Thanks to “TC” for the excellent write up
Back in 2006 Belgian Railways placed an order for 60 Siemens locomotives to become their class 18’s. They were due to be delivered from early 2009. This was bad news, as it meant there would be a huge displacement of locomotives and the older class 20, 23 and class 26 locomotives would be withdrawn.
Delays with testing meant that the 18’s did not enter service until Summer / Autumn 2011, but with the class all built and most of an add on order of another 60, then it was only a matter of time before a fairly rapid takeover.
The 26’s lasted until December 2011 with the remaining engines taken out of service in one go. I knew the 23’s would not have long, their booked passenger work involved a few rush hour turns from Brussels to Gent / Dendermonde / Hasselt and a couple of turns between Antwerp and Aarschot.
I decided on one last bash on the 23’s and booked a week off. I just had to hope the 23’s would last in service long enough. The plan was to spend the rush hours doing the 23 hauled trains and scoring a few 18’s during the middle of the day.
Monday 23rd January 2012
Arriving in Brussels at lunchtime, I did a couple of 18’s before viewing the 15.37 Brussels – Gent, which would be a job for later in the week. After checking into the hotel I covered the evening Leuven – Dendermonde which was still booked a 23.
3019+3020 08.57 St. Pancras Intl. – Brussels Midi=== St. Pancras Intl. – Brussels Midi
231 11.39 Braine-le-Comte – Leuven=== Brussels Midi – Brussels Noord
1843 11.15 Genk – Gent St. Pieters=== Brussels Noord – Aalst
1833 13.08 Gent St. Pieters – Genk=== Aalst – Brussels Midi
2816 14.18 Brussels Midi – Amsterdam CS=== Brussels Midi – Mechelen
338 14.05 Turnhout – Brussels Midi=== Mechelen – Brussels Midi
2374 15.37 Brussels Midi – Gent St. Pieters=== Brussels Midi – Brussels Noord
654 15.06 Aalst – Geraadsbergen ===Brussels Noord – Brussels Midi
1812 16.09 Brussels Midi – Verviers Central=== Brussels Midi – Leuven
2360 17.41 Leuven – Dendermonde=== Leuven – Dendermonde
2110 18.18 Kortrijk – Leuven ===Dendermonde – Leuven
7771 at Brussells Noord on 23.01.2012.
2360 parked up for the night at Dendermonde on 23.01.2012. It had worked the 17.41 “P” train from Leuven.
Tuesday 24th January 2012
An early start to view the gen at Aarschot. There were two turns from Antwerp which stabled there and a two turns which came from Hasselt, heading for Brussels via the Leuven avoider. Being January (and cold) I spent the off peak hours on the Oostende – Eupen’s which were a cross platform +10 at Leuven and a similar plus at Brussels Noord. All ok until I was on the fifth diagram out of seven and then a delay at Schaarbeek. A late night as I did the 15.37 Brussels – Gent which then worked the 17.23 Gent – De Panne.
2754 03.54 Oostende – Tongeren=== Leuven – Aarschot
2371 06.18 Hasselt – Brussels Midi ===Aarschot – Brussels Noord
1803 t&t 1842 06.16 Binche – Louvain-la-neuve-Uni === Brussels Noord – Etterbeek
1804 t&t 1807 07.41 Louvain-la-neuve-Uni – Binche=== Etterbeek – Brussels Noord
1819 07.09 Quievrain – Liege Guillemins=== Brussels Noord – Leuven
1827 08.15 Genk – Gent St. Pieters=== Leuven – Brussels Noord
1805 08.42 Oostende – Eupen=== Brussels Noord – Leuven
1836 09.10 Eupen – Oostende ===Leuven – Brussels Noord
1835 09.42 Oostende – Eupen=== Brussels Noord – Leuven
1834 10.10 Eupen – Oostende=== Leuven – Brussels Noord
1811 10.42 Oostende – Eupen=== Brussels Noord – Leuven
(25 late, fatality at Schaarbeek)
2118 12.08 Liege Guillemins – Quievrain=== Leuven – Brussels Midi
818 12.41 Louvain-la-neuve-Uni – Binche=== Brussels Midi – Halle
1846 t&t 1809 13.16 Binche – Louvain-la-neuve-Uni=== Halle – Brussels Midi
1801 13.03 Quievrain – Liege Guillemins === Brussels Midi – Brussels Noord
1821 13.15 Genk – Gent St. Pieters ===Brussels Noord – Brussels Midi
2340 15.37 Brussells Midi – Gent St. Pieters === Brussels Midi – Gent St. Pieters
(via Jette, Denderleeuw, Aalst)
2340 17.23 Gent St. Pieters – De Panne === Gent St. Pieters – De Panne
555 18.55 De Panne – Landen ===De Panne – Brussels Midi
1806 20.08 Gent St. Pieters – Genk=== Brussels Midi – Leuven
2340 waits time with P8066 15.37 Brussels Midi to Gent St. Pieters on 24.01.2012. At Gent this would form P8996 17.23 to De Panne, prior to returning back to Gent the following morning.
Wednesday 25th January 2012
After a 10pm finish last night, another 6am start this morning, good job the hotel was only a short walk away. The plan today was one of the Aarschot – Antwerp’s, the first afternoon Brussels – Dendermonde, and then the last Antwerp – Aarschot turn. In between some 18’s, and being particularly cold I ended up on the Eupen circuit again as I had noticed a couple of different engines from yesterday.
