Book Le Train Alsace / Lorraine Les Images de notre Histoire (The Train Alsace / Lorraine Images of our History) by Roland Oberlé and Jean-Marc Combes Published by Ronald Hirlé Second quarter of 1993 Format 23.2 x 31.7 cm, 190 pages, hardcover, numerous black and white photos, very good condition, clean pages, French text.
EAN 9782910048006 ISBN 2910048004 SKU344735
From the first steam-powered ‘dinosaurs’ to the famous TGV, via the Micheline on tyres, the history of the train is one of constant technological innovation that has paved the way for the most exciting dreams. Hundred-tonne ‘monsters’, speed records, gigantic networks and structures: the history of the train seems to be made up of excessive elements tamed by a human organisation unlike any other.
This great book on trains is the first work of this importance to recount in such detail an industrial and, above all, human adventure.
The result of an initiative by Roland Hirlé, taken up by Roland Oberlé and Jean-Marc Combe, with the assistance of Michel Hau, this work has benefited from the active involvement of the SNCF, the National Railway Museum, La Vie du Rail, the Alsace Regional Council, and also the companies that have made, make and will make the train: SACM, Alsthom, De Dietrich, Bugatti, the Bischheim workshops, Timken and Gefco.
Preface by Gilbert de Dietrich:
Alsace-Lorraine has played a leading role in the railway industry since its inception. In 1841, the Strasbourg-Basel railway line was the first major line to be inaugurated in Europe outside Great Britain. Mulhouse and Graffenstaden were the birthplaces of one of the world's leading locomotive manufacturers, the Société Alsacienne de Constructions Mécaniques. Its Belfort subsidiary, which became Alsthom, went on to become one of the world's leading manufacturers of electric locomotives. As for the De Dietrich company, before 1871 it was the main supplier of wheel tyres for the French railways and, in 1934, one of the first to build railcars. Today, it is one of the major producers of track equipment and builds TGV trailers.
This exceptional concentration of resources and expertise in the railway sector in our regions is no coincidence. After 1815, the metalworking industries of Alsace and Lorraine lost their army contracts and shifted exclusively to civilian manufacturing. The railway came along at just the right moment to offer them a new outlet. With safety as their priority, the railway companies imposed draconian quality standards. By meeting their requirements, companies in Alsace and Lorraine became the leading suppliers on the French market before 1871. They achieved this by attracting talented engineers and developing training for their workforce. From the mid-19th century onwards, at DeDietrich, young people who wanted to become skilled workers began by taking two years of theoretical courses before their apprenticeship period.
The railway has been an integral part of the history of Alsace and Lorraine for over a century and a half, both as an industry and as part of everyday life. Of all the high-tech industries, few have improved the lives of millions of people as much as the railway industry. This beautiful book by Roland Oberlé and Jean-Marc Combe reminds us of this, recounting facts and showing images that will leave no one indifferent.
Constantly breaking new records in terms of speed, safety and energy efficiency, rail is more than ever an indispensable tool for urban planning, regional development and environmental preservation policies.
Its history is already long, yet it is only just beginning.
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