Établissements Billard was a French railway rolling stock construction company founded in 1920 and based in Tours. It specialised in light railbuses and metre gauge and narrow gauge rolling stock. The business ceased trading in 1956 and later became Socofer.
Production
Draisines Draisines : These worked on different VFILs, and for the "Big Companies" which became the SNCF.
Locomotives
T50 T75D T75P T75G These were designed for the French Military Railway. They were used, among other things, to service the Maginot Line. SNCF Class Y 7100
Railbuses
Railbuses for numerous French VFIPs (secondary railways) Type A 80D, Type A 135D, Type A 150D, Type A 210D, Networks of the Compagnie des chemins de fer départementaux, including: Corse, Vivarais, Indre et Loire, Seine-et-Marne Tramways d'Ille-et-Vilaine Company Overseas networks: Madagascar Réunion French West Africa: Dakar Niger Dahomey Ethiopia: Chemin de fer Franco-éthiopien received in 1964 two automotive cars of , for the Djibouti – Addis-Abeba line Several European networks
In Greece In Spain A Micheline was built in the 1930s for the PO Three buses with bogies on a wide chassis worked on the Nord-Est. A series of railbuses with two axles were built for the CFD and the SNCF in 1949 and 1950 A series of FNC railbuses were deployed by the SNCF
The solidity of the stock, and the simplicity of construction, means that many Billard engines are still working today.
Preserved Billard rolling stock
Locomotives
type T 50
type T 75, in several variants (with the series prototype, and some military examples) on the Tacot des Lacs, at the Train Touristique de Saint Trojan and later at APPEVA.
type T 100,
Railcars Meter gauge
type A 150D X153, Portes les Valence (bespoke). type A 150D 212, Chemins de Fer de Provence 213, Chemin de fer du Vivarais 214, Chemin de fer du Vivarais. type A 80D 313, Voies Ferrées du Velay 314, Chemin de fer du Vivarais 315 Voies Ferrées du Velay 316 Chemin de fer du Vivarais 513 Chemins de fer de Corse. type A 150D2 Articulated 222 Voies Ferrées du Velay. Trailer R 210 3, Chemin de fer du Vivarais 5, MTVS ex autorail AM 20 des TIV 7, Voies Ferrées du Velay 11, Chemin de fer du Vivarais 22, Chemin de fer du Vivarais Standard gauge type A 75D X901, Tourist railway of La Sarthe, originally Chemin de fer Mamers-Saint Calais X903, Trains à vapeur de Touraine with a trailing car
Rebuilt and modernised vehicles
XR 1331 (Chemins de Fer de Provence), ex RL1, originally CP, rebuilt Garnero XRD 1333 (Chemins de Fer de Provence), ex RL3, originally CP, rebuilt original mail van XRD 1337 (Chemins de Fer de Provence), ex RL7, originally CFD Vivarais 33, rebuilt Garnero, mail van XR 113 (Chemins de fer de Corse) ex autorail A 150 D1, N°113, rebuilt Carde XR 104 (Chemins de fer de Corse) ex autorail A 210 D1, N°105, rebuilt Garnero, previously with CP XR 105 (Chemins de fer de Corse) ex autorail A 210 D1, N°106, rebuilt Garnero, previously with CP XRD 242 (Chemins de fer de Corse) ex autorail A 80 D, N°32, originally CFD Charentes XR 526 (Chemins de fer de Corse) ex autorail A 150 D2, N°526, originally Tramways d'Ille-et-Vilaine
Gallery
Notes
Sources
See also Chemin de fer du Vivarais Locomotive Metre gauge Railcar Socofer
References
External links Billard railcar A80D N°313 from Dunières-Saint-Agrève Double railcar A150D2 N°222 from VFV