Les wagons couverts de l’Ouest et de l’État - Tome 1 des origines à 1918

Coming from two major networks with closely linked histories, the West and the State exerted a decisive technical influence on the development of French railway equipment. From the end of the 19th century onwards, the choices and innovations of their engineers had a lasting impact on the direction taken by the OCEM, leaving a strong mark on a national scale.

Although structured around networks and former companies, the Wagons de Francecollection is aimed at all rolling stock enthusiasts: the majority of commercial fleet wagons circulated indiscriminately across all French networks. The book also stands out for the quality of its illustrations. Plans, diagrams, and infographics are presented at a precise scale of 1:43.5, offering a detailed and accurate representation. The illustrations by Michel Viers shed valuable light on the often-overlooked world of railcars, long considered mere industrial tools and insufficiently documented, revealing their technical and historical richness.

Contents:

• Introduction
• General information on the freight fleet and covered wagons of the West and the
  • State
  • The origins of the West Company's freight fleet
  • The origins of the State network's freight fleet
  • The covered wagons of the West and the State, overview
• The covered wagons of the West Company, study by type
  • The early companies that made up the
  • Western
  • The Western Company
• Covered wagons of the State network, study by type
  • The companies that made up the State network
  • Constructions specific to the State network
• High-speed freight wagons – General
  • information
  • High-speed freight cars in the West
  • Mail cars
    • Stable cars
    • State high-speed freight cars
  • Mail cars
  • Specialized cars (for seafood, milk, and automobile transport)
  • Stable cars

• Low-speed freight cars in the West and State
• Appendices