This was another long weekend trip to the Low Countries - this time primarily concerned with Netherlands branch lines and an ADL 'shed bashing' tour which also did a few choice bits of track. There were various economic advantages in travelling by car at this stage in my life and the car and I had been making ferry crossings on a fairly frequent basis, sometimes taking advantage of a reasonably spacious car (a Renault Espace) to avoid having to pay for the first night to be spent in a hotel! With the Channel Tunnel now open, and already griced, it remains a mystery why I chose to travel by ferry, which as far as desirability is concerned, rates with flying for me. Perhaps there was a financial incentive (as indeed there is now). As far as I can tell my notes (one of those discovered in my 2023 tidy-up) cover all the travel outside of the UK though as with one or two of the other trips in the 1996-7 period there's nothing said about the journey home. For some unknown reason I took only three photographs (so I had my camera with me, just chose not to use it).
Hasty departure from Telford at 13:10 for a dash to Dover punctuated by traffic queues on M6 at junction 9 (volume of traffic), a visit to the European Travel Centre at New Street, more queues on the M1 near Northampton (broken down lorry), and serious queues on the M25 between M11 and A12 (seemingly volume of traffic, might have been roadworks). Shock, horror at Dartford where the toll's gone up to a quid. Arrived at Dover 17:43 (for the 20:30) and went to see Madame Sealink about an earlier sailing. 'Go round to the check in and they'll put you on the Lynx at 18:55' quoth she. I did, and they offered me the 18:00 conventional boat (Stena Cambria, definitely not the worst in the fleet despite - or because of - small size) which was duly taken, arriving in Calais about 20:35 CET. No sign of any officialdom at Calais so I was on the A16 by about 20:45 and in Gent by about 22:30 in time to secure accommodation for the morrow in the dreaded Formule 1 (just - had the last room).
Further shock, horror en route at the discovery that the Belgians have built their bit of the motorway west of Veurne so now we're just waiting for the French bit... [Enquiry in 2023 suggests that we waited for another 2 years!] Onwards to Breda, pausing for a lengthy kip at one of my extensive collection of Belgian service areas.
Further shock, horror en route at the discovery that the Belgians have built their bit of the motorway west of Veurne so now we're just waiting for the French bit... [Enquiry in 2023 suggests that we waited for another 2 years!] Onwards to Breda, pausing for a lengthy kip at one of my extensive collection of Belgian service areas.
Friday 27 September 1996
Arrived at Breda after an extensive and unsuccessful search for a cash machine, to find two at the station and one opposite! The station was closed at 04:40 when I arrived but opened at 05:00 and provided a welcome change of scenery after 14 hours in the Espace.
First train of the day was the 05:38 to Zwolle, taken as far as Arnhem to get me in the right place to set about the eastern Nederland. The possible 1-minute connection for Ede-Wageningen proved to be two and therefore achievable, especially as the E-W train (a stopper to Utrecht) was 5 minutes late. This 'knocked on' so that the Ede-Wageningen to Amersfoort branch train was late and with some slow station work it arrived at Amersfoort sufficiently late to miss the 08:12 Amersfoort - Enschede, leaving no alternative but to wait for the 08:41. This was on time, and allowed me to watch lots of interesting Netherlands rain all the way to Enschede. Enschede has one 'through' platform with a single line disappearing off towards Germany and three terminal platforms, one of which contained a local to Zwolle which I managed to miss through lack of foresight. I would only have got stuck at Almelo, though, which I reached on the set which had come from Amersfoort, now forming the 10:28 to Amsterdam.
At Almelo the booked 3 minute connection for Mariënberg proved to be quite a long walk for those without the local knowledge to sit in the leading vehicle (and those who weren't paying attention at Almelo on the way from Amersfoort). The Mariënberg line is a reasonably valid branch, being single line (trains cross at Vriezenveen) and DMU worked. At Mariënberg the branch terminates in a bay with cross platform connection to Emmen trains. There is a physical connection at the south end.
The Emmen line is also single, though electrified. The Emmen-Zwolle locals were worked by new units (2105 in my case) which had a somewhat German appearance and - shock, horror again - cloth seats in the second class. They have similarly musical control systems (thyristor?) to the double deck units. The semi fasts are Koplopers. There is freight traffic at Emmen, with 6475 present on tanks and timber wagons. The line goes beyond the (single platform) station and as I returned on the same unit after a quick 'platofrm grice' I didn't have time to look. [It doesn't seem to have been more than a headshunt in 1996 though originally continued northwards to Gasselternijveen on the Assen to Stadskanaal line. The route north of Emmen closed in the early 1960s] Freight traffic (vans, contents unidentified) is also in evidence at Nieuw Amsterdam where 6432 was stabled.
