Musée des transports de Pithiviers

About the museum

The Tramway de Pithiviers à Toury (TPT) was a narrow-gauge line of about 30 kilometres, opened in July 1892 between Pithiviers in the Loiret department and Toury in Eure-et-Loir. It initially carried passengers, then increasingly sugar beet to the sugar factories. Passenger services ended in 1952 and freight traffic in December 1964.

The Association du Musée des Transports de Pithiviers (AMTP) was founded in 1965 to preserve the heritage of secondary railways, including the TPT. With the agreement of the Loiret department, which then owned the line and the rolling stock, it opened the museum and ran the first tourist train on April 23, 1966, hauled by the locomotive Blanc-Misseron 3-5. The current terminus at Bellebat, on a former military training ground, was reached in 1971.

Several original buildings survive in Pithiviers: the former wagon repair workshop houses the museum, the paint shop serves as a station, and the depot still handles maintenance and restoration of the engines. The collection has grown over the years with rolling stock from France and abroad; some TPT pieces have even returned to their original line. Visitors combine the museum visit with an 8-kilometre trip by steam or diesel train.

Highlights

• Steam tourist train on 8 km of narrow-gauge track
• Blanc-Misseron 3-5 steam locomotive, built 1902, the first engine of the 1966 inaugural train
• Autorail Crochat AT1, one of the TPT's first railcars
• Narrow-gauge museum in the former wagon repair workshop
• Seasonal events: Easter, Halloween and Father Christmas trains

Permanent exhibition

• Musée de la voie étroite et histoire du Tramway de Pithiviers à Toury – Narrow-gauge railway equipment, steam locomotives and the history of the Tramway de Pithiviers à Toury, in the former wagon repair workshop.

Founded

1966

Operated by

Association du Musée des Transports de Pithiviers (AMTP)

Admission & discounts

Museum-only ticket costs €4 from age 5; the combined train and museum ticket costs €10 for adults. During the Museum Night and European Heritage Days, the museum is free and only the train ride is charged (€7 from age 5). Accepted payment methods: cash, card, cheques and holiday vouchers.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The association states that the museum is fully accessible to visitors with reduced mobility, and that the train has the equipment needed to accommodate wheelchairs. Volunteers can help on request.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

The seasonal events are aimed at families: an Easter egg hunt with bouncy castles, Halloween trains on which children come in costume, and a meeting with Father Christmas on the train. Reduced rate for children aged 5 to 11, free up to age 4.

Getting there & parking

The museum is on Rue Carnot in Pithiviers, next to the former SNCF station, which has been converted into the Mémorial de la Shoah. The train runs to the Bellebat terminus (8 km return trip).

Amenities & dining

At special events, drinks, snacks or crêpes are offered. The museum's pages do not mention Wi-Fi for visitors.

Events & venue rental

Outside opening days, groups of at least 30 people can organise their own day at the museum.

Plan your visit