Le Train Jaune

I cannot keep publishing my photographs without first paying tribute to this great little train: Le Train Jaune, the Yellow Train of Cerdanya. It is a true miracle that this marvel is still in service almost in its entirety, offering a railway experience that no transport enthusiast should ever miss.

Unwelded rails provide a clickety-clack that is as magical as it is nostalgic, the roar of the gears is music to the ears, and the compressors can be heard kicking in at different rhythms depending on the power traction demands. When you add the views, the gorges, the tunnels, the rugged terrain, and the winding track, you get a proper railway in every sense of the word.

Rumours have been circulating that SNCF intended to cut the line back to Font-Romeu or Mont-Louis from Villefranche by 2016. Let us hope this is not the case, so we can enjoy this rolling museum for many decades to come.

This snapshot was taken in the municipality of Saillagouse, on the Rec de Baell bridge.

The line also operates two recently built Stadler railcars from Switzerland. However, they have brought little but trouble, while stripping away almost all the charm of the line with their nearly airtight carriages, lack of opening windows, absence of open-top cars, and none of that meticulously preserved, traditional mechanics.