Recent Photos
23-Jan-2013
Our railfan pictures all too often show nice sunshine and blue skies, but being a railroader means working odd hours and in all kinds of weather.
Such as this fellow who runs Locon's trash train. Using a beltpack remote control he walked the train out of the transload (the engine is pushing on the rear). In this view he's opened the grade crossing control box and is activating the gates to back the train across.
Volkerrail 203-2 operating for Locon with the trash train 50094 (Haanrade - Wijster) in Haanrade.
17-Jan-2013
Another stroll down to the tracks in -5 C today, this time to see the next pair of Desiros being transferred to Aachen Hbf by one of Siemens' Eurorunners. In a redoux of last month's move the two AM08s would cover the remainder of their trip from there under their own power.
The Desiros will be the nails in the coffins of most if not all AM6xs and a good number of the AM80 Breaks within the next year, so better start getting your pictures now!
Siemens PCW 7 with AM08 08536 and 08533 as train 16510 (Wildenrath - Stockem/B) in Kohlscheid.
16-Jan-2013
We got our second snow fall this season yesterday so it only seemed appropriate to spend the lunch break freezing in the great white outdoors.
It's always nice to see one of the "old school" juice racks in the sea of Traxxes and Siemens threephasers that is today's railroad scene. Such as this one.
151 142 with steel train in Kohlscheid.
11-Jan-2013
Haven't shot a train picture in about a month, mostly because we've had 4 weeks of near-constant drizzle - bah! And of course the annual shutdown of the railroad over Christmas didn't help either.
I've long been wanting to get into pole aerial photography and recently got around to buying the necessary equipment. Today it was nice and cold outside with patches of sunshine so this was a good opportunity to put my new toys to work.
Here we see one of the Antwerp-Gremberg junk freights (masquerading as a steel train) passing idled Block 16 in Montzen. The camera was mounted on a 18 foot pole extended to about 12 feet and remote-controlled from a laptop. I think this technique will open up a lot of new shots in the future.
2805 with the 44543 (Antwerpen-Noord - Gremberg/D) in Montzen passing Block 16.
18-Dec-2012
Short days -- night shot time. Tonight we find a DB Schenker Traxx sitting in the cold drizzle on one of the Antwerp - Gremberg junk freights. The overhead lights accentuate the maze of wires required to get the go-juice to the racks. At least in this view they make for half-decent photo props instead of just being in the way.
185 366 ready to depart Aachen West with the 44525 (Antwerpen-Noord/B - Gremberg).
13-Dec-2012
Today two of the new Siemens Desiros (designated AM08 by SNCB) were transferred from Wildenrath to Stockem, operating under their own power from Aachen Hbf onwards. This was unusual enough to warrant a short stop on the way home, even though in the rather near future the AM08s will be replacing most older EMUs throughout Belgium and will become just as commonplace as the 28s have become in freight service.
This particular stretch of railroad is interesting in that it is on the German side of the border, has German Ks-type signals and quite obviously German catenary, but is powered by Belgian-standard 3kV DC and has dual safety systems, German PZB and Belgian Memor.
The current assumption is that the AM08s will replace the old EMUs starting a year from now, running Spa - Verviers - Welkenraedt - Aachen.
AM08 08529 + 08530 as 16510 (Aachen Hbf - Liege-Guillemins/B) in Bildchen.
8-Dec-2012
The first snow of the 2012/13 season came yesterday, duly followed by a beautiful sunny Saturday.
Infrabel cannot be commended enough for the vigor with which they control lineside vegetation. A month ago all that was visible from this location was a green wall obscuring the railroad. Today the only green thing was Crossrail's PB15 leading this trailer train out of the Gulp Tunnel.
Crossrail PB15 with Lkw Walter-intermodal in Hindel.
24-Oct-2012
The last day of Indian Summer (if forecasts are to be believed) should not be spent indoors. One of the spots in the area that holds sunlight the longest is the platform view in Eilendorf. Traffic was good; on such days a flash card gets filled quickly. And luckily virtually all freights were westbound as this location is a total loss for eastbounds.
