What I did on my holidays

[Jim Easterbrook]

Plan A was a two week break in early July taking in the Brocken and the Harzer Schmalspurbahnen. But that got cancelled for health reasons.

Plan B was a hastily booked week in Belgium, from which I returned a few days ago. On the first full day we visited the "Chemin de fer à vapeur des 3 vallées (Mariembourg-Treignes)" (cfv3v.eu) for their once a day steam hauled round trip. Loco for the day was an 0-6-0 tank engine built in 1926 for a coal mine.

Chemin de fer à vapeur des 3 vallées (Mariembourg-Treignes), Belgium by Jim Easterbrook, on Flickr

We arrived early to allow plenty of time to sort out our tickets. I'd booked for 10th August (10/8/2023) but received tickets for 8th October (8/10/2023) probably because somewhere in their system is an assumption that all English speakers use the American date format.

It was nice to wander around the Mariembourg site before many other visitors got there. There is a well stocked bar at each end station, so we had a fine foaming glass of Chimay Dorée with our picnic lunch. This is a new beer to me and I like it! No picture I'm afraid, but here's a picture of a wagon it didn't come from.

Chemin de fer à vapeur des 3 vallées (Mariembourg-Treignes), Belgium by Jim Easterbrook, on Flickr

After lunch we boarded the train in time for its scheduled 2:20 departure, unlike some other customers! It eventually left at around 2:30. Given a choice between leatherette or wooden seats we went for the wood. Much more comfortable on a hot sticky day.

Chemin de fer à vapeur des 3 vallées (Mariembourg-Treignes), Belgium by Jim Easterbrook, on Flickr

At Treignes there is a museum with some interesting exhibits, including an SNCF "Picasso". Its motor is currently being restored in their workshop, if I translated the notice in its window correctly.

Musée du Chemin de fer à vapeur de Treignes, Belgium by Jim Easterbrook, on Flickr

More pictures on Flickr for anyone who's interested. Pictures from the rest of the holiday will be uploaded in the coming week, once I sort through the hundreds that I took. No railway interest in those however.

[fisherman]

I went to the North Norfolk railway.

Got  hauled  by 53808 !!

Bit  far from the S& DJR

was lovely surprise!

[Southerngooner]

I popped into Holt station last Sunday while on a cycling holiday and saw 53808 leaving, then a green DMU arrive, followed in fairly short order by the J15 on the vintage train. Not bad for 30 minutes of impromptu spotting! Oh, and the bookshop had a large pile of NGS Journals for sale too.....

Dave

[Jim Easterbrook]

Pictures from the rest of the holiday will be uploaded in the coming week, once I sort through the hundreds that I took. No railway interest in those however.

OK, here's some slight railway interest. We went for a walk partly along the RAVeL 150 long distance path which is a converted railway track. I spotted this concrete post beside the path which I assume has some railway connection.

A walk in the Molignée valley, Belgium by Jim Easterbrook, on Flickr


A walk in the Molignée valley, Belgium by Jim Easterbrook, on Flickr