The Decauville

General characteristics of the switcher:

Builder:	Decauville
Model/Type:	TE2001
Date of delivery:	March 1963
Road numbers:	N°39
Diesel power [kW]:	165
Locomotive power [kW]:	?
Maximum starting tractive effort [kN]:	about 90
Maximum safe speed [km/h]:	15, HLP 20
Weight in working order [t]:	36
Total length [m]:	7,76
On-board voltage [V]:	24

General view:

diagramme

Builder plate:

DMC-plaque

Short presentation:

The Decauville (immatriculation 39, type TE2001) was built in 1963. Its prime mover (type 16*18D6) has been built under licence MAN by the "Aciéries du Nord de la France (ANF)" and is rated at 225ch or 165kW. Its high adhesive weight of 36 tonnes allows a high maximum tractive effort of approx. 90KN and its hydraulic transmission which uses the fuel as hydraulic fluid a certain flexibility. Unfortunately its maximum safe speed is only 15km/h with train and 20 alone. For its former use in the plant of Rhône-Poulenc in Chalampé this was sufficient but for our use, that's is not enough.

Life at CFTR:

Last owner before salvage:	Rhône Poulenc plant in Chalampé
Retirement date:	1991
Acquisition date:	1991
Current owner:	CFTR
Restauration:	1991
Use at the CFTR:	Interne
Retirement by the CFTR:	-

This switcher is one of the few locomotive the association owns, other locomotives are private owned. The Rhône-Poulenc plant made this generous donation in april 1991 but this was only the beginning of a long story: large body works, repainting, exhaus manifold repair, this was a real long restauration until it worked.

Nowaday it is used on a regular base to switch in the depot. In 2015 its diesel engine didn't survive a short period of use at the CCI where it has been overextended. That's why a new engine is built in.

Pictures (CFTR):

The Decauville in 1997. (Picture Sébastien Kieffer)

The Decauville after repainting in 2014. (Picture Sébastien Kieffer)

The Decauville in use in the harbor of Colmar in January 2015. High loads are possible for example on this aluminium train! (Picture Emmanuel Traber)

External links:

More information:

Unfortunately this switcher has a design defect which leads to overheat of the cooling water when used extensively. The water cooling radiator is not optimal. It is positioned behind the fuel cooling radiator for the hydraulic transmission. If the dimensionning would have been correct, this should not have happened. That's why the switcher is used only for short period.