Leading the fleet was this remarkably clean Traxx trailing one of the Italian box shuttles out of Gallarate.
185 048 with the 40216 (Gallarate/I - Zeebrugge-Voorhaven/B) in Eilendorf.
23-Oct-2012
It's fall in the valley. There's no denying it, winter's just around the corner. The farmer has finished plowing the corn field on the left. Most trees are already past their peak and their leaves are falling fast. Nature's putting on a fine show and the folks living in this house have a grandstand view of it.
Unidentified intermodal on the Viaduc de Moresnet
22-Oct-2012
The past few days have been nothing but gorgeous sunshine and warm daytime temperatures for a picture-perfect Indian Summer.
A quick stroll down to the train station during lunch break netted this shot of the coke empties yet again, storming upgrade from Herzogenrath towards Kohlscheid. In the old days this was a helper district, but today the shed singlehandedly makes short work of the empty train.
This is peak color hereabouts, and any amount of wind in the coming days will clear the leaves off the trees immediately.
Captrain 6601 on the coke empties 47502 (Bottrop-Sued - Seraing/B) reaches Kohlscheid.
12-Oct-2012
Looking the opposite way compared to the shot from 13-Jan-2012, 6601 brings the coke empties past a class 425 EMU seen in an unusual location. Due to construction activities along the KBS 485 the RB33 from Duisburg terminates in Kohlscheid, slipping into the otherwise seldom-used freight sidings on either side of the two mains to get out of the way of following traffic.
Back in the days when the ramp between Herzogenrath and here was a helper district and there were active coal mines in the area these sidings saw a lot of activity. Nowadays this scene actually warrants a photograph. Without good use for them it is anybody's guess as to how much time these four streaks of rust have left.
Captrain 6601 on the coke empties 47502 (Bottrop-Sued - Seraing/B) meets a turning RB33 in Kohlscheid.
10-Oct-2012
A recent shopping trip to Maastricht left some time for a few snaps on the platforms. In this view one of the venerable (1964-vintage) Plan Vs that are still covering NS Reiziger schedules in the area passes the retired 'Post T' interlocking tower.
Of greater interest than the relatively-recent box is the Koninklijke Mosa BV porcelain and tile works in the background, founded in 1883 and still producing today.
Plan V in Maastricht.
19-Sep-2012
Siemens is finishing up delivery of the class 19 automatic coupler-equipped locomotives to SNCB. Today the second to last pair, 1918 and 1922, were being hauled to Kinkempois (Liege) for acceptance testing.
The light was hit-and-miss (mostly miss) both for this as well as the following Captrain coke move, but such are the signs of autumn rapidly approaching.
2819 leads 1918 and 1922 as 47516 (Aachen West/D - Kinkempois-Atelier) in Moresnet towards the Rue d'Aix.
4-Sep-2012
Don't look for anything extraordinary in this shot. I was merely happy to be able to get out and spend some time in the lovely late summer afternoon sun. It has been a very quiet railroad lately so all I expected and got was a couple of 28s such as this one on a junk freight from Gremberg/D.
Meanwhile B-Logistics is hitting rock bottom financially. To stay afloat a total of 25 class 77s has been declared surplus and put up for sale. Expectations are for around 60 mill. Euros for the lot. 7785 and 7786 have already moved to Celle/Germany for renewing their certifications for Germany. Watch for some of the Vosslohs to show up for new jobs within the next months.
2837 leads the 44532 (Gremberg/D - Antwerpen-Noord) through Remersdaal.
3-Aug-2012
As every foamer knows, things don't always go as planned. Today was my turn at bad luck. I had made the trek to Schin op Geul station to shoot the trash train; alas, it didn't run and all I got for my 90 minutes of waiting was an endless procession of Veolia Gtws passing every 15 minutes or so. What a waste.
The trackage on the right belongs to the ZLSM museum railway. It was formerly a heavy-traffic coal line to the town of Simpelveld and on to mines at Kerkrade and Haanrade. The trash transload sits on an old mine property at the latter place.
Veolia Gtw in Schin op Geul.
