Ixelles © photo Georges Strens 2009

Adult trail

DISCOVER THE

MASTERPIECES OF

TRAIN WORLD

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Schuster Machine 0237 VA

The first tickets were written by hand as passengers boarded the train, like on stagecoaches! This system was soon overwhelmed by the huge success of the train.

In the 1840s, the Englishman Edmondson developed a system of numbered tickets printed in advance. Universally adopted, it will be used in Belgium for almost a century! Further progress in 1947: for the first time the SNCB uses a machine created by the Belgian Schuster. This machine is not only practical but also pays much attention to design. Based on an image, it prints small carton coupons, usually pink, on demand. This method will be kept in use in small stations up until 1993!

Gala costume of the first station master

In 1840, the Belgian Railways were among the first to have staff uniforms. They were of military inspiration. These dark clothes, cut in a solid fabric, were the responsibility of the agent, who wore them when dealing with passengers.

There were also ceremonial uniforms for engineers and station masters. One of the most beautiful uniforms shown in Train World is a

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gala costume with its feathered black hat and sword decorated with a winged wheel, symbol of the railways. Dating from the second half of the nineteenth century, this beautiful uniform was worn on special occasions by the station master of Brussels-North.

Inauguration of the first railway line in Belgium

The inauguration of Belgium’s (and the continent’s) first railway line for passengers was held on May 5, 1835. Three trains, hauled by steam locomotives ‘The Elephant’, ‘The Arrow’ and ‘Stephenson’ left from the Brussels-Allée Verte station towards Mechelen. King Leopold I attended the celebrations, but did not board the train for safety reasons.

This painting depicts the departure from the Brussels-Allée Verte. At the front we see an enthusiastic crowd. In the background, the King is introduced to the new means of transportation. This work was painted by Jan Antoon Neuhuys, probably for the 50th anniversary of the inauguration of railways in Belgium. This painting has a prominent place in the ‘Network’ scenography. With this monumental painting, both literally (391cm x 297 cm) and figuratively, the early railway in Belgium appeared on canvas, with attention given to the key role that Belgium has taken in Europe.

Tender locomotive ‘Pays de Waes’

This brown steam locomotive is the oldest of its kind on the European continent, with an identical one in France. It was designed by Gustave De Ridder, the engineer who studied, with Pierre Simons in 1831, the feasibility of building a railway line in Belgium. The creation of the Belgian railway network was based on their report. Built in Brussels by Gustave De Ridder between 1844 and 1846, 9 copies were made of this lightweight vehicle, which can be considered as the ancestor of the rural tram.

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This locomotive travelled on the Antwerp - Ghent line at a time when traffic was light. It was one of the first lines sold by the state as a private concession to the same De Ridder.

In 1896, when the state resumed operation of the line, the decision was made to extend the railway track by 30 cm in order to standardise the gauge. In a single weekend, the 50 km long line is brought up to standards. Alas, this was the end of our nine locomotives which were too narrow to run on regular lines. Miraculously, one of them was saved: the “Pays de Waes”.

Presented in 1913 at the Universal Exposition in Ghent, the historic “Pays de Waes” was also exhibited in 1925 in the United Kingdom, for the festivities of the 100th anniversary of the railway.

Statue of Jean-Baptiste Masui

This Carrara marble statue was made in 1865 by Charles Auguste Fraikin at the request of the Belgian State Railways.

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Jean-Baptiste Masui (1798-1860) was the first Director-General of the Belgian State Railways and Post. The statue depicts him in his gala uniform, leaning against a steam locomotive, holding a roll of paper in his right hand. A post horn lies at his feet. At the front of the locomotive a dial telegraph is reproduced. This statue once stood in the Brussels North station waiting room which was demolished in the late 1950s following the construction of the North-South junction.

Train seat, double sided with baggage nets of a K1 carriage

K1 carriage seats from 1935, entirely designed by the famous architect Henry Van de Velde (1863-1957). Known mainly as a famous architect, he served as artistic advisor to the SNCB from 1932 to 1939. He designed different carriages and convinced the management to choose the ‘B’ icon - the logo by Jean Roy we know today. The seat and back are covered with a blue and light purple cloth. A metal luggage net is fixed above. The sides are dressed in a wooden frame.

