SNCF X-5500/5800 class autorails in Pont-d'Hérault station in 1952

Diagrams of the X-5500/5800

This is located in the commune of Sumène in the Gard department of France, along the former Quissac-Le Vigan railway line at kilometer post 6 from Le Vigan on the single-track 46.2 km standard-gauge line. The line opened for the Ganges-Le Vigan section in July 1874, and the station building later found new life as a local school after passenger services ceased in 1969. Closure for freight took place in 1989.

More info

Present day view

British Rail class 76 electric locomotive seen in 1953

The prototype named Tommy was completed in 1941, followed by 57 units built in the early 1950s. Tommy was oiginally classified by the LNER as Class EM1. 

Designed by Sir Nigel Gresley, they were 1.5 kV DC electric Bo-Bo type mixed-traffic locomotives built specifically to operate on the steeply graded Woodhead Line connecting Manchester and Sheffield via the Woodhead Tunnel. They hauled heavy coal and industrial freight trains over the Pennines until the entire class was withdrawn when the trans-Pennine section of the route closed in July 1981.

More on the class

The pic was was taken at the eastern portal of the Woodhead Tunnel, near Dunford Bridge in South Yorkshire.

traffic in Flinders Street, Melbourne, 1953

The W class trams were almost as much an icon as the Flinders Street station building. The main color today is more creamy and the VR sign with occupations available has gone. See earlier posts.

green, turquoise and yellow small gas station colors, Ukraine

Rather eyecatching.

an empty ore train hauled by two IORE electric locos from Narvik to Kiruna, Norway-Sweden, 2010

Passing through the Tornetrask station, obviously in autumn. This was once Dm3 locomotive territory, see earlier posts.  

"IORE is a class of 34 electric locomotives built by Adtranz and its successor, Bombardier Transportation, for the Swedish mining company LKAB's railway division, Malmtrafik. The class is a variation of Adtranz's Octeon modular product platform, thus related to Bombardier's later TRAXX platform. The locomotives are considered to be one of the world's most powerful locomotives and haul iron ore freight trains on the Iron Ore Line and Ofoten Line in Sweden and Norway, respectively. The 8,600-tonne 68-car trains are hauled by two single-ended Co′Co′ locomotives, each with a power output of 5,400 kW (7,200 hp)," says Wikipedia (more here)

From an old calendar, pic credited to Mikael Lundberg.

driver's cab view of the tracks, pulling out of Modane, France, towards the Mont Cenis tunnel

The Arc river is on the left. See earlier posts.

'I much enjoy a good real book in bed'

French diesel railcar Bugatti Présidentiel XB 1008 from 1933

Originally used by the CdF de l'Etat then the SNCF after nationalisation from the beginning of 1938. They had a relatively short lifespan due to high fuel consumption and the last was withdrawn in 1958. 

Of the 88 Bugatti railcars only one was preserved: number four of the first Présidentiel series, built in 1934. It was used as an inspection vehicle until 1970. In 1980 the Bugatti was restored to its original condition and nowadays stands in the Cité du Train museum at Mulhouse, not far from the place where it was built over 90 years ago.

1950 Mercury Monarch

1956 Bedford A2 truck