Holland & Belgium November 2011
A trip over to Belgium via the Netherlands for Mercia Charters 'The Mortal Coil' railtour. On November 11th, we flew into Schipol with BA on G-EUUW A320, and then headed into Amsterdam Centraal where these photos were obtained:
Traxx loco 2839/186231 took us from Amsterdam-Brussels Midi where a handful of shots were grabbed prior to heading for the Ibis adjacent to the station.
Saturday 12th November saw us join the Mercia Charter at Midi, and we immediately headed to Schaarbeek depot behind 5941, where a protracted farce caused by a lack of driver and a coach in the formation that shouldn't have been. This did at least allow us a tour of the depot, before Security had a strop and then relented again! Bizarrre!
Having detached a coach and attached a Class 55 loco, off we departed for a tour round Belgium, and a tour around the depot at Ostend where the following photos were taken
During the day, these photos of the tour were possible:
Back at Brussels Midi, a quick snap of a Traxx loco heading for Amsterdam prior to a nice meal and beer in the Belgian Grill near Brussels-Nord
Sunday 13th November was a grim day, managed a couple of dull shots of the tour at Midi before heading off to be a tourist!
With the weather refusing to improve, we did some insect leaping in the afternoon.... or at least that was the plan! Stacey suggested staying on 2802 up as far as Nord. 'I hope it stops there' was my reply. It didn't, so off we went to Mechelen which delayed my lunch! Hilarious error though!
1844 Brussels Midi-Brussels Central
1843 Brussels Central-Brussels Midi
2802 Brussels Midi-Mechelen
2728 Mechelen-Brussels Nord
2754/2756 Brussels Midi-Brussels Central
2715 Brussels Central-Brussels Midi
There was time for one last snap before departure on the Eurostar to St Pancras:
1844 Brussels Midi-Brussels Central
1843 Brussels Central-Brussels Midi
2802 Brussels Midi-Mechelen
2728 Mechelen-Brussels Nord
2754/2756 Brussels Midi-Brussels Central
2715 Brussels Central-Brussels Midi
There was time for one last snap before departure on the Eurostar to St Pancras:
3017/3018 Brussels Midi-London St Pancras was the final move of the trip, and a most memorable trip it was too. My thanks to Stacey Thew for the laughs as ever, and to Denzil, Yomper, HP and the rest of the Mercia Charters boys for the tour!
