On Apr 29, 10:32*am, wrote:
On Tue, 28 Apr 2009 18:53:08 +0100

Paul Corfield wrote:
Only in Belgium could they spend a fortune on tunnels and then not use
them.

Oh they've done better than that - in Charleroi they built an entire
extension to their pre-metro - station and tracks - and never used it!
A monument to the hubris of local government IMO.

Theres loads of interesting photos knocking about of it though these are
the best:

http://diggelfjoer.swalker.nl/index....sub=abandcharl

An interesting set of photos there - amazing that the alignment is not
shown on local maps!

A very fair example of overdoing it. It's years since I was in
Belgium but I did visit Charleroi and managed to ride the Anderlues
line before it was either abandoned or curtailed - it was certainly
under threat at the time I visited. It starts out on ludicrous
tunnels, loops and viaducts and then becomes a traditional Vicinal
line with the tracks beside the road. The depot at Anderlues was down
a side street. A friend and I then managed to find the preserved
line between Lobbes and Thuin which is lovely. We had the preserved
tram to ourselves and they even stopped the tram in the middle of the
countryside so we could leap off into a field to photograph it
climbing a small hill. Being an English tram loony in Belgium had one
or two advantages.

It was a very small glimpse into what the Vicinal network must have
been like when it was fully operational.

checks urbanrail.net

I see the Anderlues bit is still there but more of it is on the modern
alignment. Looks like some of the tunnels are being reopened but other
chunks will remain closed.


--
Paul C
via Google