18th October 2008

Mercia Charters Limited
The Fallen Heroes

Locos Used ex-SNCB: 5166, 5910, 8040 & 9151
SCM Narrow gauge: 1 Moës CL
Stock Used main train: 42306+43269+49911+42367
SCM train: 43046+42005+42062
SCM narrow gauge: 4 coaches (un-numbered)

Route:
Z18225 : Bruxelles Midi to Zottegem
Z18226 : Zottegem to Eeklo
???? : Eeklo - Maldegem - Eeklo
Z18227 : Eeklo to Gent Zeehaven
Z18228 : Gent Zeehaven to Antwerpen Noord TW
Z18229 : Antwerpen Noord TW to Zandvliet
Z18230 : Zandvliet to Essen
Z18231 : Essen to Bruxelles Midi

Loco(s) Route
5910 Bruxelles Midi - Y. Sint Katherina Lombeek - Denderleeuw - Ede - Burst - Herzele - Zottegem
5910 Zottegem - Gontrode - Melle - Merelbeke - Y. Oost Driehoek Ledeberg - Y. Nord Driehoek Ledeberg - Gent Dampoort - Y. Boma - Wondelgem - Waarschoot - Eeklo - Eeklo (SCM platform)
9151 (1) Eeklo (SCM platform) - Balgerhoeke (3) - Maldegem
1 Moës CL Maldegem (narrow gauge platform) - End of narrow gauge line
1 Moës CL End of line & return - Maldegem (narrow gauge platform)
8040 (2) Maldegem - Eeklo (SCM platform)
5910 Eeklo (SCM platform) - Eeklo - Waarschoot - Woldelgem - Y. Muide - Gent Zeehaven
5910 Gent Zeehaven - Y. Bernadettesstraat - Lokeren - Sint Nicklaas - Y. Antewerpen Zuid - Antwerpen Berchem - Antwerpen Oost - Y. Holland - Y. Dreihoekstraat - Y. Schijn - Antwerpen Noord Intrit C1 - Antwerpen Noord Bundel N - Antwerpen Noord TW
5166 Antwerpen Noord TW - Antwerpen Noord Bundel N - Antwerpen Noord Intrit C1 - Antwerpen Noord Bundel B3 - Antwerpen Noord Bundel B1 - Antwerpen Noord Blok 10 - Y. Walenhoek - Y. Stabroek - Y. Berendrecht - Antwerpen D.S. Zandvliet
5166 Antwerpen D.S. Zandvliet - (5) (reverse of outward route) - Antwerpen Noord Bundel B3 - (5) Y. Schijn - Y. Dreihoekstraat - Y. Sint Mariaburg - Kapellen - Essen
5166 Essen - Kapellen - Y. Sint Mariaburg - Antwerpen Dam - Antwerpen Oost - Antwerpen Berchem - Y. Noord Groenenhoek - Mortsel - Kontich - Lier - Heist-op-den-Berg - Aarschot - Haact - Y. Hever - Y.Prinsenhoek - Y. Weerde - Vilvoorde - Y. Haren Nord - Schaerbeek - Bruxelles Nord - Bruxelles Central - Bruxelles Midi

Notes :
(1) 8040 dead on rear.
(2) 9151 dead on rear.
(3) A photostop was made at a bridge over a canal at Balgerhoeke. The train ran over the bridge and stopped. Passengers de-trained, then the train ran back over the bridge (8040 powering) and forward again (9151 powering) to the same point, where passengers then rejoined.
(5) Narrow gauge railway ran on the trackbed of the standard gauge line beyond Maldegem.
(5) Booked route from Y. Walenhoek was: Y. Walenhoek - Y. Beriwal - Antwerpen Nord Blok G9-H9 - Antwerpen Noord Intrit C1 - Y. Schijn however due to Antwerpen Noord Blok 10 closing at 2pm on the outward route was retraced as far as just after Antwerpen Noord Bundel B3 where the line splits off to Antwerpen Noord Intrit C1 or Y. Schijn.

Source : Gary Thornton (on the tour throughout)

Photo Review
(all photos: Gary Thornton)


201.010 (5910) at Zottegem, the tour's first reversal point of the day.


