Belgium and Trains

[MidlandPacific]

I have to spend a week in Brussels for work - anyone know of any good railfan/model railroad sites that are worth visiting?

[bsteel4065]

I used to go to Brussels on business quite a lot and in the end changed from flying to first class Eurostar from Waterloo. All I can say is that from Brussels you can catch trains to the UK, to France and all points East and south in Europe. I know for definite that you can catch a Thalys to Paris and all over France. I'm sure you can probably catch a Deutsche Bahn ICE from there too. All this (and locals) happens out of the main Brussels station. Best thing to do is look up websites like www.raileurope.co.uk or www.bahn.de also look up SNCF and italian rail.
Hope this helps a little.
Cheers

[MidlandPacific]

Thanks - I've pretty familiar with European train service. I'm thinking more of local steam operations, tourist trains, trams, that kind of thing.

And much as I would like to try the Eurostar, it doesn't transit the body of water I'll be crossing!

[PASMITH]

The TRAMS ( Trolleys) are fun to ride. For four months I use to ride them to work. There use to be a neat little train shop near the Grand Place ( center city plaza) but I was disappointed to see that it was gone when I was there last year. The airport duty free shops have a model RR display on the second floor. The metro is good for getting around the city but no where near as great as Paris.

Peter Smith Memphis.

Peter Smith, Memphis

[simon1966]

I tend to think about beer in Belgium[:-^] There is nothing finer than a huge bucket of muscles and flagons of ale, especially in Antwerp, my favorite city in that wonderful country.

[MidlandPacific]

Well, you can't go wrong with Belgian beer.

Thx for the tram advice, Peter.

[Anonymous]

Don't know much about current Belgium steam specials, but they do have some nice engines restored, among others a 2-8-0 built in the US in '45.

If you go 200 kilometers due east from Brussels, you're in the southern tip of The Netherlands where you'll find some beautiful swedish locomotives on a very nice railway http://www.zlsm.nl/en_home.htm. Recommended.

Dutch railways scrapped nearly all steamers after 1957, before there was any interest - money - from hobbyists to salvage any, only one mainline 4-cylinder 4-6-0 is left for fan trips but I thought in Belgium the situation is much better.

[MidlandPacific]

Thx - can't get the link to open, though.

[Anonymous]

maybe without a dot at the end: http://www.zlsm.nl/en_home.htm