Arriving at Zwolle at 12:52 I found the 12:50 to Zutphen and Rosendaal hadn't gone, so threw myself in so as to get a refreshment break at Zutphen. The musical electronics in the double deck sets are really infuriating. Zutphen has a board outside the station announcing its twinning with Shrewsbury (among other places). A brief wander in search of a chippie suggests that it's a very nice old town with winding pedestrianised streets. Not to mention C&A and Dixons... [Both gone from UK streets - although Dixons in name only.] Fed, watered and back on the train I made a quick round trip on the single line to Apeldoorn (passing loop midway at Klarenbeek with metal staging opposite the DMU doors to bring the platform to normal height). The working is slightly odd at Apeldoorn with the unit arriving wrong line, continuing (empty) to reverse then departing wrong line. This allows the Enschede ICs to go through on the normal line while the DMU is the other side. All very sensible, as usual. Having seen the return train advertised as Klarenbeek and Zutphen only, and labelled 'Zutphen' and having to on the empty train at Zutphen it finally dawned on me that the service is an Apeldoorn - Zutphen shuttle and does not have through working to Winterswijk as in the 1995-6 timetable. This raised the spectre of missing the connection at Zutphen and having to wait an hour, rapidly followed by the idea that this would leave time for a beer.
It was not to be, and the connection was made easily to another DMU, crammed with students, which trundled round to Winterswijk. More revelations here as there is a single platform, with intermediate ground signals, where the Zutphen and Arnhem trains meet end to end with a few metres of 'no overlap' between them. Oh dear. In the absence of a convernient railtour there was nothing for it but to head fro Arnhem where there was a comfortable connection intop the 17:20 to Roosendaal to get back to Breda.
The journey back to Gent was punctuated by a chicken and chips stop near the border and a stop off in Antwerpen to investigate hotels for a subsequent visit. Proceedings were further enlivened on leaving Antwerpen, by the restriction of the motorway to one lane from Antwerpen to St Niklaas. This caused a very long, very slow moving traffic jam which I failed to avoid by getting off the motorway and getting lost in Zwijndrecht (the Belgian one not the Netherlands one).
Arrived at Breda after an extensive and unsuccessful search for a cash machine, to find two at the station and one opposite! The station was closed at 04:40 when I arrived but opened at 05:00 and provided a welcome change of scenery after 14 hours in the Espace.
First train of the day was the 05:38 to Zwolle, taken as far as Arnhem to get me in the right place to set about the eastern Nederland. The possible 1-minute connection for Ede-Wageningen proved to be two and therefore achievable, especially as the E-W train (a stopper to Utrecht) was 5 minutes late. This 'knocked on' so that the Ede-Wageningen to Amersfoort branch train was late and with some slow station work it arrived at Amersfoort sufficiently late to miss the 08:12 Amersfoort - Enschede, leaving no alternative but to wait for the 08:41. This was on time, and allowed me to watch lots of interesting Netherlands rain all the way to Enschede. Enschede has one 'through' platform with a single line disappearing off towards Germany and three terminal platforms, one of which contained a local to Zwolle which I managed to miss through lack of foresight. I would only have got stuck at Almelo, though, which I reached on the set which had come from Amersfoort, now forming the 10:28 to Amsterdam.
At Almelo the booked 3 minute connection for Mariënberg proved to be quite a long walk for those without the local knowledge to sit in the leading vehicle (and those who weren't paying attention at Almelo on the way from Amersfoort). The Mariënberg line is a reasonably valid branch, being single line (trains cross at Vriezenveen) and DMU worked. At Mariënberg the branch terminates in a bay with cross platform connection to Emmen trains. There is a physical connection at the south end.
The Emmen line is also single, though electrified. The Emmen-Zwolle locals were worked by new units (2105 in my case) which had a somewhat German appearance and - shock, horror again - cloth seats in the second class. They have similarly musical control systems (thyristor?) to the double deck units. The semi fasts are Koplopers. There is freight traffic at Emmen, with 6475 present on tanks and timber wagons. The line goes beyond the (single platform) station and as I returned on the same unit after a quick 'platofrm grice' I didn't have time to look. [It doesn't seem to have been more than a headshunt in 1996 though originally continued northwards to Gasselternijveen on the Assen to Stadskanaal line. The route north of Emmen closed in the early 1960s] Freight traffic (vans, contents unidentified) is also in evidence at Nieuw Amsterdam where 6432 was stabled.
