Train de Beauport — Le Moule, Guadeloupe

Association pour la Conservation et la Transmission du Patrimoine du Moule (ACTP)
Guadeloupe
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The Journey

Navigate from Domaine de Beauport — Gare de la Sucrerie (Le Moule) to Belvédère de l'Anse à la Barque across a span of 6.5km.

Scenery Highlights
  • Sea-grape-shaded ruins of the 1835 boiler house
  • Cliff-top belvédère overlooking the Atlantic swell at Anse à la Barque
  • Volcanic-stone chimneys of the Beaufonds distillery
  • Wooden cane-crushing wheel and small rum-still display
Quick Facts
  • Duration

    0.6 hours

  • Distance

    6.5 km

  • Est. Price

    Adult €12 / Child €8 / Découverte €22

Official Booking Provider
Classes & Accommodations

Meals: None

Ensuite: No

Meals: Rum tasting (2cl agricole rhum) included

Ensuite: No

Engine / Locomotive

Corpet-Louvet 0-6-0T steam (1908) primary; SACM 0-4-0 diesel (1955) reserve/winter

Locomotive Weight

Steam locomotive 18 t; diesel shunter 9 t

Track Gauge

600 mm (1 ft 11⅝ in, Cape-type plantation gauge)

Braking Technology

Steam locomotive: Westinghouse air brake on train, hand brake on tender. Diesel shunter: mechanical drum brakes.

Route Engineering Challenges

  • Track re-laid in 2003 on the original 1870 alignment using hand-cleared ballast after 30 years of jungle overgrowth

  • Single-track loop with a passing siding at Habitation La Roche, hand-signalled by the driver

  • Tight 35 m minimum curve radius dictated by the plantation's original right-of-way between cane fields

  • Coastal salt air requires annual re-tamping and replacement of corroded rail spikes

Founded

2003 (railway); 1870 (original sugar estate line, closed 1969)

Track length

6.5 km loop

Maximum gradient

1.4%

Maximum permitted speed

18 km/h

Carriages

Two Saint-Pierre wooden open-sided carriages (1924), 28 seats each, ex-usine du Robert (Martinique)

Heritage listing

Label 'Patrimoine du XXe siècle' (Fondation du Patrimoine, 2018)

Annual special events

Fête de la Canne (first weekend March), Nuit du Train (August)

Operating organisation

ACTP — Association pour la Conservation et la Transmission du Patrimoine du Moule (volunteer association)

Funding

Conservatoire du Littoral, Conseil Départemental de Guadeloupe, ticket sales, Fête de la Canne fundraising

Annual ridership

~9,500 passengers

Quick Facts
  • Duration

    0.6 hours

  • Distance

    6.5 km

  • Est. Price

    Adult €12 / Child €8 / Découverte €22

Official Booking Provider