317666
Established Member
After reading some of the trip reports on here and having nothing to do this evening, I've decided to start writing up the three European trips I've done this year, starting with the first - my BeNeLux InterRail back in March!
The plan was to spend just over a week in Belgium (with a day trip to Luxembourg), just under a week in the Netherlands, before heading back home via Belgium again. I would be travelling there using the overnight Harwich - Hoek van Holland ferry, and returning via Eurostar. To the action!
Day 0 - 14/03/14:
Day 0 as the only move was Cambridge - Harwich International on 170205... Which was my last required Crown Point DMU! As much as I despise 170s, I was very pleased as it means I won't have to go around chasing it. The ferry check-in was very smooth, and within ten minutes of getting off the 170 I was settling into my cabin.
Day 1 - 15/03/14:
What a smooth crossing that was, slept like a log. (Although the fact that I'd been up at 04:30 for work that morning probably had something to do with it!) Watched some SGMms from the window whilst enjoying a full English in the on-board restaurant, always a good feeling seeing European trains for the first time in months! Before long I was down the gangplank and on board SGMm 2960, with the 08:26 to Rotterdam Centraal. You might be wondering why I'm going to Brussels via the Netherlands, rather than taking the Eurostar direct - the answer is, quite simply, that I wanted to try the ferry out! I had decided to catch the Den Haag - Brussels IC from Rotterdam rather than being ripped off by Thalys, and soon enough 2802 rolled in with a rake of ICRm coaches. Very comfortable they are too with plenty of legroom and a nice ambience. After dumping my suitcase in a locker at Brussel-Centraal, it was on to the metro and trams for the rest of the day!
I won't bore you with every single move, but I cleared the 6 to Koning Boudewijn (after only making it as far as Heizel on the previous two attempts!), then made my way to Montgomery to do the 39 tram. The PCC 7700/7800s are my all-time favourite trams, and the first one out was 7802 on a 44, so I did this to Groene Hond and dropped back onto 7723 on the 39 to Ban-Eik.
PCC 7723 - Ban-Eik by Max's Rail Photos II, on Flickr
Waited for the following tram, 7808, back to Stokkel and did Metro Line 1 from there, which disappointingly was one of the newer 'BOA' units. Mind you, the 1 is their real stomping ground. Also cleared the Erasmus end of the 5, before picking up the 81 at Sint-Guido to clear the Marius Renard end of that (7927 and 7914 for those interested!).
PCC 7900s - Marius Renard by Max's Rail Photos II, on Flickr
I headed back to Zuid and at this point I decided to do the first of many desperate tunnel moves, with 2148 propelling me north to Centraal, for a cross-platform onto a trio of 'Klassiekjes', 623+654+999, back down. Later on, I cleared the Hermann-Debroux end of the 5, before heading into the city centre for a few beers until it was time to head to Centraal to collect my suitcase, bound for my hotel. 1906 and 1903 topped 'n' tailed my train to Leuven, for a much needed night's sleep! For those of you reading this who are only interested in the InterRail itself, that starts on Day 3 - don't worry!
TBC.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Day 2 - 16/03/14:
It was Sunday, so I decided not to waste an InterRail box on the weekend timetable and instead have a lie-in, before another day of STIB. 1802 and 1912, again top 'n' tailing, were my train to Brussel-Zuid. If I'm spending so much time in Brussels, why, you may be wondering, am I staying in Leuven? The answer is that it was much cheaper, even with the cost of a few Leuven - Brussels returns (and even they didn't cost much, thanks to NMBS returns being half-price at the weekend!).
Not a great deal to report - I decided to head back to Ban-Eik to walk to Tervuren along what looked like a disused railway line. The 39 to Ban-Eik was built on the trackbed of an old railway, so maybe it used to continue on to Tervuren? Got there to see that my tram on the 44 was 7723 again, although it was incorrectly blinded for the 39.
PCC 7723 - Tervuren by Max's Rail Photos II, on Flickr
The day became much more interesting when I eventually reached Beekkant, to see a set of the old metro units on the 1! Even though I had cleared Stokkel the previous day, I couldn't resist the chance to do it again on my preferred stock. I am a big fan of the old M1-M5 units, with their distinctive humming noise, fast acceleration and beige plastic interiors - the Brussels Metro won't be the same without them. I forgot to say, I love the Tintin artwork at Stokkel!
M3 265 - Stokkel/Stockel by Max's Rail Photos II, on Flickr
Spent the rest of the day doing a few more tram routes, but being a Sunday these were all in the hands of the dull Flexities, so not worth writing about if you ask me. My train back to Leuven that evening was annoyingly 1912 and 1802 again!