Train swap at SCM's Eeklo platform - to 9151 & 8040 (on the rear).


8040 on a photo run-past at Balgerhoeke.


The narrow-gauge train at Maldegem - yes, that is the loco on the front!


5166 in Zandvliet yard.


Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from Gary Thornton, Steve Ashby & Pete Drury)

Km Location Booked Actual
0.0 Bruxelles Nord 07.45d 07.47 [P9]
? Bruxelles Centraal 07/49 07/50½ [P4]
3.80 Bruxelles Midi 07.52a ~ 08.08d [50A] 07.53½ ~ 08.10½ [P13]
? Y. Bruxelles Petite-Ile 08/12 08/14
? Y. Sint Katherina Lombeek 08/23 [50A/2] 08/25
? Liedekerke 08/25 08/26½
25.60 Denderleeuw 08/27 [89] 08/29 [P5]
? Haaltert 08/30 08/32½
36.85 Burst 08/37 08/38
? Herzele 08/39 08/39
45.60
0.00		 Zottegem 08p44a ~ 09p15d [122] 08.47 ~ 09.21½ [P2]
? Balegem-Dorp 09/20 09/26½
? Moortsele 09/24 09/30
13.20 Gontrode 09/26 09/32
? Y. Melle 09/29 [50] 09/34½
? Merelbeke Blok 27 09/30 [50E] ?
18.90 Merelbeke 09/34 09/40
? Y. Oost Driehoek Ledeberg 09/35 [58(1)] 09/41
? Y. Noord Driehoek Ledeberg 09/36 [58] 09/42
23.60 Gent Dampoort 09/39 09/44½
? Y. Boma 09/41 09/46
? Y. Muide 09/42 ?
29.20 Wondelgem 09/46 09.52½
? Evergem 09/48 09/55
? Sleidinge 09/50 ?
? Waarschoot 09/54 10.04 ~ 10.06 [P1]
43.80 Eeklo 09L58a ~ 10.05 ~ 10.07
??.??
0.00		 Eeklo (SCM platform) ? 10.08 ~ 10.17½
5.00 Balgerhoeke ? 10.35 ~ 10.55
10.00
0.00		 Maldegem ? 11.08 ~ 11.14½
??.?
0.00		 Narrow Gauge EoL ? 11.23 ~ 11.25
??.?
0.00		 Maldegem ? 11.33 ~ 11.40
5.00 Balgerhoeke ? ?
?.?? Eeklo (SCM platform) ? 12.10 ~ 12.12
10.00
0.00		 Eeklo ~ 12L00d [58] 12/13
? Waarschoot 12/04 ?
? Sleidinge 12/08 ?
? Evergem 12/11 12/26½
14.60 Wondelgem 12/13 12/29
? Y. Muide 12/17 [58/2] 12/34
18.70
0.00		 Gent Zeehaven 12p18a ~ 12p50d [59B] 12.35½ ~ 12.56
? Y. Bernadettestraat 12/53 [59] 12/59
18.80 Lokeren 13/07 13/12
? Sinaai 13/12 ?
31.80 Sint Niklaas 13/17 13.21½
? Beveren (Waas) 13/24 ?
? Y. Melsele 13/26 ?
? Y.Zwijndrecht Fort 13/27 ?
? Zwijndrecht Wijksporen 13/29 ?
? Y. Antwerpen Zuid 13/33 13/35
? Y. West Berchem 13/35 13/40
55.00 Antwerpen Berchem 13/36 13c41 ~ 13c44
? Y. Oost Berchem 13/37 [27A] 13/45
56.00 Antwerpen Oost 13/39 13/47
? Y. Antwerpen Schijnpoort 13/40 13/48
? Y. Holland 13/41 13/49
? Luchtbal Blok 8 13/45 13/53
? Y. Driehoekstraat 13/47 13/59
69.80 Y. Schijn 13/48 14/01
? Antwerpen Noord Inrit C1 13/49 [27L/4] 14/04
? Antwerpen Noord Bundel N 13/50 ?
71.00
