Recent content by MarcVD

The problem with loco haulage in Belgium is the lack of variety. All what you get is HLE18/19. Only exception is Bruxelles Luxembourg, where HLE13 is used. I highly recommend any loco haulage fan to take that trip : not only you get a chance to have an HLE13, which will soon become an endangered...

It is now confirmed that there will be a farewell trip organised for the SNCB I6 cars. 31 Octobre, start and return from Schaerbeek, 45 €, mandatory reservation on the Train World website. It's selling fast, so if you want to come, act quickly. Traction will be HLE13 and HLD55. 5 or 6 I6 cars...

It has now been officially announced that SNCB will retire all remaining I6 cars for end of next month. I6 cars are UIC-Z type, financed by Eurofima, delivered end of the 70ies. 20 A and 60 B were initially delivered. 15 B cars were converted to couchettes, retired several years ago, and sold...

There on one on the light metro of Charleroi.

That's because those two lone historically always had lower patronage than the lines serving the city centre. That's changing, though. They now get 7900s and the underground terminus will be reworked to accept 3000 series trams soon.

Basel SNCF will be gone in a few years when SBB starts remodeling the station. The 25 kV stub tracks will disappear, the limit between 15 and 25 kV will be pushed further north, and you will need a 15 kV capable loco to enter the station. But in a year or two, SNCB will have their new HLE17...

Yes. All more recent stock is air conditioned so fixed windows. Might be a few non air-conditioning ones still on rush hour trains, still running until they are mile-expired. But I doubt it, and if it's still there, it won't last long. As far as I know those included in clockface services, like...

They are mostly used around Antwerp, notably on the S service between Rosendaal and Puurs. And also most of the Turnhout - Brussels - Binche IC workings. That first car is an non air conditioned second class I10. There are 45 of them, along with 15 first class ones. I believe they are now all...

So, owning and operating a smartphone has become a mandatory prerequisite to purchase a train ticket nowadays ? I wonder how long that argument would hold in court...

Well, not really. I still Wonder what exactly I should have done before boarding the train at Orry la ville in order not to break the rules.

So last Sunday I find myself, with wife and another friend in tow, in the lovely little station of Orry la Ville, in the northern outskirts of Paris. The station is outside the limits of the Île de France region, and is served by Paris RER line D - organised by Île de France mobilités - and by...

Then you can also mention the Deseret Power Railroad, which is still operational, uses the same 50 kV electrification scheme, and uses the same GE E60-C electric locomotives. 1785882520 And I think also métro line 5 in Tehran, which uses double deckers and electric locomotives powered by...

Yes. Mostly ASEA Rb and Rc designs.

We also still have an original SNCV PCC tram in operating condition on the ASVI tram museum line in Thuin.

All of that has been filmed in La Louvière. I spent all my childhood there and have ridden all those tracks and trams extensively until their end.