The outings in vintage vehicles are a source of nostalgia for those who remember them roaming the streets or countryside. For the young public, it is often a moment of amazement as they see these venerable vehicles puffing smoke and trembling with all their steel on roads that are now restricted to them. It is always a moment to be shared with family as grandparents recount anecdotes from their childhood, ranging from going on vacation to going to school. Moreover, it gives everyone a chance to immortalize remnants of a not so distant past. Belgium has a number of museums dedicated to railway and tram equipment, but TrainWorld in Schaerbeek has become the most popular in recent years.
However, we highly recommend taking a trip to Treignes and Mariembourg to meet the Chemin de fer des 3 Vallées where many old vehicles, including steam locomotives, michelines, wagons, and railway carriages, are kept. The museum also houses a workshop for equipment maintenance and repair. Additionally, 2023 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the 3 Valleys Railway for which the Festival Vapeur will take place over three days with a multitude of circulations in the Viroinval countryside. About 10 to 15 steam locomotives will be in service while multiple other events such as the Cockerill exhibition, the restaurant train, craftsmen, folklore, miniature live steam, and more will also be planned. Email [email protected] to obtain information and group reservations, as places are expected to be limited.
Other highlights of the season include the Easter train, model-making day on July 21, etc. The tourist trains run either in “diesel” traction (railcar) or in “steam” traction, every weekend and on holidays from April 1 to November 5, and on Thursdays during spring and autumn holidays, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays in July and August. The railcar of the Chemin de Fer du Bocq will also resume service from Spontin from April 1, offering a short trip along one of the most picturesque rivers in Wallonia.
Moreover, the non-profit organization PFT (Railway Heritage and Tourism) has secured a budget of 1.3 million euros for the refurbishment of the Evrehailles-Bauche station and the development of a specific platform at Ciney with the ultimate goal of restoring the entire line and connecting the Ciney station to the Meuse valley at Yvoir and the major Namur-Arlon and Namur-Dinant railway axes. The PFT equipment is stored at the Retrotrain in Saint-Ghislain, which is open on every first Saturday of the month (except July and August).
The historic trams will also resume service in the coming weeks, and we will provide more information regarding it in the next issue.
A breath of nostalgia for those who have still known them roaming our streets or our countryside, amazement, often, for the young public seeing for the first time these venerable vehicles smoking or trembling with all their steel on lanes which are now reserved for them, the outings in old vehicles are always moments to share with the family. This is an opportunity for grandparents to tell one or another anecdote of going on vacation or going to school from their childhood. And above all, for everyone, it is an opportunity to immortalize these vestiges of a past that is sometimes not so ancient. Belgium has a number of museums dedicated to railway and tram equipment.
The one that has imposed itself in recent years is however disconnected from the network, even if many of the machines it contains are still in working order, it is the TrainWorld, in Schaerbeek.
This impressive museum has somewhat eclipsed the others, but we cannot recommend too much to take a trip to Treignes and Mariembourg to meet the Chemin de fer des 3 Vallées where many old vehicles are kept: steam locomotives, michelines , wagons and railway carriages, plus old intervention vehicles and repair equipment, especially since the museum houses a workshop where maintenance and repair of equipment can take place on site.
Above all, for the employees of this fascinating museum, 2023 marks the fiftieth anniversary of this 3 Valleys Railway. On this occasion, the Festival Vapeur will exceptionally take place over three days with a multitude of circulations. This will be an opportunity to see between 10 and 15 steam locomotives in service in the beautiful countryside of Viroinval. Alongside this, multiple events will be planned, Cockerill exhibition, restaurant train, craftsmen, folklore, miniature live steam… Admittedly, the event is still far away, but places are likely to be snapped up like hotcakes, so information and group reservations can be obtained by email at [email protected] (group rate applied from 20 people). Other highlights will mark the season such as the Easter train, model-making day on July 21, etc. The tourist trains run either in “diesel” traction (railcar) or in “steam” traction, every weekend and day holidays from April 1 to November 5 as well as Thursdays during spring and autumn holidays and Tuesdays and Thursdays in July and August.
It is also from April 1 that the railcar of the Chemin de Fer du Bocq resumes service from Spontin for a short trip along one of the most picturesque rivers in Wallonia. The entire PFT (Railway Heritage and Tourism) team is dressed in their 31s since the non-profit organization was created in 1992. While waiting for the return to the fold of an old steam locomotive, which has gone to be repaired walk, good news arrived at Christmas in the form of a budget of 1.3 million euros for the development of a specific platform at Ciney and the refurbishment of the Evrehailles-Bauche station. The ultimate goal is to restore the entire line, and thus connect the Ciney station to the Meuse valley at Yvoir, i.e. the two major Namur-Arlon railway axes, with one side, and Namur-Dinant on the other. As for the PFT equipment, it is stored at the Retrotrain in Saint-Ghislain, open every first Saturday of the month, except in July and August.
The historic trams will also resume service in the coming weeks; we will come back to this in the next issue.
In conclusion, the outings in old vehicles are not only moments to share with the family, but also an opportunity to immortalize these vestiges of a past that is sometimes not so ancient. Belgium has a number of museums dedicated to railway and tram equipment, with the TrainWorld in Schaerbeek being the most impressive one. However, we cannot recommend enough to take a trip to Treignes and Mariembourg to meet the Chemin de fer des 3 Vallées where many old vehicles are kept. Above all, make sure to mark your calendar in 2023 for the Fiftieth anniversary of the 3 Valleys Railway, where you will have the opportunity to witness between 10 and 15 steam locomotives in service in the beautiful countryside of Viroinval. And for those who love historic trams, stay tuned for the upcoming news in the next issue.
