I recently returned from Belgium after a few days on a trip which involved Beer, Trains & Trams. We stayed in the home of Belgian rail, Mechelan: my visit including several visits to mostly volunteer-run, tram/train rides/museums.
Steam Train Maldegem-Eeklo is a heritage railway based at the former National Rail station of Maldegem. This houses the largest number of operational diesel and steam locomotives in Flanders. All enjoyed the trip on a narrow gauge line in old open wagons pulled by one of their diesel locomotives.
The Dendermonde-Puurs Steam Train heritage standard gauge railway took us on a 45 minute return journey from Puurs (Signal Box) to Baasrode-Noord Station. The track winds through the Scheldeland through the provinces of Antwerp and East Flanders. On board was waiter service: Dilewyns Vicaris Triple 8.5% and, the house train beer, Brouwer Stomerke 6% were sampled.
Rail Rebecq Rognon (RRR or Petit Train Du Bonheur – The Small Train of Happiness) explores the old SNCB Lines 115 and 123 on a 4 km line crossing the Rebecquoise countryside along the Senne and the Vallée des Oiseaux. The diesel loco took us on a return ride on the narrow gauge line between Rebecq and Rognon. Florence Triple 8% was available at the station café.
Our major tram ride was Tram 44 from Montgomery Metro Station (Brussels). This starts underground before emerging onto Avenue de Tervuren. It then rumbles past Stoclet House and the tram museum before plunging into the forest. The journey ends some 20 minutes later at the 19th-century tram station in Tervuren, a Royal suburb of Brussels within the once great ancient Sonian Forest. The Tram Museum (opened 1976) housed in the 1897 tram depot has a vast collection of 130 vehicles including a 1869 horse-drawn tram.
TramSite Schepdaal (Dilbeek) is the only remaining local (or vicinal) tramway depot in Belgium, the line closing in 1970. This depot served the first tramway in Flemish Brabant: Brussels to Ninove (1888). The oldest buildings at Schepdaal date from then. The station café provided local beer, Angerik Dilleke 5.1%.
We also visited Duvel Depot in Breendonk, the tap of the family-controlled Duvel Moortgat brewery (1871), and the Batteliek Microbrewery on the outskirts of Mechelen. The latter is an old red brick church, now a brewery, bar and eatery under the auspices of Het Anker. The tasting flight was chosen: Baobab Triple 8,8%, Ipapotamus 7.7% and Derkal 8.3%. The Het Anchor Brouwerij tap (Mechelen) also provided a flight: Gouden Carolus Hopsinjoor 8.0%, Gouden Carolus Whisky Infused 11.7% and a Batteliek Bieren.
Several other bars were visited – recommended in Mechelen are Beer Central, Hanekeef, Het Maanlicht, Kuub and Moemoe. Het Maanlicht provided one of the most interesting beers of the trip: De Blauwe Kuip Burton 5.2% – an (almost) British bitter served in a half-pint ‘jug.’ Other recommendations include: Cuytegemhoeve Beer Cafe (Puurs-Sint-Amands) and Eetcafe D’Akte (Lennik).
Strangest sight of the trip was undoubtably an open-air tango dancing class in the Veermarkt in Mechelen – only in Belgium … the next trip is planned for September.