Arriving at Zwolle at 12:52 I found the 12:50 to Zutphen and Rosendaal hadn't gone, so threw myself in so as to get a refreshment break at Zutphen. The musical electronics in the double deck sets are really infuriating. Zutphen has a board outside the station announcing its twinning with Shrewsbury (among other places). A brief wander in search of a chippie suggests that it's a very nice old town with winding pedestrianised streets. Not to mention C&A and Dixons... [Both gone from UK streets - although Dixons in name only.] Fed, watered and back on the train I made a quick round trip on the single line to Apeldoorn (passing loop midway at Klarenbeek with metal staging opposite the DMU doors to bring the platform to normal height). The working is slightly odd at Apeldoorn with the unit arriving wrong line, continuing (empty) to reverse then departing wrong line. This allows the Enschede ICs to go through on the normal line while the DMU is the other side. All very sensible, as usual. Having seen the return train advertised as Klarenbeek and Zutphen only, and labelled 'Zutphen' and having to on the empty train at Zutphen it finally dawned on me that the service is an Apeldoorn - Zutphen shuttle and does not have through working to Winterswijk as in the 1995-6 timetable. This raised the spectre of missing the connection at Zutphen and having to wait an hour, rapidly followed by the idea that this would leave time for a beer.
It was not to be, and the connection was made easily to another DMU, crammed with students, which trundled round to Winterswijk. More revelations here as there is a single platform, with intermediate ground signals, where the Zutphen and Arnhem trains meet end to end with a few metres of 'no overlap' between them. Oh dear. In the absence of a convernient railtour there was nothing for it but to head fro Arnhem where there was a comfortable connection intop the 17:20 to Roosendaal to get back to Breda.
The journey back to Gent was punctuated by a chicken and chips stop near the border and a stop off in Antwerpen to investigate hotels for a subsequent visit. Proceedings were further enlivened on leaving Antwerpen, by the restriction of the motorway to one lane from Antwerpen to St Niklaas. This caused a very long, very slow moving traffic jam which I failed to avoid by getting off the motorway and getting lost in Zwijndrecht (the Belgian one not the Netherlands one).
Saturday 28 September
Disappointment at Gent St Pieters at 06:45 - the buffet was shut! A café across the road obliged with a cup of coffee and an 8'x4' painting of an L&Y Pug. The tour train was already in, allowing a window seat to be secured before the arrival of the hordes from the ferry. The haulage turned out to be 1187 from the NMBS/NS Brussel-Amsterdam fleet. Real loco at last!
The first port of call was Merelbeke shed, then the first track of the day was the up 50/50A connection (Y Melle - Y Meulewijk). We returned to 50 at Denderleeuw and went round to Schaarbeek via Jette. A comprehensive shed visit removed some more 8000s from the list. Leaving Schaarbeek we took line 26 round to Harenheide thereby removing a major irritant!
A brief stop at Ottignies gave the EMU collectors something to do. At Gembloux we turned right on to the Jemeppe line as planned and then left before Jemeppe [at Y Jemeppe-Froidmont] to do the curve to Y Moustier on the Jemeppe - Namur line. At Ronet the tour train was left at the staff platform just south of the main line and west of Ronet station. A long walk was then taken to the shed, which turned out to have more scrap locos, particularly class 59, than real ones.
Standard route then to Stockem yard where we turned off into the yard to visit the stabling point. While doing so the train moved down the yard, conveniently allowing me to miss some track and some locos! (this without warning; something for which ADL had form). [To be fair it was probably motivated by saving time]. The train then took us to the door of the shed, into which for some obscure reason we were not allowed. By this time 1187 was on the back and 5404 on the front which seemed to be OK for top and tailing even when 1187 had no power! We returned to Stockem station to reverse, then after another EMU-spotting stop at Arlon, took line 167 to Athus, turning right there to head up the Athus - Meuse line (165) to Virton, which still smells the same [presumably the smell is generated by the very large Burgo Ardennes paper mill 1 km south west of the station].
Leaving Virton 10 minutes or so late, the journey to Bertrix was enlivened by an emergency stop when the loco seemingly hit something. No harm done, and we continued to Bertrix where there is a shed down a short steep branch running south east from the station, involving 1187 'leading' the train down the branch. It must have been a sight. Unfortunately we did not run to the bottom of the incline and reverse into the yard, but stopped on the branch. The shed has two very large buildings (16 roads approx) with what appears to have been a traverser between them. The shed contained Nohabs and a 51 but little else other than 44xx and 45xx railcars. 5404 took us round to Libramont where it was detached and we returned to Charleroi via Namur.
