| Some 20 years on I was privileged to be able to visit the steam festival held this year. The preservation movement on the continent is not as extensive as in the United Kingdom but what there is is normally of high quality.
The steam festival at Mariembourg is held each September. The line runs from the junction with the SNCB Charleroi to Couvin service right to the French border at Treignes. It was once part of a through international route but this part of Belgium has become something of a quiet backwater in more recent years. The station buildings at Treignes survive and show how in former times both French and Belgian customs had offices in this remote location. The area is not just for railfans, as there is much of interest to find in this virtually forgotten corner of the world. Locally the Trappist monks of the Chimay monastery continue to brew their potent beers, and the fans at this years festival were able to enjoy this golden brew at both ends of the line. |
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