Construction of the Riqueval tunnel 1801-1810 (≈ 1806)
Canal dug to connect villages.
avril 1810
Inauguration of the underground
Inauguration of the underground avril 1810 (≈ 1810)
Official operation of the tunnel.
1906
Tow iron
Tow iron 1906 (≈ 1906)
Replacement of steam by electricity.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Key figures
Rougaillou - First horse cutter
Winch boat operated by horse rides.
Origin and history
The Museum of Touage in Bellicourt is dedicated to the history of touage, a towing technique used in the underground Riqueval, a tunnel-channel of 5,670 meters long. Built between 1801 and 1810 and inaugurated in April 1810, this tunnel allows the Saint-Quentin Canal to cross the villages of Bellicourt, Bony and the American Memorial of Bellicourt. Due to the lack of adequate ventilation, barges can only navigate by being towed by a tow truck, a winch boat attaching to a chain of 8 km and 96 tonnes laid at the bottom of the canal.
Originally, the first towerer, the Rougaillou, operated thanks to horses operating a ride on its deck. It was replaced by a steam model and, from 1906 onwards, by an electric towel, solving the problem of smoke in the vault. The crossing, lasting from two to three hours at an average speed of 2.5 km/h, allowed the sailors to rest, share pancakes or frying, and play music. This system, one of the last in the world, remains operational despite the decline in traffic on the channel.
The museum of Bellicourt presents this emblematic technique, while Voies navigable de France studies the installation of mechanical ventilation to allow the passage of motorized boats. The touage of Riqueval, once indispensable with a traffic of 100 boats a day, n This industrial heritage bears witness to a unique engineering and an ever-living know-how.