After a brief stop at Charleroi the train ran through Monceau yard and stopped about 150 metres east of the yard by unlit footpath (it now being 20:15 it was dark). The ensuing shed visit was chaotic but rewarding with nearly 90 locos including a lot of class 73 shunters. The final leg to Gent was uneventful apart from a long delay due to single line working south of Watermael, resulting in a 20 minute late arrival at Gent, via Vorst Oost, Brussel Zuid/Noord, Jette and Aalst.
Disappointment at Gent St Pieters at 06:45 - the buffet was shut! A café across the road obliged with a cup of coffee and an 8'x4' painting of an L&Y Pug. The tour train was already in, allowing a window seat to be secured before the arrival of the hordes from the ferry. The haulage turned out to be 1187 from the NMBS/NS Brussel-Amsterdam fleet. Real loco at last!
The first port of call was Merelbeke shed, then the first track of the day was the up 50/50A connection (Y Melle - Y Meulewijk). We returned to 50 at Denderleeuw and went round to Schaarbeek via Jette. A comprehensive shed visit removed some more 8000s from the list. Leaving Schaarbeek we took line 26 round to Harenheide thereby removing a major irritant!
A brief stop at Ottignies gave the EMU collectors something to do. At Gembloux we turned right on to the Jemeppe line as planned and then left before Jemeppe [at Y Jemeppe-Froidmont] to do the curve to Y Moustier on the Jemeppe - Namur line. At Ronet the tour train was left at the staff platform just south of the main line and west of Ronet station. A long walk was then taken to the shed, which turned out to have more scrap locos, particularly class 59, than real ones.
Standard route then to Stockem yard where we turned off into the yard to visit the stabling point. While doing so the train moved down the yard, conveniently allowing me to miss some track and some locos! (this without warning; something for which ADL had form). [To be fair it was probably motivated by saving time]. The train then took us to the door of the shed, into which for some obscure reason we were not allowed. By this time 1187 was on the back and 5404 on the front which seemed to be OK for top and tailing even when 1187 had no power! We returned to Stockem station to reverse, then after another EMU-spotting stop at Arlon, took line 167 to Athus, turning right there to head up the Athus - Meuse line (165) to Virton, which still smells the same [presumably the smell is generated by the very large Burgo Ardennes paper mill 1 km south west of the station].
Leaving Virton 10 minutes or so late, the journey to Bertrix was enlivened by an emergency stop when the loco seemingly hit something. No harm done, and we continued to Bertrix where there is a shed down a short steep branch running south east from the station, involving 1187 'leading' the train down the branch. It must have been a sight. Unfortunately we did not run to the bottom of the incline and reverse into the yard, but stopped on the branch. The shed has two very large buildings (16 roads approx) with what appears to have been a traverser between them. The shed contained Nohabs and a 51 but little else other than 44xx and 45xx railcars. 5404 took us round to Libramont where it was detached and we returned to Charleroi via Namur.
After a brief stop at Charleroi the train ran through Monceau yard and stopped about 150 metres east of the yard by unlit footpath (it now being 20:15 it was dark). The ensuing shed visit was chaotic but rewarding with nearly 90 locos including a lot of class 73 shunters. The final leg to Gent was uneventful apart from a long delay due to single line working south of Watermael, resulting in a 20 minute late arrival at Gent, via Vorst Oost, Brussel Zuid/Noord, Jette and Aalst.
1187 is seen here attached to the ADL tour train at Schaarbeek, a far cry from its usual activity on international services on the Brussels-Amsterdam route.
Sunday 29 September
Another hideous early start to get 07:52 from Roosendaal to Leiden (fortunately early enough to accommodate severe navigational errors on A12 out of Antwerpen). Cross platform connection at Leiden for 09:05 to Haarlem (reverse) and Alkmaar in order to complete the Haarlem triangle en route to Den Helder. Den Helder was wet, windy and shut but allowed the chance to phone HQ and get some breakfast at the buffet before returning to Alkmaar which was dry, windy and shut. The local to Hoorn duly appeared, four minutes late (shock, horror) and the customary minimal connection was made for the first loco hauled (actually pushed, by 1709) train of the day, to Enkhuisen. At Enkhuisen hasty research produced a timetable to Lelystad but as I needed the track from Hoorn to Zaandam this wouldn't have been a runner even if there had been a suitable service (very sparse). There are also boats from Enkhuizen to Medemblik and Stavoren at various parts of the day/year.
