Compagnie de l'Ouest algérien explained

The Compagnie de l'Ouest algérien (OA) was a railway company created in 1881 to build and operate a network in the Department of Oran.^[1] In 1913, the total length of the network was 449 km.

The lines are of standard gauge, except for the Blida to Djelfa line, which is of narrow gauge, built at a gauge of 1055 mm.

The Compagnie de l'Ouest algérien was integrated into the Compagnie des chemins de fer de Paris à Lyon et à la Méditerranée by decree of 31 December 1920.^[2]

Lines

Conceded lines:

• Oran (la Senia) - Aïn Témouchent (75.5 km), opened in 1885, standard gauge,
• Oran (Sainte-Barbe du Tlélat) - Sidi-bel-Abbès - Tabia - Tlemcen (138.5 km), opened in 1890, standard gauge,
• Tabia - Raz-el-Ma - Crampel, (branched off the previous line) (69 km), opened in 1885, standard gauge,
• Blida - Berrouaghia (45 km), narrow gauge line, opened in 1891,^[3]
• Berrouaghia - Boghari (40 km), (extension of the previous line),(narrow gauge), opened on 15 July 1912,
• Boghari - Djelfa (155 km), (extension of the previous line),(narrow gauge), opened from 1916 to 1921.

Leased lines:

• Arzew - Aïn-Sefra (454 km), line initially conceded to the Compagnie franco-algérienne,
• Mostaganem - Tiaret (197 km), narrow gauge line,^[4] initially conceded to the Compagnie franco-algérienne.

Rolling Stock

Narrow gauge locomotives (1055mm)

• No. 1 to 9, type 130t, delivered in 1891 by SACM, empty weight 29 tonnes,^[5] (narrow gauge)
• No. 20 to 24, type 140t, delivered in 1910 by Fives-Lille (narrow gauge)
• No. 101 to 114, type 230, delivered in 1913 by Fives-Lille (narrow gauge)
• No. 115 to 125, type 230, delivered in 1920 by Fives-Lille (narrow gauge)

Standard gauge locomotives (1435mm)

• No. 100 to 106, type 030, delivered in 1882 by Fives-Lille
• No. 107 to 111, type 030, delivered in 1887 by Fives-Lille
• No. 112 to 115, type 030, delivered in 1889 by SACM
• No. 200 to 206, type 030, delivered in 1884 by Fives-Lille
• No. 207 to 209, type 030, delivered in 1887 by Fives-Lille
• No. 300 to 304, type 130, delivered in 1904 by Fives-Lille
• No. 400 to 404, type 130, delivered in 1911 by Fives-Lille
• No. 405 to 409, type 130, delivered in 1913 by Fives-Lille

Notes

1. Book: L'Ouest de l'Algérie. Réseaux exploités par la compagnie de l'Ouest-Algérien, lignes de l'Ouest-Algérien et de la Cie franco-algérienne, texte et dessins de Ch. Lallemand . 2020-09-13 . . 1891 . 2023-12-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231220151146/https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5789563x/f12.image . live .
2. Decree applied on 1 July 1921.
3. Web site: Bernard Venis . Les chemins de fer à voie de 1,055 mètre en Algérie, la ligne Blida_Djelfa,… . 2023-10-12 . . 2007-09-22 . https://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20070922000000/http://www.alger-roi.net/Alger/transports/chemin_fer/voie_metrique/chapitre2_blida_djelfa.htm . dead .
4. Web site: Archived copy . 2023-12-20 . 2014-10-31 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141031145125/http://jean.salvano.perso.sfr.fr/Blida/train/Dev+carte.pdf . live .
5. Web site: Archived copy . 2023-12-20 . 2016-04-26 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160426110339/http://images.delcampe.com/img_large/auction/000/334/811/168_001.jpg . dead .