0.00		 Antwerpen Noord TW 13p51a ~ 15p04d [27L/4] 14.07 ~ 15.05½
? Antwerpen Noord Bundel N 15/06 ?
? Antwerpen Noord Inrit C1 15/06 [27A(3)] 15/07
? Antwerpen Noord Uitrit B3 15/09 [27A(2)] 15/11½
? Antwerpen Noord Bundel B3 15/10 ?
? Antwerpen Noord Blok L9 15/11 15/14
? Antwerpen Noord Bundel B1 15/13 ?
? Antwerpen Noord Blok 10 15/15 [11/1(1)] ?
? Y. Walenhoek 15/18 [11] 15/19
? Y. Stabroek 15/19 [11A] 15/20
? Y. Berendrecht 15/20 15/24
??.??
0.00		 Antwerpen DS - Zandvliet 15p24a ~ 15p49d [11A] 15.31 ~ 15.52
? Y. Berendrecht 15/56 16/02
? Y. Stabroek 15/56 16/02½
? Y. Walenhoek 15/58 [11/1] 16/03
? Y. Berliwal 15/58 [223] DIV
? Antwerpen Noord Blok G9-H9 16/02 [27A(1)] DIV
? Antwerpen Noord Uitrit C1 16/04 DIV
? Antwerpen Noord Inrit C1 16/06 [27A] DIV
? Antwerpen Noord Blok 9 DIV 16/09
? Antwerpen Noord Blok BE9 DIV 16/11 [11]
? Y. Schijn 16/07 16/13
? Y. Driehoekstraat 16/09 [12/1] 16/14½
? Y. Sint Mariaburg 16/10 [12] 16/15½
? Kapellen 16/13 16/18½
? Kalmthout 16/21 16/33½
??.??
0.00		 Essen 16p29a ~ 17p07d [12] 16.41 ~ 17.29
? Kalmthout 17/14 17/37½
17.10 Kapellen 17/21 17/44½
? Y. Sint Mariaburg 17/23 17/47½
? Luchtbal Blok 8 17/25 ?
? Y. Luchtbal 17/27 ?
? Antwerpen Dam 17/28 17/53
? Y. Holland 17/29 17/55
? Y. Antwerpen Schijnpoort 17/30 17/56
29.90 Antwerpen Oost 17/31 17/58
? Y. Antwerpen Oost 17/32 [27/1] 17/58½
? Y. Noord Berchem 17/33 [27] 17/59½
31.10 Antwerpen Berchem 17/34 18/00
? Y. Noord Groenenhoek 17/34 ?
? Y. Berchem Stadion 17/35 ?
? Mortsel 17/36 18/02
? Y. Drabstraat 17/37 18/03
? L. Liersesteenweg 17/38 18/04½
? Kontich 17/41 [13] 18/09
? Y. Lint 17/43 ?
43.00 Lier 17/48 [15] 18/19
? Y. Nazareth 17/50 [16] 18/21
? Berlaar 17/54 18/25½
? Heist-op-den-Berg 17/59 ?
? Begijnendijk 18/06 18/39
? Y. Noord Driehoek Aarschot 18/08 [16/1] 18/42
? Y. Zuid Driehoek Aarschot 18/09 [35] 18/43
70.25 Aarschot 18/10 18/45
? Y. Holsbeek 18/20 [53/1] 18/57½
? Y. Dijlebrug 18/22 [53] 18/59½
? Wespelaar Tildonk 18/28 19/06
93.55 Haacht 18/30 19/07
? Y. Hever 18/35 [27B/1] ?
? Y. Prinsenhoek 18/36 [27B] ?
? Y. Weerde 18/39 [27] ?
111.40 Vilvoorde 18/44 19/22½
? Y. Machelen 18/46 ?
? Y. Haren Nord 18/46 ?
118.30 Schaerbeek 18.51 ~ 18.55 19.31½ ~ 19.32½ [P7]
? Bruxelles Nord Gril F 18/57 ?
120.60 Bruxelles Nord 18/58 [0/2] 19/36 [P10]
? Bruxelles Central 19/01 18/38½
? Bruxelles Midi Gril JNM 19/02 ?
124.40 Bruxelles Midi 19.04a 19.43


Back to "The Railtour Files"