Ath, 55 years ago: the very last train towed by a steam locomotive made its last official journey in Belgium.

Tuesday, 20 December 1966 is particularly marked in Belgian railway history. Indeed, the local train 8155 is the last passenger train in commercial service of the SNCB/NMBS towed by a steam locomotive between Ath and Denderleeuw. Shortly before 14:00, the steam locomotive registered 29.013 took the lead in a 5-car train weighing 215 tonnes.

In Ath, the harmony of Cuesmes ensures the musical atmosphere, in Denderleeuw it will be that of Brussels. The Minister of Transport, Mr Bertrand gives a short speech on the history of the SNCB/NMBS and whistles the departure of the train. At that time, the new railway technologies are trains powered by electricity and not diesel. SNCB/NMBS is proud of its first dual-current and poly-voltage locomotives which cross borders and which allow the towing of prestigious Trans Europ Express from Brussels to Paris, Cologne and Amsterdam, and a little later even to Spiez in Switzerland.

The SNCB/NMBS railway advertisements even announced in 1967 that the “polluting train no longer existed“.

The train finally leaves at 14:13 instead of 14:07, a delay of 6 minutes to which 6 more minutes will be added at the various stops, bringing the total delay to 12 minutes. The train regains 5 minutes on the journey (4 minutes at the stop at Geraardsbergen and 1 minute on the way), the maximum speed of the train was 80 km/h.

While it had rained the previous days, on this 20 December the sun is shining in a very blue sky. The locomotive whistles profusely in each station crossed, many people forget their work for a moment to watch the train go by. Schoolchildren, brought by their teachers, are everywhere present and wave small flags in the colours of the SNCB/NMBS.

It was finally with joy and elation that this last journey took place and that the 29.013 became a legend …

Since 2014, no historical locomotive, neither diesel nor steam, can run on the INFRABEL network, because they are not equipped with TBL-1+ and/or ETCS safety devices. In view of the success of its Trainworld museum established in Schaerbeek, SNCB/NMBS plans to put two steam locomotives back into service in the coming years and to take them on tourist routes around Brussels in summer, for example during heritage days or steam festivals organised by associations. Equipment work is planned to at least install the TBL1+ system in the 29.013 in order to revive it for the greatest pleasure of all nostalgic and other railway lovers.

Source: Info Bel Rail