The Musée du Chemin de fer de Nîmes preserves rare historic rolling stock and railway artifacts inside its south roundhouse, offering visitors a detailed look at 19th- and 20th-century French rail history according to Rail Passion. Established in 1988 by l’Amicale des Anciens et Amis de la Traction Vapeur SNCF, the museum showcases vintage locomotives, steam equipment, and scale models that document the evolution of transport in the region.
History of the Nîmes Railway Depot
Rail service reached Nîmes in 1839 with the opening of an initial landing stage that served as the terminus for the line from Beaucaire, as documented by Rail Passion. The construction of the current Nîmes railway station followed the 1845 inauguration of the Nîmes-Montpellier line, which reduced the original landing stage to a goods station. The south roundhouse of this historic facility was built in 1867, followed in 1884 by the north roundhouse and a three-track lifting workshop. Both roundhouses were constructed in the classic PLM style featuring complete stone structures, cast-iron pillars, and cupolas. A third annular concrete roundhouse, designated as the west roundhouse, was added around 1913.
Wartime Damage and Post-War Reconstruction
Allied bombings heavily damaged the Nîmes depot in 1944, leaving only the lifting workshop largely intact with the exception of two cast-iron pillars that required replacement, according to Rail Passion. Following the electrification of the Sète-Nîmes line that same year, the south roundhouse received catenary wires to accommodate early electric engines, including four BB 4100 locomotives transferred from the Compagnie des chemins de fer du Midi.
Preservation Efforts and Public Access
Today, a dedicated team of volunteers maintains a collection of historic electric locomotives—specifically the CC 7121, BB 4162, BB 9411, and CC 6575—stationed beneath the south roundhouse, alongside unique railway objects noted by Rail Passion. Visitors arriving on regional trains can spot these vintage machines through the window just before reaching the main Nîmes station.