The (AJECTA) - - are a French railway heritage organisation based at Longueville depot in Seine-et-Marne. They safeguard and restore railway rolling stock and manage a railway museum on the same site.

History At the end of the 1960s steam trains were being eliminated from the French railway network. Tourist lines were being formed and a group of passionate young people from the Paris area came together to form AJECTA.

The society was formed in 1968, with the intention of reopening the CFD metre gauge line from Florac to Ste.Cécile-d'Andorge. This project was not successful, so AJECTA turned to standard gauge. They initially investigated taking over the former Esternay depot but instead found the Longueville was available. Spurred by progress being made by other groups they opened negotiations with SNCF.

By 1971, AJECTA had entered into a shared agreement to use the depot site. With progress being made more members were attracted to the organisation. Their first locomotives, 040-TA-137 and 130-B-476 were delivered in July 1971 and on the 14th 040-TA-137 was steamed for the first time.

Musée vivant du chemin de fer AJECTA first moved into the former Compagnie des chemins de fer de l'Est depot buildings in 1971. Over time their display of equipment and artefacts has expanded and the depot became a museum. It has benefited from the phased restoration work on the roundhouse, supported in particular by the French Fondation du patrimoine.

From their first acquisitions of 130 B 476 and 040 TA 137 in 1971 through to 241 P 30 which arrived in 2019, the Longueville living railway museum has assembled the largest collection of standard gauge steam locomotives that a French railway association has been able to assemble. Alongside the 14 steam locomotives they have over 100 items of other rolling stock.

Collection Steam locomotives Original railwayNumber and nameType or classBuilderWorksnumberBuiltWheelsNotesImage Cie du Nord, Sucrerie de Vaumoise No. 4.853 040 Société J. F. Cail & Cie 1866 0-8-0 Static display Classé MH (1988) CFE Gudmont-Rimaucourt, later Sucrerie de Nangis Ernest Goüin & Cie 3032 1887 0-6-0TOut of service Cimenterie de Dannes Camiers No. 2 bis Cockerill 1930 1896 0-4-0T Operational Cie du Nord, SNCF 3.628230 D 116 230 Nord 3.513 à 3.662 Henschel 1911 4-6-0 Static display Classé MH (2021) Cie de l'Est, SNCF, CFTA 141 TB 407 ANF Blanc-Misseron 1913 Operational Classé MH (1988) État, SNCF 140 C 231 État 140 North British 1916 2-8-0 Operational Classé MH (2003) Tréfilerie de Fourchambault No. 105 Corpet-Louvet 1548 1918 0-4-0T Static Display Mines de La Houve, later Port de Givet No. 3467 Schneider 1920 0-6-0T Static Display État, later SNCF 040 TA 137 1922 0-4-0T Static Display État, SNCF, CFTA 141 TC 19 Fives-Lille 1922 Static display Classé MH (1990) Cie de l'Est, SNCF, CFTA 130 B 348 Ateliers d'Epernay 1922 2-6-0 Static Display Cie de l'Est, SNCF, CFTA 130 B 476 Ateliers d'Epernay 1922 2-6-0 Static Display Classé MH (1988) USATC 4383030 TU 22 Davenport 2532 1943 0-6-0T Out of service SNCF 241 P 30 (et son tender 34-P-272) Schneider in Creusot 1951 Under cosmetic restoration. Exported to Switzerland 1972 and returned to France June 2019.

Diesel locomotives and locotracteurs Original railwayNumber and nameType or classBuilderWorksnumberBuiltWheelsNotesImage Usine Schneider-Westinghouse (SW) de Champagne-sur-Seine. AE 104 Schneider No. 485 1928 Port de Givet T 106 Baudet, Donon et Roussel No. 548 1956 Centrale thermique de Porcheville T 931CAFL / CEM 1955 SNCF Y 2507 SNCF Class Y 2400 Decauville 1969 0-4-0DM Operational. Acquired SNCF Y 6571 SNCF Class Y 6400 De Dietrich 1957 Bo Operational. Acquired SNCF BB 63855 SNCF Class BB 63500 Brissonneau and Lotz 1964 Bo-Bo Out of service. Passed to AJECTA , engine failure in 2019. SNCF A1A A1A 68506 SNCF Class A1AA1A 68500CAFL / CEM / Fives-Lille-Cail 1965 A1A'A1A' Under restoration. Acquired

Electric locomotive Original railwayNumber and nameType or classBuilderWorksnumberBuiltWheelsNotesImage SNCF BB 12114 SNCF Class BB 12000 SFAC - SW - Jeumont, 1960 BoBo Static display. Preserved April 1999. Transferred from Cité du train - Patrimoine SNCF Jan 2024.

References

External links Blog de l'association AJECTA