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Eccentric Electrics
Two most unusual electric railways survive in France's far south.
One is the 62km (39 mile) metre gauge Train Jaune, Yellow Train, or "metro of the Pyrenees". This 850V
third-rail electric line runs east to west, just north of the Spanish border. Much of its tortuous route traverses
rugged country, with steep grades, many tunnels and two spectacular viaducts. It terminates at a rare triple gauge
station.
The second is a 4.2km rack railway to the peak of a mountain called La Rhune, right on the Spanish border in France's
Basque country. Metre gauge, equipped with Strub rack on its 1 in 4 (25%) grades, it is a rare three-phase AC survivor,
with typical two-wire overhead and bow collectors. The original 1912 stock is still in use. |
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THUMBNAILS
The following thumbnails lead to stills taken directly
from the video. Just click on the thumbnail to see the full picture. The stills have been slightly compressed for
faster loading, with possible minor loss of definition in some cases.
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