Normal track tractors

History of the tractor type 020C

Wishing to develop their railway construction department, the C.F.D. turned to types suitable for use on branch lines and even in the S.N.C.F.

Some units were used there and a series built: the 71,000. Although the Société Nationale has just finished amortizing it, it is no less true that some examples survive and are still used on tourist railways as well as on secondary networks.

Most of the machines built are still in circulation, having changed owners several times, which demonstrates the robustness of this equipment.

In the course of their career, a few tractors were used on the Company's two standard track lines. The C.F.D.'s separated from their entire fleet, the S.N.C.F. making its own equipment available to the Company for obvious financial reasons.

The type 020 C machines were used as test benches for the Asynchro transmission and were put into service on the two leased lines to test their performance.

Description of tractor type 020C

Mounted on two axles, they were equipped with two 180 HP Willème engines of the type used on metric track Montmirail type tractors. The centre cab, of the type used on the 850 series and set to the VN gauge, was framed by two hoods similar to that of tractor 201. A housing, protecting the exhaust pipe, was placed on the front faces of the cabs, between the two bays.

Each hood contained the engine and its auxiliaries and each unit controlled one axle. The fuel tank was located under the driver's cab and the sandpits under the engine inspection platforms. The accesses were identical to the type 400 tractor.

They weighed 33 t and could reach a maximum speed of 40 km/h.

The livery was dark green and the buffering crossbars bore the tractor number in white on a red background. There was no indication of the Company's name and only the construction plates were attached to the chassis under the driver's cab.

Delivery and assignments of the tractor type 020C

These three tractors were all built by Ateliers de Montmirail.

TRACTOR 020 C 110 A

Built in 1949, it was delivered on 20 October 1949 and assigned to the Autun depot. After numerous on-line tests, it was used to pull light freight trains until 12 December 1955, when it was transferred to the Richelieu depot, where it took over from the 020 C 110 B.

Having reached the end of its potential at the beginning of 1969, it was shipped to Montmirail for R.G., then sold on 20 September of the same year to B.S.N. Vayres.

TRACTOR 020 C 110 B

Built in 1950, it was assigned to the Richelieu depot on June 8, 1950. Tested on the line, it towed all the freight convoys, then was sold on May 28, 1956 to the Chemin de Fer de Mamers in Saint-Calais.

It was replaced by the 020 C 110 A.

TRACTOR 020 C 113

Also built in 1950, to equip the Morvan line, it was received in Autun on February 15, 1951, to replace the 020 C 110 A planned for Richelieu. It was in service until September 5, 1969, when it was transferred to Richelieu to replace the 020 C 110 A sold to the M St C.

In 1974, it was sold to the Régie Ferroviaire Richelaise (R.F.R.), the new operator of the Richelieu line.

source : MTVS 1989-1