Decauville

The machine and locomotive factory decauville is a French industrial company that became famous for his light railway systems. Based in Corbeil company hired 1898-1911 also manufactures automobiles.

Beginning

The origins of the company date back to Armand -Louis -Victor decauville, which began in 1850, south Paris to plant sugar beets in Petit Bourg. This resulted in a considerable operation of several hundred hectares size, he in 1871 his son Paul ( 1846-1922 ) handed. In the fall of 1875 an unusually large harvest was expected, which was, however, threatened by heavy rains and the upcoming early frost. In order to introduce it in time, Paul decauville had a brainstorm: He made parallel iron bars attach to flat iron to elements which could be transported and bound together in a simple way. So he got a narrow gauge system with 400 to 600 mm gauge and prefabricated, easily transportable rail elements. On these improvised tracks the trolleys were drawn that would otherwise be stuck in the soggy ground. The harvest was transported in time.

Feldbahnen

Just two years later decauville had abandoned agriculture and its " portable railroad " to such a degree that they could be produced industrially. The track width increased with time from 40 to 50 and 60 cm. He also began to develop the appropriate locomotives and wagons. In 1880, he announced that 3000 orders had been received and that he (now Corbeil -Essonnes in the Île- de -France ) was planning a factory of 80,000 sqm in Corbeil.

Decauville idea found multiple industrial, tourist, as well as military applications. Became famous, among other things decauville train at the Paris World Exposition in 1889, with 6 million people were transported. During World War II, the 600 -mm trajectories of system decauville found many uses on the part of the Entente ( Trench Railways ). Soon was added in the construction of traditional cars.

Bicycles

Decauville ran a sharp expansion of his work, adding other products such as electric motors. 1891 took over the company in the manufacture of bicycles, including a tricycle in which the passenger was sitting in a comfortable chair between the front wheels.

Automobile production

The company started in 1898 with the construction of automobiles. To this end, it took over the carmaker Guédon from Bordeaux and its engineer Gustave Cornilleau. The first model, called Voiturelle, had an air-cooled two-cylinder engine with 3.5 hp at the rear and front suspension. Licensed aircraft were carried out by the car plant in Eisenach Germany and Marchand in Italy. 1899 followed the model 5 CV. From 1900 models came with front engine. One of them acquired Henry Royce, but was not happy with it and it further developed 10 hp for Royce. It formed the technical foundation of the Rolls-Royce brand.

In 1906 there were large touring cars whose engines had up to 9300 cc. Licensed aircraft made ​​by Ehrhardt and Lux'sche industrial plants in Germany and Fabbrica di Automobili e Cicli Lux in Italy. 1911 ended car production.

A car of this brand is on display at the Musée Henri Malartre in Rochetaillée -sur -Saône.

Decauville of 1899

Decauville of 1899

Decauville of 1902

Decauville 1903

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