DB Services to Belgium during the 1990s

[TheSeeker]

I have a model railway layout with a theme of 1990s Belgium. Most local rolling stock is not difficult to find.

I was wondering, what DB stock would have been coming from Germany to Belgium at that time? I don't think ICE 1 or ICE 2 could have worked here. The period is pre-high speed line to Koln.

I'd like to get one passenger train and one freight locomotive to represent DB. If anyone could help tell me the most common of both seen at that time it would be great.

Cheers

Ben

 

[Bletchleyite]

The D-Zuege were formed of Belgian stock - in the late 1990s this was the newish Bombardier stock (the same as the rubber-ring EMUs but loco hauled), not sure what it was before that.

There were also a few night trains, the Donauwalzer (D222/223) was a mix of DB and SNCB/NMBS stock, generally at the very old end of things, and I think an EC from Switzerland formed mostly of SBB EC-Wagen.

 

[JonathanP]

You are in luck At least for the area around Aachen this fascinating website: https://www.vonderruhren.de/aachenbahn/seiten/intern4_1.php has exhaustive info on the exact composition of all the cross border services, going back to 1971.

 

[duesselmartin]

Mid 1990s also had a Berlin to Bruxelles EC with DB stock.
My favorite was always EC Memling Oostende to Dortmund with Belgian SC stock and an SNCB loco all the way to Dortmund.

 

[MarcVD]

Lots of hauled stock from Belgium, France, and Germany, not much german power as they never produced anything correct to run under the 3kV= belgian catenary. Earlier we had the 184 series that made some appearance but it was never very convincing. Here us a picture of a 184 in old station Liege Guillemins, track 14.

Multisystem belgian locs series 16 and 18 were mostly used. French CC40100 were designed to go to Germany but never made it. They came from Paris to Liege but were systematically relayed by a belgian loco for the run into Germany. Belgian 3kV locs went only up to Aachen, of course.

Before the advent of I11 cars, trains Brussels-Koeln were made of SNCB I6 and I10 cars most often hauled by HLE 16. An HLE 18 with french corail cars did a daily Paris Brussels Koeln service, must be quite unique, same loco used under 3 catenary systems on the same service.

German diesel locs came in Belgium to Raeren and Montzen with freight trains. At some time a DB 218 ran up to Antwerp with container trains.

I'll stop my ranting here but feel free to come with more detailed questions.

 

[Please Explain]

Goedenavond / Bonsoir à tous!

Sounds like a great layout idea, I'd love to see some pics when you get it all going. Regarding the EC Memling Dortmund - Oostende trein, have a look at René's Euro Rails episode 47 at Oostende to have a look at the full composition of it arriving from Dortmund formed of I10 / I6 as Marc says along with the now scraped? specially liveried for the service "Bistro Memling" I10:

You also see the Hydrofoil that the Memling connected with leaving for Dover (for connection to London) in its final years, Eurostar / ICE / Thalys really killed off these EC trains..
I heard there was talk of extending some Oostende - Welkenraedt InterCity's through to Koeln a while ago?
As I've said on previous threads it really is a shame with Oostende now as there is still so much potential for a good integrated train-ferry-train service there but it all comes down to money and will for it in the end, or lack thereof sadly...

 

[Bletchleyite]

As I've said on previous threads it really is a shame with Oostende now as there is still so much potential for a good integrated train-ferry-train service there but it all comes down to money and will for it in the end, or lack thereof sadly...

It mainly comes down to a combination of Eurostar (which has taken pretty much all cross-Channel passenger rail traffic from the ferries) and low cost flights. Even if flights were heavily ramped down I doubt it would still be viable.

 

[Please Explain]

True. As I said above it was Eurostar / ICE / Thalys that killed off the Hydrofoil / EuroCity Memling which was the fastest way to reach the Ruhrgebiet from London without flying.

There were hopes of Seaborne Freight reopening the route to Ramsgate until recently and they said they would carry footpax once the got going but we all know why that never got far..

 

[AlbertBeale]

Goedenavond / Bonsoir à tous!

Sounds like a great layout idea, I'd love to see some pics when you get it all going. Regarding the EC Memling Dortmund - Ooostende trein, have a look at René's Euro Rails episode 47 at Oostende to have a look at the full composition of it arriving from Dortmund formed of I10 / I6 as Marc says along with the now scraped? specially liveried for the service "Bistro Memling" I10:

You also see the Hydrofoil that the Memling connected with leaving for Dover (for connection to London) in its final years, Eurostar / ICE / Thalys really killed off these EC trains..
I heard there was talk of extending some Oostende - Welkenraedt InterCity's through to Koeln a while ago?
As I've said on previous threads it really is a shame with Oostende now as there is still so much potential for a good integrated train-ferry-train service there but it all comes down to money and will for it in the end, or lack thereof sadly...

This recent thread includes some references to the rail-ferry connection - or current lack of one - at Ostend:
https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/rail-ferry-connections-present-and-future.189175/