Chemin de fer du Cambrésis

The Cambrésis railway opened in 1881. It was a voies ferrées d'intérêt local system. From Caudry, lines ran to Cambrai in the north, Denain in the east, Catillon in the south, and St. Quentin Cambrésis in the west.

The first section of line to open was the 26 kilometres (16 mi) section from Cambrai to Le Cateau in 1881, this was extended by 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) to Catillon in 1886. In 1887, a 19 kilometres (12 mi) branch from Caudry to Villers-Outréaux was opened, extended by 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) to Le Catelet-Gouy in 1888. The 28 kilometres (17 mi) line from Caudry to Denain opened in 1891. In 1892, the line was extended by 25 kilometres (16 mi) from Le Catelet-Gouy to St. Quentin Cambrésis, with a final extension of 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) to St. Quentin Nord opening in 1904. Caudry and St. Quentin are only 32 kilometres (20 mi) apart, but the railway took a route that followed contours and avoided heavy engineering, thus lengthening the distance by train.[1]

Closure occurred in stages. The line between Cambrai and Awoingt closed in 1936. Passenger service ceased between Le Catelet-Gouy and St. Quentin in 1936.[1] Le Catelet-Gouy to St. Quentin Cambrésis closed in 1954, and the entire system except Caudry - Denain closed in 1955. Final closure occurred in 1960.

The main freight was coal from Denain. Agricultural produce and general merchandise was also carried.

• Three Corpet-Louvet locomotives built in 1881. Cambrai Scrapped in 1936.[4]
• No. 5 Clary Corpet-Louvet 493/1888 0-6-0T. Sold to the Loddington Tramway in the UK, then to the Waltham Iron Ore Tramway.[5] In 2017, preserved at the Irchester Narrow Gauge Railway Museum with nameplates from Cambrai.[4][6][7]
• Corpet 2-6-0T locomotives built in 1917, ex tramways de la Côte d'Or
• Pinguely 2-6-0T locomotives built in 1904, ex tramways de la Côte d'Or.
• Piguet 2-6-0T locomotives built in 1914, ex tramways de la Côte d'Or.[8]
• 3 Corpet-Louvet 2-8-2T locomotives, on loan 1944-47. (#40, 41 and 42)[3]
• 3 Corpet-Louvet 2-8-2T locomotives, built 1948. (1924/1948 #40, 1925/1948 #41 (scrapped 1958) and 1926/1948 #42).[3]

The CF du Cambrésis had some four-wheeled Renault-Scémia railcars. These were only used on the lightest of trains.[8]

• 
  St-Quentin (Nord network) station.
• 
  St-Quentin (Nord network) station.
• 
  Cambrai station.
• 
  Le Cateau station at the beginning of the 20th century
• 
  Carnières station, August 2009
• 
  Caudry station, November 2009
• 
  The site of Le Cateau station, May 2008
• 
  Inchy station around 1920
• 
  Catillon-sur-Sambre station, August 2009