TBC.
The plan was to spend just over a week in Belgium (with a day trip to Luxembourg), just under a week in the Netherlands, before heading back home via Belgium again. I would be travelling there using the overnight Harwich - Hoek van Holland ferry, and returning via Eurostar. To the action!
Day 0 - 14/03/14:
Day 0 as the only move was Cambridge - Harwich International on 170205... Which was my last required Crown Point DMU! As much as I despise 170s, I was very pleased as it means I won't have to go around chasing it. The ferry check-in was very smooth, and within ten minutes of getting off the 170 I was settling into my cabin.
Day 1 - 15/03/14:
What a smooth crossing that was, slept like a log. (Although the fact that I'd been up at 04:30 for work that morning probably had something to do with it!) Watched some SGMms from the window whilst enjoying a full English in the on-board restaurant, always a good feeling seeing European trains for the first time in months! Before long I was down the gangplank and on board SGMm 2960, with the 08:26 to Rotterdam Centraal. You might be wondering why I'm going to Brussels via the Netherlands, rather than taking the Eurostar direct - the answer is, quite simply, that I wanted to try the ferry out! I had decided to catch the Den Haag - Brussels IC from Rotterdam rather than being ripped off by Thalys, and soon enough 2802 rolled in with a rake of ICRm coaches. Very comfortable they are too with plenty of legroom and a nice ambience. After dumping my suitcase in a locker at Brussel-Centraal, it was on to the metro and trams for the rest of the day!
I won't bore you with every single move, but I cleared the 6 to Koning Boudewijn (after only making it as far as Heizel on the previous two attempts!), then made my way to Montgomery to do the 39 tram. The PCC 7700/7800s are my all-time favourite trams, and the first one out was 7802 on a 44, so I did this to Groene Hond and dropped back onto 7723 on the 39 to Ban-Eik.
PCC 7723 - Ban-Eik by Max's Rail Photos II, on Flickr
Waited for the following tram, 7808, back to Stokkel and did Metro Line 1 from there, which disappointingly was one of the newer 'BOA' units. Mind you, the 1 is their real stomping ground. Also cleared the Erasmus end of the 5, before picking up the 81 at Sint-Guido to clear the Marius Renard end of that (7927 and 7914 for those interested!).
PCC 7900s - Marius Renard by Max's Rail Photos II, on Flickr
I headed back to Zuid and at this point I decided to do the first of many desperate tunnel moves, with 2148 propelling me north to Centraal, for a cross-platform onto a trio of 'Klassiekjes', 623+654+999, back down. Later on, I cleared the Hermann-Debroux end of the 5, before heading into the city centre for a few beers until it was time to head to Centraal to collect my suitcase, bound for my hotel. 1906 and 1903 topped 'n' tailed my train to Leuven, for a much needed night's sleep! For those of you reading this who are only interested in the InterRail itself, that starts on Day 3 - don't worry!
TBC.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Day 2 - 16/03/14:
It was Sunday, so I decided not to waste an InterRail box on the weekend timetable and instead have a lie-in, before another day of STIB. 1802 and 1912, again top 'n' tailing, were my train to Brussel-Zuid. If I'm spending so much time in Brussels, why, you may be wondering, am I staying in Leuven? The answer is that it was much cheaper, even with the cost of a few Leuven - Brussels returns (and even they didn't cost much, thanks to NMBS returns being half-price at the weekend!).
Not a great deal to report - I decided to head back to Ban-Eik to walk to Tervuren along what looked like a disused railway line. The 39 to Ban-Eik was built on the trackbed of an old railway, so maybe it used to continue on to Tervuren? Got there to see that my tram on the 44 was 7723 again, although it was incorrectly blinded for the 39.
PCC 7723 - Tervuren by Max's Rail Photos II, on Flickr
The day became much more interesting when I eventually reached Beekkant, to see a set of the old metro units on the 1! Even though I had cleared Stokkel the previous day, I couldn't resist the chance to do it again on my preferred stock. I am a big fan of the old M1-M5 units, with their distinctive humming noise, fast acceleration and beige plastic interiors - the Brussels Metro won't be the same without them. I forgot to say, I love the Tintin artwork at Stokkel!
M3 265 - Stokkel/Stockel by Max's Rail Photos II, on Flickr
Spent the rest of the day doing a few more tram routes, but being a Sunday these were all in the hands of the dull Flexities, so not worth writing about if you ask me. My train back to Leuven that evening was annoyingly 1912 and 1802 again!
TBC.
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