The most famous Tramway of the Charente was The Petite Mairat, named after an engineer Paul Mairat . The Tramway commenced at the Angouleme Ville Station now a block of flats at Grand Font. Behind the flats is still the little tunnel entrance now bricked up that turned at right angles inside to emerge to cross the mainline to Bordeaux: the line then travelled on the Rue de Bordeaux South. The Tramway was built down to a price & opened in 1910, it did this by sharing existing roads and bridges wherever it could , originally using cute little steam engines nicknamed Asthmatic Tacots, Breathless Bangers, because they were very slow & often had to be pushed by the passengers up hills, - truly - and with two little wooden coaches as well.

These little steamers were replaced by Automotrices, - Charabancs on rails, - in the early 20s and it still took an average of five and a half hours from Angouleme to Confolens. Angouleme was Bombarded by the Americans in 1944 and all the 5 Stations of Angouleme was virtually wiped out ,The Paris Oleans main line is all that is left today . So The Petit Mairat that ran for 150 kilometers from Angouleme to Confolens , went via Rouillac, Aigre, Mansle, St Angeau, Champagne Mouton, or the second route was from Angouleme went via Brie, Jauldes, Coulgens to St Angeau and was sadly closed in 1938. The little Stations were like small bus stops, there`s one that can be seen after renovation at Hiesse on the D740 between Confolens and Alloue .

At Confolens Station is the Velorail and a little railway museum well worth a visit. Also at Gourville in the Charente on the D736 Rouillac to Aigre is a small museum on the Petite Mairat with a Steam Engine at the Station situated next to the Cafe de la Gare, owned, Incidently, by my friends Julie and Lee. There has been a book reprinted called , Voyage en Charente , au temps de la vapeur , available possibly in Maison de la Press , book shops or Supermarkets; there is a very good coverage on the Petite Mairat with walks to show there are still plenty of vestiges .