In 2026, this loco is a 62 year old survivor 😊👍
63866 is another BB63500 awaiting its fate in Road 1 of the Graveyard with 35 other classmates.
The 580 strong BB63500s were built for over 15 years between 1956 and 1971.
Most of the class are withdrawn, though a few were rebuilt in the early 2010s as BB64600s and are still active in 2026.
Quite a few in this Road 1 line were included in these lucky ones. But not 63866, which had a different, positive future.
63866’s History:
Big thanks as usual to Christophe Hespel for his trainsso.fr database information🙏
63866 was built by Brissonneau & Lotz and delivered into service with SNCF on 24/12/1964.
It was first logged stored at Sotteville from the Achères Depot as far back as August 2006, stored in the scrap line by Sotteville Depot.
It was first logged after being moved to the Graveyard roads on 29/08/2010.
63866 was officially withdrawn from on 25/06/2011, (almost 5 years after its arrival).
It was last sighted at the Graveyard in August 2011.
63866 became a lucky loco when it was preserved by Loco Vapeur R1199 de Nantes at Nantes-Blottereau depot and repainted into its original green livery.
It moved preservation owners on an unknown date. Possibly 2016 when Nantes-Blottereau depot was redeveloped as part of Nantes station expansion and Loco Vapeur R1199 de Nantes had to leave.
I63866’s new home is the CFV - Chemin de Fer de la Vendée at Mortagne-sur-Sèvre, about 60km’s South East of Nantes.
It is definitely active, as it has been loaned since April 2025 to CFTVA - Chemin de fer touristique de la vallée de l'Aa, in Arques.
It was also in use in early July 2026 at their annual Festival 😊