25-Jul-2012
Our summer this year has so far been taking place inside one week. At least I could spare half a day on Wednesday to head out for some foam.
On this sweltering day we find some action at Sittard in the Netherlands. Husa 1621 has brought the limestone empties south from Veendam hauling the black 66 along with it -- not sure who's idea of efficiency that is. The juice rack has cut away from its train and the class 66 will now take over for the remainder of the journey.
Captrain's 6605 is in charge of the coal train out of the little port of Born to Luxembourg. This flow has been operating very steadily the past months after being on again - off again in prior years.
Both trains are ready to head south as soon as the window trains have cleared a path for them.
Captrain 6605 with the coal train 48871 (Born - Vise/B - Bettembourg-Marchandises/L), MRCE 653-05 with the limestone empties 49667 (Veendam - Hermalle s-Huy/B) and Husa 1621 in Sittard.
7-Jul-2012
The past months have been really busy with construction work around the house and as a consequence I didn't get to go out nearly as much as I would've liked. Most of the time the best I could manage were a few hours on Saturdays and that invariably means the limestone train was the subject of interest.
Here we see him again then, continuing the northward documentary of his trip through the basin de Liege. This is the famous occupation bridge at Argenteau, probably the best-known railfanning spot on the L40. It has light on its north side on summer mornings, showing off its unspired architecture, graffiti, and sorry state of repair to great "advantage"...
The left span went across what used to be the old mainline alignment before the 1960s channeling of the Meuse and subsequent construction of the motorway, during which the railroad was also straightened and in places relocated.
Railtraxx MRCE 653-05 with the limestone loads 48640 (Hermalle s/Huy - Veendam/NL) in Argenteau.
11-Jun-2012
Just back from a long weekend in the UK, searching out the semaphore survivors in Kent and Sussex.
Kent is almost swept clean after last year's resignaling project but there are still a few in Sussex. Including the beautiful cantilevers in Hastings pictured here as a teaser.
The galleries can be found here and here.
377 201 arriving at Hastings.
5-Jun-2012
Today five of the class 51 diesels stored in Montzen yard were pulled and transferred to Kinkempois for reasons unknown - most likely to be fixed up for sale.
Infrabel wasn't entertaining any optimism about the condition of the engines and sent a grand total of three cranes along just in case.
Here the two 77s and their remarkable train are seen crossing the Remersdaal viaduct minutes after leaving Montzen with a considerable delay.
7743+7765 with the 95439 (Montzen - Kinkempois) on the Viaduc de Remersdaal.
26-May-2012
Another Saturday and here we have today's edition of the train seen on 24-Mar-2012, merely a couple kms further east on the other side of Engis. This location is known as Awirs. The sidings and shed are what remains of the coal discharge yard of the power plant located out of view to the left. Sadly the plant isn't served any more and the sidings are severed.
Railtraxx MRCE 653-05 with the limestone loads 48640 (Hermalle s/Huy - Veendam/NL) in Awirs.
20-May-2012
Currently the only scheduled moves across the L39 between Montzen and Welkenraedt are 4 weekly roundtrips ferrying class 18s to and from their maintenance base at Kinkempois. Reason for the somewhat roundabout trip (as opposed to the straight shot up the L37) is to keep the rails on the L39 rust-free for the track circuits to work normally.
The moves run at night except on Sunday afternoons. I swung by Block 16 today lured by the beautiful sunshine but as I left the house approaching thunder was already audible. With literally seconds to spare before the downpour the entourage passed B.16 and swung onto the L39 towards Welkenraedt.
1870+1876 as 24473 (Kinkempois - Welkenraedt) in Montzen passing Block 16.
12-May-2012
During May of each year a number of pilgrim trains are operated to Lourdes in France, and 2012 was no exception - same procedure as every year...
Here's today's 14-car special approaching Herbesthal in the able hands of two class 27s in yet another lucky patch of sun.
2713 + 2722 with train 13490 (Emmerich/D - Lourdes/F) approaching Herbesthal.
7-May-2012
Captrain is picking up where predecessor SNCF Benelux left off, which is coal traffic out of the enterprising little port of Born/NL.
