    
andy_pullar
Username: andy_pullar
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Monday, April 04, 2005 - 11:25 pm: | |
SNCB DMU 4310+73406+73410+4315
Liege Guillemins(dep09:03), Verviers Central ,Welkenraedt, Eupen, Raeren (reverse), Vennbahn, Weverce (reverse), Butgenbach.
SNCB DMU 4310+73406+73410+4315
Butgenbach, Weverce, Vennbahn, Raeren (reverse), Eupen, Welkenraedt, Verviers Central, Liege Guillemins (arr. 19:42).
This was one of those GTF tours aimed at the tourist market rather than rail enthusiasts. Thus those that travelled outward on the special train headed off on a coach tour of the Ardennes upon arrival at Butgenbach followed by a return to Liege and connections to other parts of Belgium by service train from Trois Ponts.
Those that travelled to Trois Pont by service train endured the coach tour of the Ardennes and returned to Liege by the special from Butgenbach.
Having staggered all the way from Vienna to get on this trip I wasn't paying too much attention to the announcements being made at Butgenbach before boarding the coaches. I was loaded down with baggage so left the lot on the coach (hand numbered 5 for the occasion) as did a couple of other well travelled companions I was relying on to translate for me.
The coaches dropped everyone off at a chateau for a Belgian history lesson. Guess what happened next? Coach No.5 was waiting for our return but something wasn't quite right. Yes, you guessed it. The coaches had been swapped and our bags had been swiped ( passports, tickets ,the lot ).
After some panic everything was sorted and our bags went around the Ardennes in the original coach whilst we continued in the other to Trois Ponts. It did not come as a surprise that we were not re-united with our bags until some two hours had elapsed since we had reached Trois Ponts.
CFL 1802 for haulage was small consolation for having to watch the the return Luxembourg - Antwerp service booked around the rare curve from Diegem to Machelen come and go. Drat, drat and double drat.
I never did that curve and it took me until August 2004 to visit the Butgenbach area by train again.
C'est la vie. |