Miss Isabelle

Taking a break during a business trip, I headed to the Rodez station. The Gare is surprising for its curious details, such as the locking system, which still functions in part mechanically, or the awning, which is in very good condition. It's unfortunate that in 2017 the line Sévérac-le-Château to Rodez was closed, turning this station, which had always been a stop, into a terminal.

Currently, it only operates two of the three lines with which it was equipped: that of Castelnaudary (which since 1993 only runs as far as Albi) and that of Capdenac, which remains in service.

Today, the station has only TER train traffic and an overnight Intercités train, which connects Rodez to Paris a few days a month when it is not suspended.

The photo that concerns us is due to an interesting rotation. On Friday afternoons, the Paris - Albi service with the Night Intercité No. 3755 is offered. After completing this service, on Saturday at mid-morning the empty material is sent to Rodez for cleaning and preparation, and the same night the Night Intercité Rodez - Paris No. 3757 is covered.

Although the most curious thing is not the service itself, but rather the traction that takes care of it. At the head we find La Belle Isabelle, the 67424, the only one in the series to display the prototype decoration Isabelle. Behind, we can see some aesthetically pleasing mechanical signs.

Scanned photo from black and white negative.

PD: I am aware of the irony in a black and white photo for a special decoration, so I've attached an exceptional testimonial capture taken with my smartphone. And while I'm at it, another one to the machine responsible for the B/W photos.