Currently a Mo-Fr flow to Bettembourg/L is being run in conjunction with CFL (Chemins de Fer Luxembourgois). A Captrain 66 shuttles the traffic between Born and Vise-Bas where CFL takes over for the nocturnal part of the trip via Gouvy.
In this view 3017 and 3018 have tied onto the loads after dropping the empties under Vise's floodlights and are ready to pull south.
CFL 3017 + 3018 on the 48871 (Born/NL - Bettembourg-Marchandises/L) in Vise-Bas.
29-Apr-2012
Today Crossrail had a rather unusual car head out in the 40190, a CIWL dining car. I hadn't originally planned to go see it as I wasn't sure of its position in the train. But getting alerted to it being right behind the engine on short notice a quick hop up to Block 16 in Montzen was all I could do (and probably not the worst choice either).
Crossrail DE 6302 with the 40190 (Gallarate/I - Muizen-Goederen) in Montzen passing Block 16.
21-Apr-2012
Time is running out for the classic 3kV DC electrics in Belgium. After the withdrawal of the class 23 locomotives earlier this year the class 20 are the last of their kind. With only 7 units in operation and frequent failures it gets increasingly difficult to catch one of them.
52400 is one of the "intervoorming" trains (trains between classification yards). Nocturnal Su-Fr it is scheduled for a daytime run on Saturdays. Today 2015 had a rather short consist in tow south of Vise in a very lucky patch of sun on an otherwise cold and rainy day.
2015 leading the 52400 (Antwerpen-Noord - Kinkempois) through Argenteau.
24-Mar-2012
A free Saturday morning after several weeks of no train photography was the perfect occasion to head for the Meuse Valley and catch the northbound loaded limestone train to Veendam/NL. The black 66 has just departed Hermalle s/Huy and heads through Engis on the L125, approaching Liege.
Winter has given way to spring with daytime high temperatures around 20 degrees C and still frosty nights. The trees have not yet woken up but surely this is only a matter of days.
Railtraxx MRCE 653-05 with the loaded limestone train 48640 (Hermalle s/Huy - Veendam/NL) in Engis.
10-Feb-2012
More and more 13s are being displaced from IC service by newly arriving class 18s and are in turn making their presence felt in freight service.
The Genk-Chatelet steel shuttles are a good example. Previously assured by class 23s and 26s these assigments were held down by 77s for a while and are now regulars for 13s.
The pair of 1305 and 1337 have been together for a while and strike a fine pose as they curve underneath the famous bridge at Argenteau with a short train of slabs in tow. This view has only recently been opened up by Infrabel's massive brush annihilation in the area. Over the years tens of thousands of pictures have been taken from the bridge (see 5 pictures down for an example) but rarely has the bridge itself been shown. I now consider this oversight corrected. ;-)
1337+1305 lead the steel train 33741 (Genk-Goederen - Chatelet-Formation) through Argenteau.
9-Feb-2012
As mentioned two entries down SNCB is currently training engineers for operation over the freight-only L24 and dormant L39. Here's a photo showing what is probably one of the most unusual occurrences I have recorded -- passenger (there actually were two riders on board) traffic swinging onto the L39 at block 16. This location is in the far left distance of the 7th Feb. view.
AM80 Break 434 as train 14940 in Montzen at Block 16.
8-Feb-2012
Sound barriers are generally bad news for railroad photography, but the one the City of Vise erected in place of a bunch of unpermitted garages is just great. Standing on top of the earthen mound offers a grand view of the old Hasard Cheratte coal mine with its beautiful industrial architecture. One is also far enough away to not immediately notice the disheartening condition of the complex.
In this view one of the new class 18 electrics has an IC-O in tow. These trains have been cut short to Vise following a number of incidents were non-Dutch speaking engineers were harassed by the Dutch police in Maastricht.
1806 leads an IC-O Vise - Ostende through Cheratte.
7-Feb-2012
SNCB is currently running personnel familiarization trips over the L39 between Montzen and Welkenraedt. The trips are run as twice daily turns Welkenraedt - Kinkempois and back with a dedicated AM80 Break.
