Pont de Courtonne was a site of the terminal for the northern services of the Caen division of the 600 mm interurban steam tramway Chemins de fer du Calvados. Steam trams didn’t operate through the central part of Caen, and thus the interurban network was broken in two, with urban electric trams providing a connection. Note, the given loop consists of 3 tracks: the two 600 mm steam tramway outer tracks, and the 1000 mm electric tramway inner track.
( Early 1900s , Postcard )
( Early 1900s , Postcard )
( 1902 , Postcard )
For interurban segments of the steam tramway the tracks were mostly laid on reserved road sidings.
( Early 1900s , Postcard )
The entire steam interurban system was single track with passing points.
( Early 1900s , Postcard )
The town of Bayeux was the focal point of the western division of the interurban steam tramway system.
( Early 1900s , Postcard )
( Early 1900s , Postcard )
Within towns steam trains mostly operated via streets in semi-mixed traffic.
( 14.08.1908 , Postcard )
Isigny was the westernmost point reached by the interurban steam trams.
( Early 1900s , Postcard )
The last line connecting Caen with the Atlantic coast at Luc-sur-Mer remained in service until 1944, whe it was destroyed by heavy fighting on the D-Day invasion during the World War II. In this photo British tanks maneuver over the tramway’s right-of-way.
( 06.06.1944 , G. Laws, Free License )