From 1876, the Decauville Company became famous world-wide for the manufacture of cheap, reliable portable railways for agricultural and industrial use. Their early systems were 40 or 50cm gauge, sold to farming and industrial companies in France and some of Europe. A 50 cm gauge railway used by the public for the 1878 Universal Exhibition of Paris helped to put Decauville's name out to the wider French public. Then he became known in the English-speaking world. On December 15th 1883, management and staff of the whole factory enjoyed a large sit-down celebratory dinner. The Boss's younger brother, Émile Decauville, had just come back from Australia where he had supervised the building of a 52km network of 60cm railway for the Homebush plantation. near Mackay, Queensland.
This was significant for the company. Of the first twenty five locomotives the Company ever sold, five went to Australia. These were 6 tonne 0-4-0T manufactured by Couillet. 450 wagons were also purchased. A long association with Van de Welde, as agents in Australia, had begun. The locomotive preserved at Gembrook is very similar to these first Couillets.
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The order to Australia came at a significant period for both Paul Decauville and Prosper Péchot, then a captain in the French Artillery. Péchot had seen potential in the Decauville system; if 60 cm portable track were improved, he reasoned, it could be rapidly laid and, using locomotives rather than horses, carry the sort of traffic required by a modern army. From 1880 onwards, he worked on a design. Decauville must have been impressed by 60cm and locomotive haulage because from 1880, he promoted it more and more. In late 1882, Péchot submitted his designs for a military system based on 60cm portable railways to the French Minister of Defence (in French, Ministry of War). In his covering letter, and in the Memorandum itself, he emphasised the practical trials performed at the Decauville works.
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| One of the drawings illustrating Péchot's 1882 memorandum to the Minister of Defence. This was revolutionary in a number of ways. A locomotive is seen on portable track, hauling itself up a gradient (cable at front). The train consists of a substantial gun supported by no less than four six-wheeled bogies. The effect was to spread the load over twelve axles. Drawing courtesy of Raymond PECHOT |
His superiors simply filed it and this could have been the end of the story, were it not for the determination of Prosper Péchot and Paul Decauville. With Decauville's support, practical and financial, Péchot fought to have his system adopted. If Decauville hadn't scored some successes with 60cm, he would have been in no position to do so. After a struggle, in 1888, the Péchot system was officially adopted by the Army and named 'artillerie 88'
In 1889, the Great Paris Exhibition - which took place under the newly-built Eiffel Tower - was served by another Decauville narrow gauge network. This was 60cm gauge, worked by locomotives. It truly wowed the public who bought 6.3 million train tickets. The majority of locomotives heading these trains were 0-2-0-0-2-0T Mallets. Each carried the name of some commercial success for Decauville. On 15th June 1889, Decauville No 74, 'Australia' was the fifth Mallet to join the engine shed.
As they went around the Exhibition, trains passed the largest and finest of the transporters designed for the Péchot system - a 48 tonne gun carried on a system of 16 bogies, parked under the Eiffel Tower. We hope that the two gentlemen enjoyed that time. Had they known it, these were almost the happiest times for both.
The years after marked more personal and professional disappointments for Péchot and near bankruptcy for Decauville. After he was 'constructively dismissed' there was some new interest from Australia but 2'6" and 3'6" were the preferred gauges for official ng railways. The name of Péchot was not widely known. This changed during the First World War.
Australia and New Zealand both raised armies to help the 'mother country'. These were originally destined for the Western Front but, as we know, they were diverted to the Gallipoli campaign where they acquitted themselves very well. These ANZACs were landed at a cove on the western side of the Gallipoli peninsula midway between Cape Helles and Suvla Bay. (Even in 1920, it was still known as Anzac cove.)
The plan was for the Allied troops to cross the peninsula, cutting off the Turkish troops at the southern end. 2'6" field railways were to be provided by the British to supply the advance. Things did not go according to the Allied plan. By May, they were trying to slog their way up the peninsula. Many ANZAC troops were moved south to the Helles area to act as strategic reserve for the second battle of Krithia 5th May 1915. Here they acquitted themselves well, inflicting heavy casualties. Here also they encountered 60 cm railways, possibly not for the first time.
The Allied forces had never moved far from their beach heads, and so the 2'6" stayed packed up and was later pressed into use to defend the area around the Suez Canal. (If Turkey was the 'sick man of Europe' he was proving to be less unhealthy than expected.) The Allies did, however, lay hands on 60cm gauge material.
The British had systems at Suvla Bay and Cape Helles. Worked by horses, material could best be described as 'an assortment of wagons'. It is interesting that the fore-ruinners of the WD A-class ie simple wooden-bodied four-wheel wagons were recorded in use. The wheelbase of this A-class wagon was 3'; later versions also did duty as bogies for bogie wagons.
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| French troops at Seddul Bahr had two pet vultures. Behind them is Péchot track. Photo copyright M.D. Wright |
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