The 241-P – career of the P9 at the SNCF – The last train (COPEF) – Transfert to Guîtres – A long sleep…
In 1972, SNCF agents founded the « Cercle Ouest Parisien d’Etudes Ferroviaire ». They decided to organize a special train with the P9. The machine then undergoes a general overhaul.
On June 6, 1973 the machine made a test run between Le Mans and Alençon with a « MV » train set with a very unusual composition: 3 ex-State metallized cars, and 7 Steff refrigerator cars with bogies.
Photo : Claude Legendre.
Garage in Alençon. Photo: unknown.
On June 17, 1973 the special COPEF train runs between Le Mans and Mezidon.
In front of the sand portico, in Le Mans. Photo: G. Laforgerie.
A water intake has just been made. Unidentified location. Photo Gabriel Bieri.
In Le Mans: the 241-P-9 with the 141-C-100. Photo: unknown. Coll. JB Rouannet.
The special COPEF train: a set of DEV Inox cars, a composition that the P9 had already known, even if only on Lyon-Marseille. To date, it is the last train worthy of the name that the 241-P-9 has pulled.
Thanks to : Claude Legendre and Gabriel Bieri for their agreement of photographic publication, as well as to Thierry Danglos and J.-B. Rouannet for their contribution.
The 241-P – career of the P9 at the SNCF – The last train (COPEF) – Transfert to Guîtres – A long sleep…