Apparently starting in March this route will be used for nightly light class 18 engine shuttles back and forth to the maintenance base at Kinkempois. The dormant L39 is chosen over the more direct L37 to keep the former's rails reasonably rust free for the track circuits to continue working. In years past, special light engine runs had been scheduled for that purpose.
Here's Break 434 rounding the big curve just east of Montzen yard. Trees growing on the embankment have recently been felled creating this new angle. The signal J-Q 44 is the home signal for Montzen on the L39.
AM80 Break 434 as train 14942 (Kinkempois - Welkenraedt) between Montzen and Birken.
6-Feb-2012
Veolia has been operating passenger service on the Heerlen-Valkenburg-Maastricht line for several years now. In the early days they were using old Plan Vs until Stadler could deliver the modern Gtw 2/6 and 2/8 units which have become popular with travelers.
Here one of the units departs Meerssen for the final leg of the journey into Maastricht. The spire of the 14th century cathedral can be seen above the station building's white gable.
This is the second week of continuous sub-zero temperatures with lots of sunshine thanks to a stable high-pressure system.
Veolia Stadler Gtw 2/6 to Maastricht in Meerssen.
6-Feb-2012
Railtraxx in cooperation with Husa has taken over the limestone service between Veendam/NL and Hermalle s/Huy. Sole motive power in early 2012 is MRCE 653-05 which escorts the train the entire way. In Sittard only the driver is changed, with a Railtraxx employee running in Belgium and a Husa employee in the Netherlands.
This is Railtraxx's first scheduled service. The engine has been transferred from former lessee Rurtalbahn/Trainsport as it is certified for operation in both countries, which Railtraxx's other class 66 - PB20 - isn't. As part of the swap it has received white ends, lost the RTB/TSP decals on the flanks, and has had stickers applied proclaiming "Maintained by Electro-Motive" (this is how it looked previously). The rolling stock is also very different from the cars used by DBS-NL last year.
Railtraxx MRCE 653-05 with limestone empties 49667 Veendam/NL - Hermalle s/Huy in Argenteau.
25-Jan-2012
Well, yes, the coke empties again for the third time now. Not much to say about it that hasn't been said, other than I wanted him in this shot (directly opposite from the view of 14-Dec-2011 three pictures down). And since the sun is all wrong at this time of day it had to be in the overcast. Of course we haven't had much of anything else lately anyway.
Captrain 6603 with the coke empties 26410 (Bottrop - Seraing/B) south of Kohlscheid.
13-Jan-2012
The triweekly coke empties returning to Seraing is my favorite train at the moment. It's diesel-powered, conveniently scheduled, and of course Captrain is the underdog in the freight market around here.
To top it off, I have never seen a dirty Captrain unit - they take remarkably good care of the icon of their corporate image. One only wishes the government railways would take note.
Here's 6603 with 25 cars braking towards an adverse signal just as it crests the grade coming up from Herzogenrath.
Captrain 6603 on the coke empties 26410 (Bottrop - Seraing/B) in Kohlscheid.
6-Jan-2012
The trash train changed hands (again) in 2011 and is now being operated by Husa which has taken over the Dutch ACTS franchise and a lot of their equipment as well.
Additional power is provided by company Locon as can be seen here in the form of venerable ex-East German V100 #220. That's the engineer on the ground doing his own switching and running the engine via a beltpack onto the main before lining the siding switches back to normal.
Happy New Year 2012 everybody!
Locon 220 operating for Husa is on the trash train 50094 (Haanrade - Wijster) ready to depart Haanrade.
14-Dec-2011
After ArcelorMittal's July 2011 purchase of the Prosper coke works in Bottrop/D a shuttle was booked to transport product from their other coke works in Seraing/B. By November Captrain had managed to wrest the contract away from B-Cargo while AM was evaluating service and pricing for 2012.
The trains run through with Captrain's attractively painted 66s all the way and are conveniently scheduled for a quick after-lunch outing. Today 6605 had the honor and was swinging through the wide curve south of Kohlscheid station trailing a neat heat plume.
