Modelling French Railways

France is a land of rail contrasts: the popular image of a local train ambling through the countryside has long since given way to the smart, speedy TGV. French railway engineers were at the forefront of steam and electric locomotive technology, as well as pioneering the use of railcars (autorails). In places the landscape required impressive feats of civil engineering, even on the secondary routes, often metre gauge, which meandered cross-country between the busy main lines of the grands réseaux.

France is a land of rail contrasts; the popular image of a local train ambling through the countryside has long since given way to the smart, speedy TGV. Nowadays unique tourist railways add to the appeal. Here is just a small selection to inform and inspire and get you started!