Transvap full steam ahead!

Experience the adventure of the railways!

Between Beillé and Bonnétable, a section of the old “ligne des Ducs” (Dukes’ line) perpetuates the tradition of the railroads of yesteryear on an 18 km tourist trail, thanks to the “antique railcars” and “steam locos” of the Transvap association. The invitation to travel also includes a visit to the former Beillé depot, a veritable train museum!

Come aboard a steam train or an antique railcar

In summer, the Ligne des Ducs comes back to life from Beillé or Bonnétable. A low-speed journey back to the past, where you can take time out to admire the scenery. The track passes the Tuffé lake, reaches Prévelles, then after passing through a forest, ends up in Bonnétable, whose station features a small museum on the old “Mamers à Saint-Calais” line. If you leave from Beillé station, don’t miss a visit to the workshops of the former railway company.

Transvap also offers themed days combining fun, physical, cultural and convivial activities aboard a historic train. There’s the gourmet rillettes train, the pumpkin train (Halloween), the Santa Claus train and many more.

With this association of enthusiasts, discover or rediscover the pleasures of old-time travel. Regular, themed and made-to-measure trains let you travel aboard these genuine collector’s items.

The old “ligne des Ducs

In France, once most of the main network had been completed, the départements began to work on completing the rail network to link up all the sub-prefectures and, if necessary, the neglected county towns. Sarthe was no exception to this trend. It was one of the first departments to build a network of “local interest” railways.

The Mamers – Saint-Calais line opened in two stages in 1872, thanks to funding from the Duc de la Rochefoucauld and other notables, hence its name “ligne des Ducs”.

Until 1913, the Mamers – Saint Calais line was profitable. However, following the First World War, it became unprofitable until the Second World War.

The Second World War brought the network back to health, as fuel restrictions brought road transport to a standstill. Peace brought back coaches, but streetcars did not survive.

The Mamers – Saint Calais didn’t come to an end, and was taken over by the departmental authorities in 1947. However, at the end of 1965, passenger service was discontinued. Freight traffic increased slightly until 1971, when it collapsed again. The deficit was such that the department decided to close the Mamers – Saint Calais line on December 31, 1977.

History of the association

On December 31, 1977, the fate of the Mamers-Saint Calais was sealed and its closure decided. A group of enthusiasts were to perpetuate the memory of this bygone era.

What would remain of a locomotion technique that had marked the era of the Industrial Revolution? Who would remember the tortillards of yesteryear? Indeed, the SNCF needed to project a resolutely modern brand image at a time when the automobile was becoming omnipresent.

Under these conditions, the very image of the steam locomotive was outlawed, out of the question of seeing it on the national rails. Taking over the line was of great interest both for the history of the department and for that of the railroads.

This group of enthusiasts therefore founded TRANSVAP (Transport Vapeur), a voluntary association whose aim was to run a steam train for tourists. The Conseil Départemental 72, owner of the line, facilities and equipment, made available the 17 km Connerré-Bonnétable section. The rest of the network was unshod in 1978.

A lot of hard work went into restoring the much-needed section of track.

A number of events have since marked the life of the little train: in April 1997, a violent fire ravaged the wooden workshop dating from 1872. Part of the equipment was destroyed or damaged. Everything had to be rebuilt. A new station was built on the same site, and the former Connerré-Beillé depot became “Gare de Beillé”.

It took all the passion, expertise and energy of a group of nostalgic railway enthusiasts of yesteryear to keep this “little train” of the Sarthe alive and thriving, preserving an entire railway heritage.

Circulation

Sunday trains (steam or rail travel)

July and August

Rates

Adults: €15

Children (aged 4 to 12): €7

Family (2 adults and 2 children): €40

Circulation

Tuesday trains

(railcar travel)

July and August

Rates

Adults: €8

Children (aged 4 to 12): €4

Contact

La Trasnvap

Dépôt-Gare, 5 route de Montfort, 72160 Beillé

02 43 89 00 37

Website

La Transvap

Entre Beillé et Bonnétable, un tronçon de l'ancienne "ligne des Ducs" perpétue la tradition du chemin de fer d'antan sur 18 km de parcours touristique, grâce aux "antiques...

Une minute d’arrêt” exhibition

Complementing the “Paysage en Révolution” exhibition on display inside the station, this exhibition traces the history of the old Mamers to Saint-Calais railway line. The 9 richly illustrated panels cover the history of the line, from its creation to its partial transformation into a tourist railroad. They begin with the general context of the railroad’s creation, then detail its development and impact on the village of Tuffé, before evoking its closure and the epic Transvap association. Finally, the talk continues with an evocation of Sarthe’s railway heritage, before concluding with a discussion of the issues surrounding transport and the role of the train today.

Old Tuffé railway station
Free access, all year round.

Gérard Terrieux

We had to prove ourselves, because the department was a little suspicious and wondered whether we’d be able to handle the work on the track, since we were bank branch managers, post office clerks and myself a school principal… He gave us 3 years to get the first trains running, but we couldn’t wait that long because we had to pay the line’s taxes, so we quickly got to work on weekends and vacations, and the 1st train ran on July 14, 1979 (…) and from then on the département has always been at our side.

Founding member of Transvap