A Bag of Corpets!!! Corpet Louvet prototypes aka LGB

[themole]

The Corpet Louvet 0-6-0 by LGB, is a fairly accurate model, but to be spot on with the version you want to model, check the wheel which the connecting rod from the cylinder is attached. The standard LGB version the rear wheel is used but depending on the full sized loco often the centre wheel is connected. The pictures posted illustrate these variations. Alyn

 

[themole]

Old French post cards often showed views of the local railway, these cards give an insight for the modeller of locos and rolling stock and buildings etc. Alyn

 

[themole]

A few more. Alyn

 

[jameshilton]

Some very useful photos here - the Corpet is a favourite of mine - I wish you could still get them new! I'm saving up to try and get one next year second hand

 

[Nemo]

Thanks for the piccys Alyn, and James keep saving, you won't be dissapointed

 

[C&S]

In the picture of the train at the Ponts Noirs at Treguier, the loco is a Blanc Misseron not a Corpet. You can tell by the deeper bufferbeam (the BM locos had tramway skirts), and the different cab profile with much squarer corners. These details come from Les Petits Trains de Jadis by Henri Domengie - the absolute bible for French narrow gauge fans, unfortunately no longer in print.

From the same source: the train at Mont St Michel is standard gauge (Compagnie des Tramways Normands) - the give-aways are the buffers and flatter cab roof.

The locos with balloon stacks ran on the Tramway de St Romain-de-Calbosc, which was only 4kms long. The line was originally provided with steam tramcars, these were underpowered and soon laid aside in favour of three 10 ton Corpets. Domengie says they all had balloon stacks to contain the cinders, but these were later altered to the more normal chimney.

 

[themole]

Thanks for the info, C&S, If you have any more gen please add to the thread.
Alyn

 

[mike]

Some very useful photos here - the Corpet is a favourite of mine - I wish you could still get them new! I'm saving up to try and get one next year second hand

i think you will be delighted with one, the problem is.. which one!!

 

[pugwash]

They also built 0-4-0 locos that were cuter than a puppy.
Google crashes again

 

[jameshilton]

Hehe thanks guys - it's just trying to find one for sale! I've no money now as it's all gone on getting the project underway with a starter set, some extra track and stock. Maybe nearer my birthday in August I'll start looking more seriously

 

[C&S]

They also built 0-4-0 locos that were cuter than a puppy.

Like this, do you mean?

 

[philkelly]

Nearly all you need to know about Corpet Louvet:

http://www.irsociety.co.uk/Archives/27/CL_3.htm (including a standard gauge 4-6-4!)

 

[stevedenver]

i love em-
to my eye one of the very best proportioned of LGB's locos-run and smoke beautifully
youll all laugh, but i bought my first Corpet because the cab windows looked somewhat british to my eye ( and i love british railroads)


now
ive got a red green and grey-added smoke to all and removed the stack cover to prevent melting

i am completely ignorant when it comes to french NG railways
have only seen a few interesting and charming photos -i believe all courtesty this forum or the old mad forum

is the grey used by LGB for the vans correct?
i know the longer red and green french coach is very loosely based on a very different looking coach-wich was red and green
i know too that the raw wood short version french coach is loosely based on something similar

were there other colours used?

and

did they use the lovely forest green and light grey liveries which LGB offered?

I have come to understand that often there is a foundation of truth in LGB's more eccentric choices-since many of the photos i have seen are those posted here, and in B and W , would love to know

were the liveries/colors specific to different NG lines-as i presume is the case
was a black ever used for a protpotype corpet? it seems most of the french loco s i have seen sport color -but perhaps this is for tourist trains

did the french ever use german like or german rolling stock?
did the french have a particular style of rear red lantern?

 

[stevedenver]

obligatory eye wash follows

 

[stevedenver]

 

[stevedenver]

 

[C&S]

is the grey used by LGB for the vans correct?
i know the longer red and green french coach is very loosely based on a very different looking coach-wich was red and green. I know too that the raw wood short version french coach is loosely based on something similar; were there other colours used?

did they use the lovely forest green and light grey liveries which LGB offered?

were the liveries/colors specific to different NG lines-as i presume is the case
was a black ever used for a protpotype corpet? it seems most of the french loco s i have seen sport color -but perhaps this is for tourist trains

did the french ever use german like or german rolling stock?
did the french have a particular style of rear red lantern?

Lots of questions - I'll try and provide some answers and hope others can amplify. If in doubt, try asking someone from the SNCF Society.

Locomotive colours - could be green (different lines seem to have had differbnt shades if current preservation repainting is accurate), or red (Cote du Nord - scarlet as LGB, while tthe Aisne sytem was a darker shade. Some were grey (suspect only a few) or black. The boiler would usually be black with the other colour applied to tanks and cab. Here's a selection of liveries - not all Corpets, I'm afraid

Diesels - Dark green (Baie de Somme), pale grey or medium green with edges of cabs picked out with a yellow line (Blanc-Argent)

Wagon colours - some as you say were varnished wood (again, not many, I suspect). Lines built privately and worked as concessions (Interet Locale) often had light grey wagons with black ironwork/strapping. Lines built by mainline companies (Interet Generale) which came under SNCF control, latterly has SNCF red-brown or dark brown goods stock livery.

Coaches - the preserved vehicles I've seen are usually a dark green (again like SNCF coaches from the inter-war years) or varnished wood. The Baie de Somme line went red and cream after WW2. Some of their Swiss coaches now have other liveries which may relate to their lines of origin eg dark green upper panels, red-brown lower panles). Correze Tramway coaches had been a brick red but by the end were in a very sorry weathered state with bare wood showing in places.

 

[stevedenver]

! thanks

 

[pugwash]

You missed the 020T with rocket assisted take off.....

 

[mikeyh]

No it's French, it's 0-2-0t