Musée des tramways à vapeur et des chemins de fer secondaires français, Railway heritage museum in Butry-sur-Oise, France
The Musée des tramways à vapeur et des chemins de fer secondaires français is a railway museum located in Butry-sur-Oise that preserves historic vehicles from France's secondary rail network. The collection includes steam locomotives, diesel engines, electric railcars, and passenger vehicles displayed along a restored section of track.
The museum was founded in 1976 when volunteers rescued two steam tram engines from the Tramways de la Sarthe that had been abandoned in a forest. This modest beginning grew into a broader effort to document decades of French secondary railway transport.
This collection tells the story of regional rail transport and how secondary railways connected small towns and rural communities across France. The vehicles on display represent the backbone of local travel before modern roads transformed how people moved around the countryside.
The museum operates mainly from May through October, with regular Sunday visits available and a special festival held in early October. The site is largely outdoors, so weather-appropriate clothing is helpful for a comfortable visit.
The museum operates on a restored track section built on an abandoned SNCF railway line, running about 3.5 kilometers between two villages. Visitors can occasionally take rides on these recreated journeys, experiencing how regional rail travel once felt.
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