Another of my very short visits, it seems, for another ADL railtour, ADL 19 'North East Belgian Byways'.
Saturday 22 January 1994
There being again no notes and precious few photographs, I'm indebted to Mark Waller for his comprehensive route notes of this tour. As far as the journey to and from Belgium is concerned it seems that the trusty Espace came into play, as one of my photos, not shown here, has the vehicle on the car deck of one of the cross-Channel ferries which were then 'Hobson's Choice' unless you wanted to fly, at considerably greater expense. The tour started out from Antwerpen Centraal, then unsullied by the addition of two subterranean levels which have done little (well, nothing) to enhance its appearance. The stock was a two-car M1 push pull set, powered by PFT's preserved 210 077, a 1360 bhp Cockerill Bo-Bo from the early 1960s.
After leaving Antwerpen on line 27A we diverged left at Y Krijgsbaan on to a freight only curve to Y Aubry where we joined line 15 to Herentals. At Herentals we reversed to return as far as Albertkanaal where we diverged on to the remaining part of line 29, continuing to Morkhoven where the line (now retained for a military installation) used to continue to Aarschot. Reversing again, we returned to Wolfstee where 210 077, now leading again, took us along line 207 out to the Amoco refinery at Zittaart. Returning to Herentals we continued out to Mol and on along the former cross border route into the Netherlands, now (2023) reopened to passengers as far as Hamont. After Hamont and just across the Netherlands border at Budel-Schoot we diverged on to the short branch to the Budel zinc works, stopping at the works boundary at the Fabriekstraat level crossing. Regrettably the originally planned venture onwards to Weert didn't happen.
The tour returned to Mol, reversing there to take lines 15, 21A and 34 through Hasselt to Bilzen before reversing and taking the freight line 21C to Kaatsbeek, diverging there on to 232 to Genk Zuid (Eikelaarstraat). After reversing we continued to Genk-Zuid (Paniswijerstraat) on lines 21C and 231 via reversals at Kaatsbeek and Termien. Returning to Termien the tour continued for the short distance to Bosdel where another reversal took us down line 230 through Genk-Zuid-Rechteroever to a reversal near Bilzerweg, a couple of hundred metres short of the end of the line. Returning on 230, we continued on 21C and 21B to Winterslag. On the return from Winterslag we diverged at Genk-Goederen on to 21A to Boksbergheide, reversing there to do the connection via line 21A to Nieuw Dak. There we made a final (for a while) reversal to go back via 21A to Boksbergheide and on to Hasselt where we diverged from the passenger route at Y Noord Driehoek Hasselt to do the avoiding line 35A to Y West Driehoek Hasselt. We returned towards Hasselt to run through the depot lines then continued to Y Oost Driehoek Aarschot where we diverged on to the avoiding line (16) to regain the normal passenger route from Aarschot via Lier to Antwerpen Centraal.
This was an excellent day out, covering a variety of contrasting branches from the rural delights of Morkhoven to the industrial complex around Genk, where we omitted only the passenger route into the terminus at Genk, but that had to be left for another more routine day.
There being again no notes and precious few photographs, I'm indebted to Mark Waller for his comprehensive route notes of this tour. As far as the journey to and from Belgium is concerned it seems that the trusty Espace came into play, as one of my photos, not shown here, has the vehicle on the car deck of one of the cross-Channel ferries which were then 'Hobson's Choice' unless you wanted to fly, at considerably greater expense. The tour started out from Antwerpen Centraal, then unsullied by the addition of two subterranean levels which have done little (well, nothing) to enhance its appearance. The stock was a two-car M1 push pull set, powered by PFT's preserved 210 077, a 1360 bhp Cockerill Bo-Bo from the early 1960s.
After leaving Antwerpen on line 27A we diverged left at Y Krijgsbaan on to a freight only curve to Y Aubry where we joined line 15 to Herentals. At Herentals we reversed to return as far as Albertkanaal where we diverged on to the remaining part of line 29, continuing to Morkhoven where the line (now retained for a military installation) used to continue to Aarschot. Reversing again, we returned to Wolfstee where 210 077, now leading again, took us along line 207 out to the Amoco refinery at Zittaart. Returning to Herentals we continued out to Mol and on along the former cross border route into the Netherlands, now (2023) reopened to passengers as far as Hamont. After Hamont and just across the Netherlands border at Budel-Schoot we diverged on to the short branch to the Budel zinc works, stopping at the works boundary at the Fabriekstraat level crossing. Regrettably the originally planned venture onwards to Weert didn't happen.
The tour returned to Mol, reversing there to take lines 15, 21A and 34 through Hasselt to Bilzen before reversing and taking the freight line 21C to Kaatsbeek, diverging there on to 232 to Genk Zuid (Eikelaarstraat). After reversing we continued to Genk-Zuid (Paniswijerstraat) on lines 21C and 231 via reversals at Kaatsbeek and Termien. Returning to Termien the tour continued for the short distance to Bosdel where another reversal took us down line 230 through Genk-Zuid-Rechteroever to a reversal near Bilzerweg, a couple of hundred metres short of the end of the line. Returning on 230, we continued on 21C and 21B to Winterslag. On the return from Winterslag we diverged at Genk-Goederen on to 21A to Boksbergheide, reversing there to do the connection via line 21A to Nieuw Dak. There we made a final (for a while) reversal to go back via 21A to Boksbergheide and on to Hasselt where we diverged from the passenger route at Y Noord Driehoek Hasselt to do the avoiding line 35A to Y West Driehoek Hasselt. We returned towards Hasselt to run through the depot lines then continued to Y Oost Driehoek Aarschot where we diverged on to the avoiding line (16) to regain the normal passenger route from Aarschot via Lier to Antwerpen Centraal.
This was an excellent day out, covering a variety of contrasting branches from the rural delights of Morkhoven to the industrial complex around Genk, where we omitted only the passenger route into the terminus at Genk, but that had to be left for another more routine day.
The driving trailer takes centre stage at Morkhoven where getting right to the buffer stops wasn't really feasible! |
210 077 waits at the stop board marking the permitted limit at the zinc works at Budel. The factory boundary can be seen in the distance as the faithful make their way to the usual 'phot spot'. |
In this photo, also at Budel, the faithful (including me) have assembled for the photo and those not interested are tucked away on the train out of sight so that 210 077 can have its moment of fame. |
My next venture was well out of what was becoming the ordinary for me, as my work required me to spend a week in mid-winter in southern California. How dreadful - but I did manage to do a few miles of track, so it takes its place here.
