Bought more SNCF tickets from a machine - this time in Orange France at their small train station. Just under €35 - still no PIN requested but card approved.

There are several different train ticket machines - different regional ones. I have just been using the SNCF branded machines with touch screens (no main keyboard - only a PIN pad, and card payment only) that let you choose language on the first screen. Yellow, I think, with the pink-purple SNCF logo.