THE LOCOMOTIVE AND THE SLEDGEHAMMER

Here are two witnesses to the incredible industrial history of the municipalities of Fives and Hellemmes. The locomotive first. Located just opposite the TECHNICENTRE de la SNCF, the locomotive erected in Monument, was inaugurated in 1998. 65 tons, 600 horses, wheels more than 1 metres in diameter, this type 144 locomotive impresses with its dimensions. It was manufactured in Fives in 1937 and served in the mining companies of the region and in various large companies. Graduated from service in 1963, it served as a fixed boiler for the hot water production of some washing in the region! After a short stay at the railway depot in Posted, she finally returned to Hellemmes, where she became the symbol. It is also a witness to a network of 12 km railways that crossed the area and which has now disappeared completely.

The Hammer-Pilon was manufactured in 1870 and was the impressive witness of the steel activities of the major Fives-Cail-Babcock plant. Placed in the Square of the International, it is a kind of tribute to all workers-blacksmiths who attelèrent there. It consists of a hammer and an anvil and works by the strength of the steam. Its purpose, as its name indicates, was to compress metals. It was classified as a technical and industrial heritage of historic monuments in 1986. That is its importance.

So take the time to walk in Hellemmes and discover these amazing witnesses of an exceptional industrial history.