Sunday 20th May – two train rides… The CF Baie de Somme line from St Valery to Cayeux-sur-Mer only runs at weekends at this time of year, likewise the 600mm gauge CF Froissy – Cappy – Dompierre – “Le P’tit train de la Haute Somme”. It’s going to be a busy day.

We’d seen a steam departure for Cayeux on the previous evening, but on Sundays, a diesel locomotive hauls the service. Nothing modern though – a quaint 0-6-0 with side-rods, dating from 1951, resembling a child’s toy, and lovely old wooden coaches (that includes the seats…). The ride to Cayeux is very pleasant, through fields and quiet countryside, and marshy-looking low-lying ground nearer the sea, with numerous drainage ditches and water birds.

The CFCD is quite different. A last remnant of the trench railways of WW1, it runs beside the Somme from Froissy (whose museum is excellent) to Cappy. Here we exchange our steam locomotive for a diesel, for a run through a steep curving tunnel, then a zig-zag to gain height, to the roadside tramway to Dompierre. Great fun – well worth the longish drive.

The CFBS and the CFCD will be covered by “Rail Diaries” entries – once I’ve worked my way through all the photos. In the meantime, the blog pictures will provide a taster of things to come