An epic 13-day jaunt around much of France with Brian Hawkins; these photos will eventually be split into smaller collections in chronological order when it gets too large. Meanwhile, here's the final outcome of what, for a change, was meticulously planned.
Outward overnight trip from Newhaven to Dieppe, then:-
DAY 1 (Sat 3rd March): Dieppe, Rouen, Caen (Caen depot - 60 locos), Mezidon (Mezidon SP - desrted), (Argentan SP view - 1 DMU), Le Mans, Rennes (Rennes depot - 76 locos) Nantes.
DAY 2 (Sun 4th March): (Nantes depot - 82 locos), Nantes, Bordeaux (Bordeaux depot - 82 locos), Toulouse (Toulouse depot - 102 locos).
DAY 3 (Mon 5th March): Toulouse, Tarbes (Tarbes SP - 9 locos, Tarbes C & W Works - 4 locos), Toulouse (Toulouse depot view - 49 locos), Narbonne.
DAY 4 (Tue 6th March): Narbonne, Perpignan (Perpignan SP - 8 locos), Port-Bou (Port-Bou SP - 12 locos), Cerbere (Cerbere SP - 14 locos), Narbonne, Beziers (Beziers depot/works - 62 locos), Narbonne (Narbonne SP - 9 locos), Nîmes (Nîmes SP - 12 locos).
DAY 5 (Wed 6th March): (Nîmes SP - 14 locos), Nîmes, Avignon (Avignon depot - 89 locos), Marseille (Marseille Blancarde depot - 73 locos, Marseille St Charles SP - 7 locos), Miramas (Miramas SP - 31 locos).
DAY 6 (Thu 7th March): (Miramas SP - 34 locos), Miramas, Avignon, Lyon Part-Dieu, Lyon Perrache (Lyon Perrache SP - 2 locos, Lyon Oullins Works - 31 locos), Lyon Perrache, Lyon Vaise (Lyon Vaise depot - 7 locos), Lyon Perrache (Lyon Mouche depot - 28 locos, Vennissieux depot - 63 locos), Lyon Part-Dieu, St Etienne (St Etienne SP - 20 locos).
DAY 7 (Fri 8th March): St Etienne, (Roanne) (Roanne SP - 6 locos), St Germain-des-Fosses (St Germain-des-Fosses SP - 9 locos), Clermont-Ferrand (C-F CS, Clermont-Ferrand SP - 13 locos), Clermont-Ferrand, Nevers (Nevers Works - 41 locos, Nevers Depot - 51 locos), Bourges – Vierzon (Vierzon SP - 19 locos)..
DAY 8 (Sat 9th March): (Vierzon SP - 21 locos), Vierzon, Limoges (Limoges depot - 64 locos, Limoges yard CS), Angouleme, Poitiers, Tours-St Pierre des Corps (TSP depot - 102 locos), Paris Austerlitz, Gare de Lyon (Charolais SP - 21 locos).
DAY 9 (Sun 10th March): Paris Gare de Lyon, Laroche-Migennes (Laroche-Migennes SP - 21 locos), Dijon (Dijon Ville SP - 9 locos, Dijon Perrigny depot - 128 locos), Besançon, Belfort (Belfort SP - 19 locos), Mulhouse (Mulhouse Ville SP - 28 locos), Strasbourg (Strasbourg depot - 69 locos).
DAY 10 (Mon 11th March): Strasbourg, (Belfort SP view - 10 locos), Lyon Part-Dieu, (Culoz SP view) - 4 locos, Chambery (Chambery depot - 49 locos), Grenoble, Lyon Perrache, Lyon Part-Dieu.
DAY 11 (Tue 12th March): Lyon Part-Dieu, (Dijon), Culmont-Chalindrey (Chalindrey depot - 67 locos), (Belfort), Mulhouse (Mulhouse Ville SP - 13 locos), Strasbourg (Strasbourg depot - 53 locos), Nancy Ville (Nancy Ville SP - 12 locos).
DAY 12 (Wed 13th March): Nancy Ville (Nancy Ville SP - 9 locos), Longwy (Longwy SP - 9 locos), Conflans-Jarny (Conflans-Jarny SP - 7 locos), Metz (Metz Sablon depot - 27 locos, Woippy SP - 17 locos), Thionville (Thionville depot - 58 locos), Metz Ville, Charleville-Mezieres.
DAY 13 (Thu 14th March): (Mohon depot - 41 locos), Charleville-Mezieres, (Lille), Calais Maritime, Dover Western Docks .