Museum Foundation 1976 (≈ 1976)
Creation under the name *Musée des Transports de la Vallée du Sausseron*.
1999
Change of name
Change of name 1999 (≈ 1999)
Becomes *Museum of the Tramways in Vapor and the French secondary railways*.
1986-2017
Operation of the tourist line
Operation of the tourist line 1986-2017 (≈ 2002)
Movements over 1 km (reduced to 500 m after 2007).
2007
Climbing on track
Climbing on track 2007 (≈ 2007)
Three rock blocks damage the line.
2013
Relocation project
Relocation project 2013 (≈ 2013)
Choosing Crevecœur-le-Grand (Oise) for a new site.
2017
Partial opening in Crèvecœur-le-Grand
Partial opening in Crèvecœur-le-Grand 2017 (≈ 2017)
1.6 km of paved track; Butry-sur-Oise closure.
2019
Extension of the line
Extension of the line 2019 (≈ 2019)
Extension until Rotangy (3.5 km).
2022
Closing of the Butry-sur-Oise site
Closing of the Butry-sur-Oise site 2022 (≈ 2022)
Museum accessible only on request or during JEPs.
2025 (prévu)
Final extension
Final extension 2025 (prévu) (≈ 2025)
Line from 6.4 km to Blicourt.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Key figures
Information non disponible - No key character mentioned
The source text does not mention any specific individuals related to the museum.
Origin and history
The Musée des trammes à vapor et des chemins de fer secondaires français (MTVS) was founded in 1976 under the name Musée des Transports de la Vallée du Sausseron, in Butry-sur-Oise (Val-d'Oise), on the site of the former Valmondois station. He presented a unique collection of departmental railway vehicles, saved and restored by volunteers. Between 1986 and 2017, a 1 km tourist line, known as the Impressionist Railway, allowed traffic on the 1st and 3rd Sundays from May to October, until a fall in 2007 reduced the route to 500 m.
In 1999, the museum took on its current name and became a national reference for the metric secondary railways. Despite aborted projects (such as the relocation to Chars in 2009), a new site was finally chosen in Crèvecoeur-le-Grand (Oise) in 2013. The first traffic starts in 2017 on 1.6 km, followed by progressive extensions (3.5 km in 2019, 6.4 km planned in 2025). The Butry-sur-Oise site closed permanently in 2022, while the collection, including 34 vehicles classified as historical monuments, was transferred to the Oise.
MTVS was a member of the Federation of Friends of Secondary Railways (FACS) and UNECTO. His collections included steam locomotives, passenger cars (including 12 restored), freight cars, and special vehicles such as a classified PLM crane. The museum also organized events, such as a demonstration in 2011 in Saint-Omer-en-Chaussée with a temporary 300 m track. Today, the Crèvecœur-le-Grand line, opened from May to September, offers tourist traffic on a reconstructed metric track.
The current project, carried out with the communities of local communes, aims at a 12 km line between Crèvecœur-le-Grand and Saint-Omer-en-Chaussée. Work includes the laying of re-used rails, the restoration of bridges (such as Rotangy in 2016), and the development of stations. Partly financed by communities, it is part of a dynamic of valuing secondary railway heritage, with extensions planned until 2025.
Major parts include cars from the Tramways de Saint-Étienne (1883), Railways de la Banlieue de Reims (1892), or Swiss cars acquired in the 1990s. Some vehicles, such as the Menier Chocolate Lounge or the ex-PLM crane car, illustrate the diversity of local railway usage. The museum also maintains archives and participates in international exchanges, such as a twinning with the Belgian association ASVi in 2017.
