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Situated in Mulhouse in Alsace, the Cité du Train [French Railway Museum] is the biggest railway museum in Europe. Recently renovated, the Cité du Train uses a vast animated area to present the main themes in the history of the railway, starting from magnificent locomotives and wagons. An audio-guided tour lets you discover the other part of this gigantic collection, from the first locomotive to modern day. Lively and spectacular.
- The Train Trail: “The Golden Age of Rail”
A 6000 m² cinema area, where the story of “The Golden Age of Rail†(1844 to 1960) is told, with the aid of permanent animations, audiovisual displays, and “son et lumière†shows.
The visitor is immersed in the story by means of a highly realistic presentation that uses sound, light and images to portray the great moments in the history of the railways with dazzling realism. 6 themes explore the great, historic moments in the story of the train:
– The holiday train
– Railways and mountains
– The official trains
– Railways and war
– The Railway-workers
– The journey
- An enthralling visit
Visitors wander past the most beautiful locomotives and the most symbolic trains of the 19th and 20th centuries. They are accompanied throughout the visit by animated characters, music, projections and special effects, all of which combine to make this an unforgettable experience. An interactive and multilingual guide. Foreign visitors receive an audioguide when they enter the museum, so that they may listen to the various films, commentaries and animations in their own language
- The adventure of the Railway
The space dedicated to “The Adventure of the Railways†narrates the epic story of the railways.
An audioguide allows visitors to discover at their leisure more than 30 trains and locomotives that represent important landmarks in the history of the railways. It also explains the technical history of the railways, from its beginnings to the present day, making for a truly educational visit! Visitors will discover, for example: The pioneer locomotives, in particular the no. 33 “Saint-Pierreâ€, an exact replica of the English Buddicom, and “l’Aigleâ€, built in 1846 by Robert Stephenson.
7 large locomotives, which evoke the days when steam was king, such as the Pacific Chapelon 3.1192 Nord and the Baltic 3.1102 Nord of 1911, with a cutaway section on one side to illustrate the steam’s path through the engine. The first alternatives to steam engines, such as the electric and petrol railcars, and the Bugatti railcar. The more recent record-holders, such as the BB 9004, which reached 207 mph on the 28th March 1955, and the CC 1408, the most powerful locomotive in France, which, according to the railway-workers of the time, was “capable of hauling a train full of ore and the station with itâ€.The cutaway, and the secret of steam
- History of train
On their way through the hall, visitors will be struck by the sight of a locomotive with its belly cut open.
This “cutaway†Baltic Nord allows the visitor to better understand the internal workings of a steam engine, just as it did for those curious onlookers at the Universal Exhibition of 1937, where it was exhibited for the first time. This magnificent locomotive, like the other Baltic Nord, hauled the luxury Nord Express train that ran along the Baltic coast. You can also see, on the wheel cover at the same height as the middle-axle, a plaque with a star on it, symbolising the North Star.
- The Little Station for Children
The little station is a new area fully dedicated to children. An area of 80m² in the museum has been specially equipped so they can extend their visit whilst having fun. The Little Station for Children is a pleasant and colourful area providing children between the ages of 4 and 11 with numerous games and toys based around the theme of the train
HISTORY
- The original museum
History of train ; A visonary project for Mulhouse. The first museum was the brainchild of 2 visionary rail enthusiasts, Jean-Mathis Horrenberger from Mulhouse, and the Parisian Michel Doer, who, during the 1960s, were very keen to see a railway museum set up in Mulhouse, which was an international crossroads. After several setbacks, on the 6th June 1969, the French Ministry of Transport officially gave SNCF permission to deposit its historic rolling stock in the future museum.
- An undeniable success
After being provisionally established in a former Mulhouse Nord railway depot between 1971 and 1976, the Mulhouse National Railway Museum was officially opened at its permanent site in June 1976. The museum was a great success, with up to 200,000 visitors per year.
- From “Museum” to “Cité du Train”
Train museum ; A collosal project. The French Railway Museum Association, with the SNCF’s support, decided
to renovate the museum from top to bottom, with the aim of creating the finest railway museum in Europe. An unprecedented sum of 8.6 M € was invested in this project by the Alsace Regional Department for Cultural Affairs, the region of Alsace, the Upper-Rhine Department and the city of Mulhouse. The resulting transformation certainly lives up to expectations. The display area has been increased to 15,000 m², and management of the Cité du Train has been entrusted to Culturespaces for the next 12 years, who will be implementing their original concept of the “pleasure visitâ€, an idea that has already proved successful at 8 other tourist attractions.
- The film
A 4-minutes film narrates the history of the museum, as a team of reporters follows the entire renovation process from its earliest days to the current Cité du Train. It includes details of how the locomotives were transferred, the installation of new backdrops, new lighting etc. Watching this film, visitors can appreciate the scope of the changes made in order to give birth to the Cité du Train
- History of the railways
The invention of the railway (1550 – 1830) In the beginning were the mining railways, which existed in Europe as early as the 16th century. Then, in 1771, the Frenchman Cugnot invented his “Fardierâ€, the first steam-driven vehicle. Thus, the meeting of rail and steam gave birth to the railways as we know them today.
Railway fever (1830 – 1914 ) It was an enormous effort, which, in England alone, employed 50,000 construction labourers over a period of 40 years. Throughout Europe, railways crossed rivers and passed through mountains. Civil engineering structures, including bridges and viaducts with unprecedented spans, were built by Stephenson, Brunel, Eiffel etc…
The consequences: a new society ; A “railway civilisation†was in the process of being born. It allowed people and goods to be transported more quickly, it caused towns to be remodelled with regard to their newly acquired railway stations, and it created powerful industries, of which Mulhouse was an important centre.
Railway crisis ( 1920 – 1960 ) :In the United-States during the 1920s, the number of railway tickets sold decreased by 43%. In the 60s, the number of train passengers in the US fell to 500 per day, compared to 15,000 per day during the 1930s. It comes as no surprise to learn that, during this period, some people were predicting the imminent death of the railways. In France, the situation was less serious, although the number of rail passengers decreased by 50% between the 30s and the 50s, mostly as a result of the increased competition from newer forms of transport.
The revival of the railway ( 1960 – 2005 ); High-speed trains, used for the first time in 1964 with the Shinkansen in Japan, suddenly prove to be financially viable. For distances of around 500km, and measuring times from city-centre to city-centre, the train is now as fast as the aeroplane. The TGV, with all the technical refinements that make it exceptionally stable, experiences an immediate and considerable success, and gains a following throughout Europe. The future of the railways seems assured
PRACTICAL INFORMATIONS
Cit̩ du Train РFrench Railway Museum
2, rue Alfred de Glehn,
68200 Mulhouse
Location :
10 minutes from Mulhouse railway station
5 minutes from the town centre and the A36 motorway
75 minutes by car from Strasbourg and 30 minutes from Basel
Access:
– From the A35 or A36 motorway, take the exit marked “Mulhouse Centreâ€
– From the centre of Mulhouse: bus no. 17 or no. 4 from the station
РBy train : with Corail Intercit̩s, direct trains to Mulhouse from Paris, Dijon, Strasbourg, Nancy, Metz and Basel
– By TGV (starting in 2007)
Parking:
Free parking is available in front of the museum.
Visiting options:
Self-guided tour
Individual visitors are supplied with audioguides at no extra charge. We recommend that visiting groups book the date and time of their visits in advance.
Guided tour
You can explore the collection wih your own guide or with guides from the museum. Guided tours last approximately 1hr 30 mins.
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