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Steam locomotive 12.004 with tender 24.604

The legendary Type 12 Atlantic is the star of Train World. Her aerodynamics, power, and 2.10 m diameter wheels make her a real speed demon, but her beauty is breathtaking! Moreover, in 1939, she performed the Brussels-Ostend line in 57 minutes. Running at more than 120 km / h on average, she was rewarded with the blue ribbon, the world record for speed for a steam train on a regular line in active commercial service.

During tests, it reached the record speed of 165 km / h. It is with enthusiasm that the press describes the event.

When the six Type 12 Atlantic were delivered in 1939 by Cockerill factories of the SNCB, they were hailed for their modernity. Yet they came into service at a time when steam traction was challenged and faced competition from diesel and electric traction. The Type 12 was thus doomed to be replaced while not yet being thirty years old!

One of the locomotive’s final journey took place in 1962, between Lille and Brussels.They were then sent to be scraped! Seeing a funeral procession of steam locomotives pass by him, the head of the Brussels-Midi workshop decided to keep one on the side.

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Railway House

An integral part of Train World, this authentic house is representative of the lives of railwaymen. It is one of the last testimonies of staff accommodations for agents whose presence on the workplace was needed on a 24 hour / 7 day basis. This house was occupied by the head of tracks of Schaerbeek, responsible for the entire sector of Schaerbeek, including the training station - the largest in the country - hardware garages and tens of kilometers of tracks.

One of these heads was Pieter Paul Telemans whose son Guido remembers very well daily life in the house during the Second World War up until his father’s retirement in 1958.

«We almost lived on track. Our home was within 2 meters of the tracks and the busy line to Antwerp was located 15 meters away. My two older sisters, Alice and Mariette, slept on the top floor, north side. I shared a room with my elder brother Hugo and my younger brother Paul on the same floor, south side. Our parents slept between the two rooms. My mother could therefore respond quickly when we fought!»

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Saloon-coach of the royal train ‘Leopold II/Albert I’ (Carriage A)

During the reigns of kings Leopold II and Albert I, between 1865 and 1934, the rolling stock of the Court consisted of forty wooden vehicles in brown livery, the colour of the Belgian State Railways. Of these luxurious cars, three remain, including the Royal sedan presented here.

It consists of a luxurious private lounge, a sleeping compartment with bathroom for the king and four sleeping compartments for his attendants. At the ends of the sedan, on one side, we find a bathroom, on the other a service area and a heating room. The interior is decorated in Louis XVI style with wood and mahogany furniture. It has painted ceilings, velvet armchairs and gilded bronze ornaments.

Saloon-coach of the royal train ‘Leopold III / Baudouin I’ (Carriage n°1)

In May 1939, Leopold III inaugurated his personal train when Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands visited Belgium. The train of Leopold III, and Baudouin I, consists of three metal carriages, painted in green livery, the colours of the SNCB.

The royal carriage shown here is the lounge carriage that was used in 1952 by

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Baudouin I for the inauguration of the North-South junction in Brussels. In 1982, the royal train travelled for the last time.

The art deco interior design style is made up of mahogany furniture, oriental carpets, lined wallpaper and bronze chandeliers. A tapestry by Victor Stuyvaert decorates the large living room. The kitchen has a gas stove, a stainless steel sink and refrigerator: rarities for ordinary Belgians of the time.

Truss bridge

This bridge, part of the Brussels-Luxembourg line, once spanned the Meuse near Namur, and measured 129 meters long. Built just after World War II to replace its predecessor destroyed during the conflict, the bridge was replaced in 2011 by a new work of art.

In regards to the construction, the viaduct is made up of trusses. This type of bridge owes its carrying capacity to the metal trusses on both sides, built in a triangle. On this particular bridge, we have triangles and squares.

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ColophonText: Train WorldEN: Liam O’SullivanLayout: Walter Leclercq© Brussels Museums - 2016

1. Schuster Machine 0237 VA2. Gala costume of the first station master3. Inauguration of the first railway line in Belgium4. Tender locomotive ‘Pays de Waes’5. Statue of Jean-Baptiste Masui6. Train seat, double sided with baggage nets of a K1 car7. Steam locomotive 12.004 with tender 24.6048. Railway House9. Saloon-coach of the royal train ‘Leopold II/Albert I’ (Car A)10. Saloon-coach of the royal train ‘Leopold III / Baudouin I’ (Car n°1)11. Truss bridge