The Vennbahn, 1999.

[45669]

Evening All,

 

I've just uploaded a video of the Vennbahn in 1999 to my new YouTube channel.  This line used to criss-cross the Belgian / German border but, sadly, it was closed in 2001 as there were insufficient funds to maintain it.  There used to be special tourist trains with either steam or diesel traction, and I was lucky enough to see, and film, one of these in 1999.  

 

Here's the link to a reminder of the days when a DRB Class 50 2-10-0 could be heard whistling across the High Fenn:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnI_dFD7Q-s

 

Hope it's of interest.

[steve1]

The trackwork certainly needed a bit of attention!

 

Thanks for posting.

 

steve

[Ian Morgan]

Nice video. Thanks.

 

A more modern view of this unusual line can ve seen here:

 

 

[chrisf]

I was fortunate to ride the Vennbahn at about this time.  A friend and I were touring Belgium for a week   After spending the night on a stabled train at Welkenraedt we made our way to Eupen, where breakfast proved elusive, and travelled behind steam to Trois Ponts.  This is of course "Three Bridges" and the contrast could not have been greater.  Imagine a Kriegslok on the main line at our Three Bridges!  As I recall, on our journey the loco did little more than cough politely for most of the trip.  I have a souvenir of the trip in the form of a Vennbahn T shirt.

 

Chris 

[45669]

On 05/11/2020 at 07:07, chrisf said:

I was fortunate to ride the Vennbahn at about this time.  A friend and I were touring Belgium for a week   After spending the night on a stabled train at Welkenraedt we made our way to Eupen, where breakfast proved elusive, and travelled behind steam to Trois Ponts.  This is of course "Three Bridges" and the contrast could not have been greater.  Imagine a Kriegslok on the main line at our Three Bridges!  As I recall, on our journey the loco did little more than cough politely for most of the trip.  I have a souvenir of the trip in the form of a Vennbahn T shirt.

 

Chris 

 

Yes, you were fortunate!  I would have liked to go there again, but was denied the opportunity!  At least I saw it and was able to get a few minutes film of it.  I took some colour slides as well, but they're still in the scanning queue...

[bécasse]

The Vennbahn may have criss-crossed the Belgium-Germany border (and indeed it did) but the railway line itself as far as its boundary fences either side and including all station yards was actually Belgian territory throughout (and was operated by the NGBE - better known to the British as the SNCB). The RaVel walking and cycling track that has replaced it is also Belgian throughout. One of the stranger territory incursions in Europe, which in this case resulted from the Treaty of Versailles in 1919.

[45669]

40 minutes ago, bécasse said:

The Vennbahn may have criss-crossed the Belgium-Germany border (and indeed it did) but the railway line itself as far as its boundary fences either side and including all station yards was actually Belgian territory throughout (and was operated by the NGBE - better known to the British as the SNCB). The RaVel walking and cycling track that has replaced it is also Belgian throughout. One of the stranger territory incursions in Europe, which in this case resulted from the Treaty of Versailles in 1919.

 

It is indeed in Belgium, even when it's in Germany!  I posted this thread in the German Railways forum because there isn't one for Belgian Railways - perhaps I should have put it in the general Continental Railway forum?

[31A]

On 04/11/2020 at 18:01, 45669 said:

Evening All,

 

I've just uploaded a video of the Vennbahn in 1999 to my new YouTube channel.  This line used to criss-cross the Belgian / German border but, sadly, it was closed in 2001 as there were insufficient funds to maintain it.  There used to be special tourist trains with either steam or diesel traction, and I was lucky enough to see, and film, one of these in 1999.  

 

Here's the link to a reminder of the days when a DRB Class 50 2-10-0 could be heard whistling across the High Fenn:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnI_dFD7Q-s

 

Hope it's of interest.

 

Thank you for posting this. it brings back memories of my ride over the line on an ADL (Along Different Lines - sadly missed) tour in 1997 with the same loco, and probably the same stock.

 

We travelled on the Vennbahn's train from Eupen via Raeren to Trois Ponts, where we joined a different special headed by the PFT's "Kriegslok" "SNCB 26.101" which took us down to the Luxembourg border at Gouvy then back up to Liege where it took us into Kinkempois depot.

 

At some point on the Vennbahn there was a 'photographic runpast' so I left the train to photograph it.  Like the other photographers, I at first assumed the train would reverse back to pick us up but after a little while it became apparent that that was not the intention and we walked up the line to re-join it.  On getting back on board I was told by my travelling companion that I couldn't ink in the whole line on my atlas, as part of it had only been done on foot!

 

Nice to see some line side shots on your film, and a pity this unusual line hasn't survived.

 

[45669]

6 hours ago, 31A said:

 

Thank you for posting this. it brings back memories of my ride over the line on an ADL (Along Different Lines - sadly missed) tour in 1997 with the same loco, and probably the same stock.

 

We travelled on the Vennbahn's train from Eupen via Raeren to Trois Ponts, where we joined a different special headed by the PFT's "Kriegslok" "SNCB 26.101" which took us down to the Luxembourg border at Gouvy then back up to Liege where it took us into Kinkempois depot.

 

At some point on the Vennbahn there was a 'photographic runpast' so I left the train to photograph it.  Like the other photographers, I at first assumed the train would reverse back to pick us up but after a little while it became apparent that that was not the intention and we walked up the line to re-join it.  On getting back on board I was told by my travelling companion that I couldn't ink in the whole line on my atlas, as part of it had only been done on foot!

 

Nice to see some line side shots on your film, and a pity this unusual line hasn't survived.

 

 

I'd have loved to go back and film the bits that I missed and, yes, ride on it as well.  Sadly, that was not to be, but at least the loco survived and is now on a heritage railway in Holland so all is not completely lost.

Edited November 12, 2020 by 45669