Captrain 6605 with the coke empties 26410 (Bottrop - Seraing/B) south of Kohlscheid.
12-Dec-2011
Looks like business is booming for Rurtalbahn/Trainsport. They are now operating a sixth class 66, V267 alias PB17. The unit has led a true leaser's life, having been previously operated by Shortlines, Rail4Chem, Veolia, and Captrain.
Tonight the 9 year-old engine was showing off her fresh new Ascendos-green paint while being fueled in Montzen.
RTB/TSP V267 (PB17) on the fuel pad in Montzen.
10-Dec-2011
Tomorrow the new schedule for 2012 goes into effect, bringing wideswept changes to Belgium.
The class 26 electrics are being altogether sidelined, and a number of class 20s and 23s are being retired from freight service. With B-Cargo facing empty pockets, up to 60 class 13 engines are being moved over from SNCB. They are the only passenger motive power not encumbered by government subsidies (and thus off limits to a free-market freight carrier).
At the same time B-Cargo has lost all traffic into the Bierset intermodal terminal to Crossrail. Starting in January 2012 DB Schenker Netherlands will not operate the limestone trains out of Hermalle s/Huy anymore, to be taken over by Railtraxx for the Belgian leg and Husa in Holland. Thus ends the use of the DBS-NL class 6400 MaK diesels, at least here in the east.
In this view of one of the last trains only a few kilometers before the Dutch border, DBS-NL has sent a couple of fresh repaints instead of the usual pink faded eyesores. Going out in style...
2x DBS-NL 6400 bring the limestone loads 48640 (Hermalle s/Huy - Veendam/NL) into Vise Bas.
3-Dec-2011
It's that time of year again, gray windy rainy days where even around noon it's dark - ISO 2500 weather...
In a chance encounter in Montzen DE 6310 was preparing to get under way as 2808 brought an eastbound train of empty autoracks past Tower 15. I was hiding behind Crossrail's supplies container for this shot to get out of the 9 Beaufort wind and driving rain.
The boxy structure on the diesel's roof is the air conditioning unit that was retrofitted due to crew complaints about the hot cabs. There's one at each end. It would exceed the British clearance plates but fits into the continental ones.
Crossrail DE 6310 "Griet" and 2808 with empty autoracks in Montzen.
21-Nov-2011
This has been the driest November since precipitation has been recorded with wall to wall sunshine and calm weather. I watched the sun go down on a peaceful scene along the Maas river.
One of the strongholds of the old Belgian 3kV electrics, the steel train from Genk to Chatelet has recently passed into the hands of class 77s. Two of them lead the slabs up the eastern shore underneath the lime bluffs in this scene shot from across the water. Being a river-cum-channel in an industrial surrounding the water quality leaves a little to be desired, as evidenced by the oily slime at lower left. Nevertheless the area is teeming with geese, ducks, cormorants, and herons.
Two 77s lead the steel train 34741 (Genk-Goederen - Chatelet-Formation/F) south of Vise.
21-Nov-2011
There are two new private operators in Belgium, Railtraxx and Rail Feeding. The former is a new company started by Ronnie Dillen, ex-half owner of Dillen & Lejeune Cargo (DLC). The latter is the Belgian arm of Rotterdam Rail Feeding, both of which are subsidiaries of US-based Genessee & Wyoming.
The former has a green Ascendos class 66 as their sole power while the latter runs a couple of G2000s bedecked in the beautiful G&W paint scheme. Here one of them is leading a Hungary-bound empty grain train east today amidst some very late fall color.
Rail Feeding 1101 leads the 47511 (Sas van Gent/NL - Aachen West/D) through Remersdaal.
12-Nov-2011
For most of 2011 B-Cargo has been operating glass shuttles between Charleroi Dry Port and Dresden in Germany via the L24 and Liege. This is about to come to an end as the trains will be rerouted with the December timetable change. Their new diagram will bring them along the Mosel Valley, through Luxembourg, and up the Athus-Meuse line.
