The 75th VDVA tour (www.vdva.de) took us to Luxemburg and Belgium. As usual we visited many systems, museum lines and museums.
Luxemburg (LU) – June
The Luxemburg system has been extended since out last visit and now goes south from the railway station to Stadion and north from Luxexpo to Airport. We had a few rides on the short tracks at the tram museum which is in the main bus depot at Hollerich and they drove us by bus to a restaurant afterwards. We also took a historic bus for a visit and ride at the “Minièresbunn” mine railway.
Thuin (BE) – June
We attended a special operating day of the ASVi museum which featured steam. We had our own rides as well and two excellent meals organised for us by the museum staff.
Charleroi (BE) – June
ASVi also managed a lengthy special private hire (charter) for us on the TEC pre-Metro system. We visited both TEC depots and had a lot of very special photo stops. As it was a public holiday we managed many photo stops. Some of the regular trams have been refurbished again and now feature a new front end and new doors.
Erezée (BE) – June
The small TTA museum line in the Ardennes is not easy to reach without a car. With a big group we rented a coach. We rode the whole line from Pont d’Érezée to Lamorménil leaving the open summer trailer) at the Forge-à-la-Plez stop (where most trains terminate – the single diesel motor can not pull two trailers up the hill). A very brief visit to the Depot at Blier was arranged. Aftereards the bus took us to Han-sur-Lesse.
Han-sur-Lesse (BE) – June
This little line goes from the town to the caves of Han-sur-Lesse. Like the Erezée line it was operated by diesel railcars but in the last few years these have been rebuilt and now run on batteries. We were a little late for our booked trip but after having bought the tickets we rode the train all the way to the caves where about 2/3 of our group then visited the caves (Grottes). The rest of us rode back to the depot and then visited it. The nearby restaurant was used to wait for the rest of the group. We did not get an explanation but the tram does not seem to operate all day anymore. We were on a tour at just after 15.00hrs (they waited for us) and after that we only saw a single motor car do another round trip (going up to the caves empty and returning with a very small number of walkers). When the tram runs it does so only from very close to the depot to the mines. When returning everybody has to leave the tram and this then goes empty to the loop by the church (where the normal departure point used to be). We got picked up at the loop as we had to buy the tickets there but everybody else seems to have to buy the tickets and then do a lenghty walk through parts of the town and across a large meadow to rech the new (temporary?) terminus. The new visitors center is now along this lenghty walk but as they are rebuilding it currently the old station by the church has been re-opened to sell tickets and souvenirs. Why they won’t let people ride the tram from right there (they allowed us to do it and there were a few regular passengers that also came with us) remains a mystery. On previous visits the trams operated throughout the day and usuallywere very busy. Of note in the depot is the newly rebuilt car AR89 which arrived here in 1994 and has not really seen service since (but it will soon). It now has a totally different interior compared to the other cars.
Lüttich / Luik / Liège (BE) – June
First visit to the still fairly new tramway system. Trams are very busy as many bus services have been cut-back to the three tram termini. The transport museum we had visited a few times before, no real change there (they are working on the roof so parts of the museum were closed off).
Knokke – Oostende – De Panne (BE) – June
After the electrical fire on a Ghent tram last year after the big Ghent tram parade, De Lijn has unfortunately cancelled all historic rides. We hear that by the end of the year PCCs will be allowed again (and hopefully older cars as well). A few PCCs of course still operate in Antwerp (these are not from the museum fleet). We were thus not able to ride anything interesting on this famous ex NMVB/SNCV coastal line (now De Lijn) but the local club TTO showed us the two depots with historic trams (Knokke which is closed for regular service and the small building at De Panne). We rode the whole line, which takes a very long time. Day-trip by rail from Antwerp.
Antwerp (BE) – June
Our last visit was to Antwerp. We stayed there a few days. We had planned to include Ghent but due to the De Lijn restrictions (no historic vehicles allowed out) we skipped Ghent completely this time. There were still a few PCCs out and about on line 7 and a dismal 2 car service (4 runs are advertised – the ex Ghent double-ended PCCs run here) on short line 12. Revisiting the transport museum in Berchem was nice. We celebrated this 75th VDVA tour with a big buffet in a brewery at the end of our stay (hiring a sightseeing shuttle “train” to reach our hotel).
Nancy (FR) – June
Before joining the VDVA members in Luxemburg a short visit to Nancy was made to see the new trolleybuses in service. They have finally replaced the old TVR “tram (really a guided trolleybus). Not much remains of the old installation. The new line follows the old TVR except for a short stretch in one street (and this is where the remains are still in place). Like on the old TVR the overall speed of the vehicles is rather slow compared to other trolleybus systems I have visited (or the regular buses in use in Nancy). Large portions of the line have no overhead wires (batteries are used there). We might visit again if more lines are introduced.