2753 03.54 Oostende – Tongeren ===Leuven – Aarschot
2351 06.43 Aarschot – Antwerp Nooderdokken=== Aarschot – Antwerp Berchem
2712 07.12 Essen – Charleroi Sud ===Antwerp Berchem – Mechelen
1814 07.08 Charleroi Sud – Antwerp=== Central Mechelen – Antwerp Berchem
1842 08.12 Essen – Charleroi Sud ===Antwerp Berchem – Mechelen
1860 08.38 Brussels Midi – Turnhout=== Mechelen – Lier
403 09.05 Turnhout – Brussells Midi=== Lier – Mechelen
1803 09.08 Charleroi Sud – Antwerp Central=== Mechelen – Antwerp Berchem
1850 10.12 Essen – Charleroi Sud === Antwerp Berchem – Mechelen
1816 10.08 Charleroi Sud – Antwerp Central=== Mechelen – Antwerp Berchem
1855 11.12 Essen – Charleroi Sud=== Antwerp Berchem – Brussels Midi
1805 11.42 Oostende – Eupen ===Brussels Midi – Leuven
1817 12.10 Eupen – Oostende ===Leuven – Brussels Noord
1830 12.42 Oostende – Eupen ===Brussels Noord – Leuven
1836 13.15 Eupen – Oostende ===Leuven – Brussels Noord
1835 13.42 Oostende – Eupen ===Brussels Noord – Leuven
1832 14.15 Eupen – Oostende ===Leuven – Brussels Noord
2342 16.04 Brussells Midi – Dendermonde=== Brussels Noord – Dendermonde
2125 16.18 Kortrijk – Leuven ===Dendermonde – Leuven
2839 17.18 Brussels Midi – Amsterdam CS ===Leuven – Antwerp Central
2320 18.06 Antwerp Nooderdokken – Aarschot === Antwerp Central – Aarschot
338 18.39 Hasselt – Leuven=== Aarschot – Leuven
SNCF Fret 467529 with a westbound container train at Mechelen, 25.01.2012.
2320 in the low level platforms at Antwerp Central, working P8282 18.06 Antwerp Nooderdokken – Aarschot on 25.01.2012.
2351 at Aarschot on 25.01.2012. Along with 2320, these two would work the following morning’s “P” trains back to Antwerp.
Thursday 26th January 2012
Not such an early start today. The plan was the Hasselt – Brussels which ran via Leuven, and then the return working throughout. I was expecting 2349 to work the afternoon train so a nice surprise to get a different enigne in 2357. In between, a wander down to Charleroi to see if the 26’s were still dumped near the station and a return back via Mons for another class 18.
2349 05.54 Hasselt – Brussels Midi === Leuven – Brussels Central
1849 t&t 1809 06.16 Binche – Louvain-la-neuve-Uni=== Brussels Central – Etterbeek
1824 t&t 1802 07.41 Louvain-la-neuve-Uni – Binche=== Etterbeek – Brussels Noord
1825 07.09 Quievrain – Liege Guillemins === Brussels Noord – Leuven
913 09.16 Leuven – Sint Niklaas === Leuven – Mechelen
1828 09.12 Essen – Charleroi Sud ===Mechelen – Brussels Midi
1804 t&t 1807 09.41 Louvain-la-neuve-Uni – Binche === Brussels Midi – La Louviere Sud
451 10.25 Lille Flandres – Herstal ===La Louviere Sud – Charleroi Sud
812 11.33 Jambes – Tournai ===Charleroi Sud – Mons
1839 13.03 Quievrain – Liege Guillemins === Mons – Brussels Midi
1806 13.15 Genk – Gent St. Pieters ===Brussels Midi – Aalst
1854 15.08 Gent St. Pieters – Genk ===Aalst – Brussels Midi
2357 16.18 Brussels Midi – Hasselt ===Brussels Midi – Hasselt (via Leuven)
530 17.39 Tongeren – Knokke / Blankenberge ===Hasselt – Leuven (via Aarschot)
The “26’s” were all withdrawn towards the end of 2011. 2622 is seen here in a line of withdrawn “26’s” parked in the sidings close to Charleroi Sud on 26.01.2012. The complete line was: 2623, 2604, 2627, 2622, 2605 & 2621.
Friday 27th January 2012
With “privs” banned between 16.00 and 19.00 on Eurostar on a Friday afternoon, I had a mid afternoon booking back home. This wasn’t really a problem as I would have been unable to go any distance on a 23 on Friday evening.
My plan for Friday was another run on the Hasselt – Brussels, up from Leuven and then back to Brussels Noord for the Dendermonde for one final blast through the tunnels. 2342 was expected as this turn was generally the same loco until it was due an exam. A trip up to Oostende to stock up on some duty free’s to keep in mother-in-law’s good books filled the rest of the day.
2364 05.54 Hasselt – Brussels Midi ===Leuven – Brussels Central
1802 t&t 1824 06.16 Binche – Louvain-la-neuve-Uni=== Brussels Central – Brussels Noord
2342 07.16 Dendermonde – Brussels Midi ===Brussels Noord – Brussels Midi
1849 t&t 1844 07.16 Binche – Louvain-la-neuve-Uni ===Brussels Midi – Brussels Noord
1832 07.10 Eupen – Oostende ===Brussels Noord – Oostende
1836 11.42 Oostende – Eupen ===Oostende – Gent St. Pieters
1851 12.42 Oostende – Eupen ===Gent St. Pieters – Brussels Midi
3211+3212 14.56 Brussels Midi – St. Pancras Intl.=== Brussels Midi – St. Pancras Intl.
6 weeks later the then surviving 12 class 23’s were withdrawn…..
2129 arrives at Brussells Midi with a train from Antwerp Central, 27.01.2012.
Thanks again to “TC” for the memories…..
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