The 241-P – career of the P9 at the SNCF – The last train (COPEF) – Transfert to Guîtres – A long sleep…
The 241-P-9 was put into service on June 28, 1949 in Dijon-Perrigny. Electrification brought about its transformation on October 20, 1952 in Marseille-Blancarde.
It was assigned to Le Mans on June 28, 1962. It is at this time that the P9 will display its blue plates, like the other machines of Le Mans. The origin of this color is difficult to explain, but it is known that, later, the 141-R will know in turn plates of quite varied colors throughout France …
The last commercial train of the P9 was the 10720 Nantes – Le Mans, September 22nd 1969. It was « parked in good condition » on November 12, 1969.
In order to save it, the Traction Controller Raymond Dauphin founded, still in 1969, at the Bordeaux Depot, the « Amicale des Anciens et Amis de la Traction Vapeur SNCF », whose Honorary President was the famous engineer André Chapelon.
Raymond Dauphin proposed the 241-P-9 to the City of Bordeaux, which, according to the mentality of the time, had no interest in this kind of heritage . On July 26, 1971, it was presented in the company of 141-R-798, 141-C-100, and 040 TA 17 on the tracks of the Le Mans depot on the occasion of a visit by Japanese engineers.
The 241-P – career of the P9 at the SNCF – The last train (COPEF) – Transfert to Guîtres – A long sleep…