or Noyelles, the transportation of beet in the autumn to the grating factory in Lanchères, of shells collected in the bay by fishermen, and of chicory.
The "Bains de Mer" network was modernised in 1937 when Dion Bouton railcars were put into service and railway stations were renovated. After the Second World War, despite the increase in car use, the traffic on the Baie de Somme lines remained heavy, whilst the Abbeville Dompierre line had to close in 1947. The steam locomotives were replaced by loco-diesel trains in the fifties.

At the beginning of the sixties, traffic began to experience strong competition from road transport. The le Crotoy line was closed in 1969 and the Cayeux-sur-Mer line in 1972. However, railway amateurs were already getting organised.

The Association CFBS (Chemin de Fer de la Baie de Somme), was founded on 13th March 1970 to safeguard the Réseau des Bains de Mer following the temporary closure of its lines. Despite a start which was made difficult by the size of the task, volunteer action by members enabled the Chemin de Fer de la Baie de Somme to acquire a rosy brand image for tourism on the Picardy coast. The scenic service allowed an original heritage, as well as about fifty traction vehicles, to be saved.
Since 1983, the association, thanks to help from the Syndicat mixte d'Aménagement de la Côte Picarde (Picardy Coast planning syndicate), has been able to undertake investment work and the association is looking for outside partners capable of helping in its development phase with tourism on the Picardy Coast.

In 1998, the association had 150 voluntary members, 9 full-time employees and 4 seasonal workers. CFBS is managed by a Board of Directors of 9 members.

Practical info

Opening times
The steam train runs:
- from 1/07 to 31/08
- from 08/04 to 07/05, from 4/05 to 29/06 and from 03 to 17/09 : daily except on Mondays and Fridays
- from 10 to 21/05, from 20/09 to 01/10 on wednesdays, saturdays and sundays.
- from 08/10 to 05/11 : on sundays
-And 1, 2, 5, 17/04 ; 1, 8, 26/05 ; 05/06 ; 28 and 31/10 ; 01, 02 and 04/11