RMweb Premium Neil Posted December 11, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 11, 2014 (edited) I have recently become interested in the railways of Belgium. To continue my education can anyone point me in the direction of a good site for Belgian wagon photographs? I suspect it would be too much to hope that there's a comparable resource to Paul Bartlett's magnificent resource; after largely fruitless googling I'd be very happy with a lesser site. Many thanks. Edited August 20, 2017 by Neil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 There's this Italian site, though it's more than just wagons:- http://www.trenomania.org/fotogallery/index.php?cat=89 and this French one:- http://www.photos-ferroviaires.fr/index.php?/category/wagons_marchandises There was a SNCB/NMBS film showing freight operations, but I can't find the link at present. I did find this, which might be of interest:- http://www.tassignon.be/trains/documentation/documentation.php Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmrspaul Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 You could try the Yahoo group for Continental wagons (sorry this computer won't copy URLS) Paul Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddieB Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 Do you have a particular time period in mind? Like many others (I suspect), I have plenty of locomotive photos, but scarcely any exclusively of rolling stock. Likewise "historic" photos tend to focus on locomotives rather than what they were pulling. From what I can tell, there are no contemporary freight rolling stock manufacturers left within Belgium. If it's an earlier period you want, I can check whether there were any domestic builders active at that time. Historically, Belgium was rich in railway factories, but again their rolling stock output seems under-represented - for instance the now standard work on Haine St-Pierre devotes just a couple of pages to this topic. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonhall Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 There is quite a good french wagon forum that covers Belgium as well, wagon passion - I don't have the link on this PC. Jon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Neil Posted December 12, 2014 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted December 12, 2014 Do you have a particular time period in mind? ...... Thanks Eddie, I should have been a bit more specific; I'm looking in general at the post WW2 period, perhaps more specifically the sixties and seventies roughly the same period that holds my interest in the British Rail scene. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddieB Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 Not quite your period (I have very little from the seventies), but here are some photos from 1984 that give something of a flavour of freight wagons and operations. 8067 reversing a train of 4-wheel vans into a yard in the Brussels area (probably near Schaerbeek). The train is made up entirely of four-wheel "Colli" vans, of which an HO model is (was?) made by Märklin (ref 4404). The wagons are bauxite with a yellow band bearing the legend "NMBS - COLLI" (or "SNCB - COLLI"). Entering "SNCB" or "NMBS", "COLLI" and "WAGON" into a search engine will bring up results from flemish/walloonish forums (I never knew there were Belgian equivalents to RMWeb). From what I can tell (from a closer shot of the loco, the leading van is numbered 1392 311-0). 8017 with a trip working (I guess) of telescopic-roofed wagons at Merelbeke. From what I can see, the leading vehicle is 361480. Roco have produced a Belgian example in HO (ref 67541). Also at Merelbeke, 7370 is shunting a mixed assortment of wagons. Aside from "block trains", it seems that Belgium still carried wagon-load traffic into the 'eighties, such that many trains were made up of an assortment of wagons. The first vehicle is a 4-wheel SNCF Algeco tank car (721 5144), the second the common and widespread coal hopper. Finally, while looking through those other photos I've just noticed this shot of 9139 shunting an assortment of wagons, also at Merelbeke. I haven't any further information about the wagon types or numbers, other than to note that all are 4-wheelers. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted December 13, 2014 Share Posted December 13, 2014 Belgium had a wagon-load service until quite recently; in fact they still operate one, but in northern France, based around Tergnier, with trip working as far as Calais. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddieB Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 Ateliers de Construction de Familleureux was a major builder of carriages and wagons during the 'thirties and 'forties. Many were built for export, as well as for Belgian national railways. Searching for the name 'Familleureux' should bring up some images and ideas. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bri.s Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 This seems to have quite a few photos of Belgian wagons http://www.tosh-railways.com/Wagons/88belgium Brian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Neil Posted January 1, 2015 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted January 1, 2015 Thank you Brian, that's brilliant. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris hndrsn Posted February 6, 2017 Share Posted February 6, 2017 I bounced across this thread and thought I would piggyback it for a request. My interest is in the British Army Railway Operating Division during WW1 and I am creating an OO Gauge layout of the ROD and light railways during the war. During that war thousands of "War Department" wagons were produced specifically for service in NW France and Belgium, most to French designs, but quite a few to Belgium plans and these were sold to France and Belgium post WW1. I have managed to find some drawings of some of the French "WD" wagons, but would like to find drawings of the Belgium "WD" rolling stock. Can anyone point me in the right direction for drawings of former WW1 WD SNCB rolling stock? Is there a Belgium, book of rolling stock plans/drawings? Cheers, Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJEB Posted February 27, 2017 Share Posted February 27, 2017 The War Department had many 12T seven plank opens (with side doors only) constructed by a number of British wagon builders, likewise 12T LNWR pattern 12T covered wagons for shipment to France in support of the British armies. An example is attached Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris hndrsn Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 RJEB, Thank you that image is excellent. Can I ask what magazine the image came from? Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Neil Posted August 20, 2017 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted August 20, 2017 Just to update this thread following a link posted by Jon Hall in another thread (ferry vans) I found a series of Flickr albums by Pim Van Gestel giving a pretty comprehensive coverage of Belgian wagons. It's certainly the best I've come across and well worth a look if you've an interest in the subject. My thanks to Jon vor bringing it to our attention. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Northroader Posted August 20, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 20, 2017 For any matters Belgian, first port of call is here:http://www.tassignon.be/trains/documentation/documentation.php There's a mass of information tangled in there, if you scroll down, you can find wagon builders catalogues, such as societe Nivelles, with photos and drawings. Like your man says "information is for sharing " God bless him. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Neil Posted August 20, 2017 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted August 20, 2017 Good grief that's comprehensive. I've only scratched the surface so far but it looks to be another fantastic resource. Many thanks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJEB Posted March 28, 2020 Share Posted March 28, 2020 Chris Apologies for this late response to your post of 10 march 2017 regarding the provenance of the photo of LNWR pattern 12T covered wagon WD 34051. It is from the Historical Model Railway Society's Hurst Nelson Collection - see https://hmrs.org.uk/photographs/war-dept-wc1-12t-sliding-door-van-3401-op-ca1914-f3r-wooden-solebars-disc-wheels.html Rob Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris hndrsn Posted May 17, 2020 Share Posted May 17, 2020 On 28/03/2020 at 10:04, RJEB said: Chris Apologies for this late response to your post of 10 march 2017 regarding the provenance of the photo of LNWR pattern 12T covered wagon WD 34051. It is from the Historical Model Railway Society's Hurst Nelson Collection - see https://hmrs.org.uk/photographs/war-dept-wc1-12t-sliding-door-van-3401-op-ca1914-f3r-wooden-solebars-disc-wheels.html Rob Rob, Thank you, Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now