Return from Enkhuizen was on the same train, this time as an all stations stopper via Amsterdam CS to Lelystad Centrum. This can be recommended but only to avoid standing all day in the rain on a Sunday in Nederland. Relative to most other activities it's deady dull. But - if the track's there... The six minute turn-round at Lelystad (ultra modern, elevated, all over roof) led me to assume that the same set would work back and when it set off past a crossover I expected it to reverse. It didn't, and another set appeared, hauled by 1769. The depot must be some way up the line, though not visible on this very murky day. Note for the unwary : flying junction on the Lelystad line at Weesp! One shouldn't get too excited about the bus to Enkhuizen.
The return working to Schiphol so I changed at Weesp to catch a local into Amsterdam CS and then the 16:03 to Haarlem (seemingly an InterCity from Maastricht). The final grice of the day was the 16:24 Haarlem - Zandvoort. Zandvoort, seen on a windy grey September Sunday, looks every bit as dismal as its Belgian opposite numbers. One dismal pub was open but looked too unwelcoming to bother. After a token photo (3 years at F16) I retired to the train to view the closed station buffet.
A merry throng packed the train leaving Zandvoort - one can only assume they were happy at leaving the place. I had a two minute unadvertised connection at Haarlem and was very grateful for having taken a minute on the way to Zandvoort to find out the right platform. I made it with a good 30 seconds to spare after a brisk trot round the bay platforms. The final connection of the day at Leiden was booked and appeared just as I arrived at the platform. Well, what else do you expect. That just leaves the Hoek van Holland branch, Eindhoven to Blerick and the cross border lines from Hengelo and Venlo - a trip from Harwich to Germany would seem appropriate.
Another hideous early start to get 07:52 from Roosendaal to Leiden (fortunately early enough to accommodate severe navigational errors on A12 out of Antwerpen). Cross platform connection at Leiden for 09:05 to Haarlem (reverse) and Alkmaar in order to complete the Haarlem triangle en route to Den Helder. Den Helder was wet, windy and shut but allowed the chance to phone HQ and get some breakfast at the buffet before returning to Alkmaar which was dry, windy and shut. The local to Hoorn duly appeared, four minutes late (shock, horror) and the customary minimal connection was made for the first loco hauled (actually pushed, by 1709) train of the day, to Enkhuisen. At Enkhuisen hasty research produced a timetable to Lelystad but as I needed the track from Hoorn to Zaandam this wouldn't have been a runner even if there had been a suitable service (very sparse). There are also boats from Enkhuizen to Medemblik and Stavoren at various parts of the day/year.
Return from Enkhuizen was on the same train, this time as an all stations stopper via Amsterdam CS to Lelystad Centrum. This can be recommended but only to avoid standing all day in the rain on a Sunday in Nederland. Relative to most other activities it's deady dull. But - if the track's there... The six minute turn-round at Lelystad (ultra modern, elevated, all over roof) led me to assume that the same set would work back and when it set off past a crossover I expected it to reverse. It didn't, and another set appeared, hauled by 1769. The depot must be some way up the line, though not visible on this very murky day. Note for the unwary : flying junction on the Lelystad line at Weesp! One shouldn't get too excited about the bus to Enkhuizen.
The return working to Schiphol so I changed at Weesp to catch a local into Amsterdam CS and then the 16:03 to Haarlem (seemingly an InterCity from Maastricht). The final grice of the day was the 16:24 Haarlem - Zandvoort. Zandvoort, seen on a windy grey September Sunday, looks every bit as dismal as its Belgian opposite numbers. One dismal pub was open but looked too unwelcoming to bother. After a token photo (3 years at F16) I retired to the train to view the closed station buffet.
A merry throng packed the train leaving Zandvoort - one can only assume they were happy at leaving the place. I had a two minute unadvertised connection at Haarlem and was very grateful for having taken a minute on the way to Zandvoort to find out the right platform. I made it with a good 30 seconds to spare after a brisk trot round the bay platforms. The final connection of the day at Leiden was booked and appeared just as I arrived at the platform. Well, what else do you expect. That just leaves the Hoek van Holland branch, Eindhoven to Blerick and the cross border lines from Hengelo and Venlo - a trip from Harwich to Germany would seem appropriate.
Given my comment about the light at Zandvoort on the Sunday, I suppose I should be grateful for having this rather dreary picture of an EMU at a graffiti'd Zandvoort station station on 29.9.96
It appears from the last comment in my notes that I was getting closer by now to finishing regular passenger routes in the Netherlands, barring one or two mentioned, plus the odd flyover/diveunder, which as mentioned elsewhere I only get exercised about if they're bi-directional on one or both sides. Don't ask why - I don't know! With written records for 1996-7 fragmented, there are still some gaps, one being a trip to the steam festival at Maldegem in Belgium in early May 1997, for which I have photographs but no written notes. I've done my best to provide a short write-up.