Apparently this is due to some of the truck trailers being slightly oversize for some of the tunnels on this route. Trains carrying that specific type of trailer are encumbered with a 5 km/h speed limit through the tunnels in question.
We've not had any snow yet though night frost has set in. The days have been nothing but lovely sunshine for most of the past two weeks.
2823 with the glas train 41562 (Dresden-Friedrichstadt/D - Charleroi-Dry Port) at the Rue d'Aix in Moresnet.
30-Sep-2011
A hot and sunny Friday, another trip to the field. This time into Flandria with a look at several locations.
This, Schulensmeer, was the last stop before sundown. It is a quite interesting location on the L35 with a lot of traffic bound for Antwerp and window trains thrown in for good measure. Multiple drainage ditches and rivers create an impression of Holland.
The train on the other hand is very Belgian. It consists of two 5-car type M5 double deck push/pull trainsets each with their own class 27 locomotive coupled into one long train. On the westward journey from Tongeren they will be split at Brugge, with one half each going to Knokke and Blankenberge. Eastbounds reverse the process. The engines and cab control cars have been equipped with automatic couplers on one end only for this purpose.
"Camel-IC" Knokke/Blankenberge-Tongeren near Schulen.
29-Sep-2011
Thursday I was back in the Maas valley, but further west around the town of Huy. There are rail-served limestone and steel plants in the area with an interesting mix of locals between them and the major rail yards of Liege (east) and Ronet (west).
This photo shows the twice-daily service to the Arcelor plant at Marchin on the return journey to Statte. It passes over a 140 year-old bridge overlooked by Huy's impressive fortress.
7844 leads the 74823 (Marchin - Statte) across the Pont de Fer below the Huy citadel.
28-Sep-2011
We've had an awful summer this year but got compensated for that with a beautiful early indian summer in late September. Thankfully this coincided with a week off work and lots of free time on my hands so I spent as much time as I could outdoors.
On Wednesday Captrain ran the compressed gas shuttle to Lutterade again for what seems like the first time in months. This is the only freight on the line between Heerlen and Sittard so I set out for a shot as soon as I received information about it from a friend. Running mostly westerly until swinging north by northwest into Sittard, light tends to be difficult for westbound trains around noon. Of course there really can't be any complaints on such a beautiful day.
Here then is CB1001 with a good-sized train approaching the grade crossing at Overbroek near Sittard.
As a postscript it turns out this was the last Captrain-operated shuttle. Only three days later, on 1st of October, Rurtalbahn Benelux BV took over this traffic. What a lucky coincidence.
Captrain CB 1001 leads the compressed gas tank car train 47712 (Dormagen - Lutterade) through Overbroek.
27-Sep-2011
With a beautiful sunny day forecast I headed to the Maas river valley to photograph some of the industrial workings on the railroad.
At sunup I found the Prayon chemical plant switcher trundle down the interchange track with a lone tank car to be picked up by B-Cargo later in the day.
Locotracteur of the Prayon SA plant in Engis delivers a tank car to the interchange track.
25-Sep-2011
Verviers is a typical example of an old industrial town in the wallonian part of Belgium. Once part of the manufacturing powerhouse of the continent during the industrial revolution, nowadays all but forgotten and burdened with a difficult and costly heritage.
The "Solvent Belge" is a lucky example of a great industrial complex that so far has escaped demolition and redevelopment into yet another shopping mall. For those interested in the engineering past, this is truly a million dollar view.
AM80 422 Welkenraedt-Liege in Verviers-Stembert.
24-Sep-2011
After about two years of back-and-forth delays Siemens, SNCB, and Infrabel have finally agreed that all the bugs have been worked out of the class 18s. Over the past months several units have entered service and for the past weeks they are being delivered and rotated into action at a rate of two per week.
As expected their first assignments include the IC-A trains and the class 13s are vanishing fast. By the end of the year they will be all gone, likely moving into freight service.
Here's one of the new units leading an IC-A through what will be the Dolhain stop once the new tunnel bypassing the old station is completed.
1803 leads an Ostende-bound IC-A through the new Dolhain-Gilleppe (ex-Vicinal) stop.