Chemins de fer départementaux du Finistère

The Chemins de fer départementaux du Finistère (French pronunciation: [ʃəmɛ̃ də fɛʁ depaʁtəmɑ̃to dy finistɛʁ]) were a metre gauge railway system in northwest Brittany, France.

The main line ran from Brest to St. Pol-de-Léon with branches to Porspoder, L'Aber-Wrach, Brignognan and Quimperlé.

The CFDF absorbed the Chemins de Fer Armoricains (CFA) in 1921[1] and the Tramways Électrique du Finistère in 1922.

The line was transferred to the Réseau Breton and converted to standard gauge in 1947, and closed in 1963.

[3] The Chemins de fer armoricains (CFA) was a metre gauge railway in Finistère, with a few kilometres of track in Côtes du Nord.

It opened in 1912 and was absorbed by the Chemins de fer départementaux du Finistère in 1921.

[5] This line connected with the Chemin de Fer des Côtes-du-Nord.

The 132-kilometre (82 mi) Plouëscat - Rosporden line opened in sections in 1912; Landivisiau - La Feuilée on 11 June, Plouëscat - Landivisiau on 10 October, La Feuilée - Châteauneuf de Faou on 25 November and Châteauneuf de Faou - Rosporden on 21 December.

There were derailments at Ploumillau on 24 August 1917 and 15 July 1918; St. Michel-en Grève on 23 October 1923 (this one was due to defective track); at St. Efflam on 21 October 1923, 29 March and 30 March 1924 (the latter because the driver had not been notified of the poor condition of the track).

[8] Sections of the CFA trackbed are visible in the Ploumillau, St. Michel-en-Grève, Ponceau and Le Mouster areas.

As a result of the trials, three railcars and three trailers were purchased initially, later more railbuses were added to the fleet.

[4] The first three locomotives supplied to the CFA Lannion - Plestin line were built by Corpet-Louvet, followed by one from Blanc-Misseron.