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| A pre-opening poster dated 1898 |
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| How the operation looked in later years, two tramcars cross in July 1965 |
The departure point of the PCL was located in the courtyard of the Gare du Midi in Pierrefitte. A 50 metre-long canopy covered the two platforms and a shed that could contain nine cars was located near the Midi station.
The main line continued to Cauterets, access to Luz was by reversing at the Nestalas stop (the motorman changed cabs). The two towns were connected by a single line of 11.2 km, of which the curves had a minimum radius of 35 metres. Pierrefitte is located at an altitude of 462 metres and Cauterets at 910 metres. Despite this difference of 448 metres, the railway was adhesion only; gradients could reach 8%. All vehicles were powered to avoid the risk of drift.
After Nestalas, the line rose by a wide circuit through meadows to the tunnel of the Cap d'Estang. Then it passed near the mine of Peñarroya, which had a stop for its workers (but the train did not provide transportation of ore). Next it followed for a time the old route of the road, then crossed the Gave de Cauterets with the bridge of Meyabat. It consisted of four stone arches and two metal spans of 22.50 metres which rested on a central pillar of masonry 16 metres high: a total length of 95 metres.
The route then encountered one of the major difficulties of the route: the verrou glaciaire of Limacon. Initially, a double cusp was installed, requiring two successive changes of direction. After increasing the vehicles' power, the double switchback could be skipped. After the Limacon, the journey continued towards Cauterets without much difficulty. At the level of the Limacon was located the Calypso quarry and the hydroelectric plant of the same name. The latter was driven by a waterfall of 69 metres from the mountain stream of Cauterets.
The wooden station of Cauterets, situated below the village was built in wrought pitch pine. The building, prefabricated by a Bordeaux company, was built on a concrete slab. It is now a listed historic monument. The trip from Cauterets to La Raillere lasted 44 minutes.
A small line 1,836 m in length connected Cauterets to the spa located a little higher, on the road to Pont d'Espagne. This line was distinct from the line Pierrefitte - Cauterets, as the departure station, la gare des Œufs "the station of the eggs"(!) was above the village. The initial plans provided for a service connection between the two lines, which was not carried out. The la Raillère line was entirely double track for a change in altitude of 125 metres. The trip lasted 6 minutes at 15 km/h.
The Pierrefitte - Luz line measured a little over 12 km, for a total altitude change of 249 metres. The gradients were less severe than the Cauterets line and did not exceed 6%. The rails were sunk below grade as it was on the main road almost all the way. A short 180 metre tunnel located at the narrowest point was the only exception. Initially, it was fed by the power plant of Calypso, via a feeder at 1200 V (-600 V / 600 V). Subsequently, a new plant was built at the so-called Reine Hortense bridge which provided power of 900 hp, quickly increasing to 1000 hp. After construction of the line of avalanche sheds were built downstream from the Pont d'Enfer (bridge of Hell), in order to protect it from falling rocks. The trip lasted 30 minutes.
Cars used were 11.80 metres long, 2.30 metres wide with a BB configuration (two bogies with two powered axles). Initially, the installed power was 100 hp. In 1901 it was increased to 180 hp.
The vehicles were equipped with trolley type poles to capture electricity from the overhead wires. They were raised on ascents and lowered on descents, the speed control was then provided by dynamic brakes. The number of vehicles amounted to 17 passenger cars and 3 baggage cars (one became a cattle truck). Three railcars were exclusively assigned to the isolated La Raillère line. They were also BB type, but they had a lower power output of 45 hp.
Some tests were conducted with towed trailers on the Luz line, which as noted was less rugged than the Cauterets line, however, without convincing results.
Each train was manned by two agents: the conductor, responsible for safety, and the motorman. In September 1929, staff of the PCL comprised 102 people, including 32 tram crew. The company at that stage employed nine women 8 assigned to stations, the ninth a management typist. The main objective of the PCL was passenger transport. At its peak in 1923, it offered 7-8 daily round trips to Cauterets and Luz. Enthusiastic promoters of the railway then imagined a line extension from Luz to the cirque de Gavarnie.
The PCL also carried freight, notably the transport of calcium nitrate extracted from the Calypso quarry, bound for a plant on the Luz line on two occasions:
* From 1916 to 1921, to manufacture explosives based on nitric acid during the war, and nitrogen fertilizers;
* After WW2, for the manufacture of carbide acetylene lamps.
The Luz line also carried sphalerite and galena from the Cheze mine to the Pierrefitte station.
Services were frequent on the La Raillère line: there was a departure every quarter of an hour between 6 am and 6 pm with an hour break from 12 to 1 pm.
All tracks have been fully lifted. The formation of the La Raillère line was largely taken to double-lane the road to Pont d'Espagne.
In 2005, the formation of the Pierrefitte - Cauterets line was transformed into a greenway by the community of municipalities of the valley of Saint-Savin. It is an extension of the greenway Lourdes - Pierrefitte, which also embodies the old railway line. The formation was covered with asphalt(?), so as to make it traversable by pedestrians as well as cyclists. The Cap d'Estang tunnel is lighted. The metal span of the Meyabat viaduct has been replaced.
(translated by us from French wikipedia)
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