This is a typical Belgian IC train of recent years, the class AM96 number 511.
It looks like just a rake of coaches and it bears the German nickname "Gumminase", rubber face, but actually it is an
electric multiple unit. This one is photographed not in Belgium, but at the Luxembourg main station after having just arrived
from Bruxelles (Brüssel) as an IC/EC service.
Picture 19.7.2010 by Ilkka Siissalo.
Another class AM96 "rubberhead" train, here just arriving at the station of Namur. These rubberfront trains are a direct derivative
of the earlier Danish IC3 train type.
Picture from Namur 11.5.2002 by Ilkka Siissalo.
A class AM96 "rubberhead" train together with Sanna Siissalo, a Finnish train photographer, and her border terrier Tau.
Picture from Namur 11.5.2002 by Ilkka Siissalo.
A closer look at the front of a class AM96 "rubberhead" train.
Picture from Namur 11.5.2002 by Ilkka Siissalo.
The class 20 of SNCB was a six-axle Co'Co' locomotive built by BN and ACEC 1975-1977. Only 25 were made. It operated only on 3000V DC
and the top speed was 160 km/h. They were used often in front of express ervices, such as here heading an EuroCity Luxembourg to Bruxelles.
Picture from Luxembourg main station 19.7.2010 by Ilkka Siissalo.
A meeting of two SNCB class 20 locomotives with their EuroCity trains, one arriving from Bruxelles and one ready to depart there.
Picture from Luxembourg main station 19.7.2010 by Ilkka Siissalo.
A class 21 locomotive 2159 is exchanging locomotive personnel at the Liége station. This class, together with the classes 11,
12, 21 and 27 form together a locomotive family which used to be very common in Belgium, although is now rapidly being
decimated by frequent scrapping of locomotives. These machines of the class 21 were built 1985-87 and they run only under 3000V
DC. There used to be 60 of them in total.
Picture from Liége (Lüttich) station 18.7.2010 by Ilkka Siissalo.
A class 21 locomotive no. 2145 is here pulling a rake of empty class M4 regional train passenger coaches away from the Brussel Noord
station.
Picture 11.7.2011 by Johannes Erra.
This picture is taken through a window of a moving train and is therefore unfortunately of fairly lousy quality, but it shows a class 23
locomotive no. 2314 with some class M4 regional traffic push-pull train coaches. Sorry that we do not have any better pictures of a class 23 machine.
Class 23 was a series of locomotives built 1955 to 1957. 83 machines were built. Its maximum speed was 130 km/h. They were used both in passenger and
in cargo traffic until 2012. The machine had a modest power rating of only 1740 kW.
Picture from Gent Sint Pieters station 11.7.2011 by Johannes Erra.
A typical Belgian garco locomotive of today, a leased Br186 Traxx owned by Alpha Trains and in this case leased by the Belgian SNCB,
here hauling a cargo train from Antwerpen in Belgium towards Germany and photographed in Emmerich, on the German side of the border.
Picture 6.7.2010 by Ilkka Siissalo.
Another view of the Br 186 TRAXX 2 in Emmerich, on the German side of the border.
Picture 6.7.2010 by Ilkka Siissalo.
A third view of the Br 186 Traxx2 in Emmerich, on the German side of the border. These are multiple electric system machines,
capable of taking the train not only through the DC voltage of Belgium, but also through Germany and maybe Austria, to the
borders of Italy or Switzerland.
Photo from Emmerich, Germany 6.7.2010 by Ilkka Siissalo.
This locomotive is of the Belgian class 18. It is a type built by Siemens and it was an early precursor of the popular Vectron
locomotives. This one and the Portuguese class 4700 were the first locomotive types that got the new driver's cab which then
later was adopted also into the Vectron locomotives. SNCB ordered 60 locomotives of this type in 2006 and they entered commercial
service in 2011. Another batch of these was ordered in 2008, well before a single one of the first batch had been taken in use.
Officially these locomotives are called Siemens EuroSprinter ES60U3. It's not a Vectron. Inside it resembles much more locomotives
of the Taurus family. This is a passenger locomotive type and it is used mainly in local S-Bahn trains and Intercity trains. By the
way, the black panel on its side has no function, it is just a sticker folio, but it is mimicking the look of earlier Belgian
locomotives.
Picture from Brussels-Noord 21.4.2024 by Ilkka Siissalo.
This is a typical train powered by the class 18 locomotives and these were behind the locomotive shown in the previous picture.
These double decker coaches of the type M7 were built by Bombardier and Alstom. At the other end of the train is a driver's cab coach
so that the trains can operate in push-pull fashion. This individual train is longer than usual, it is running an Intercity service.
Picture from Brussels-Noord 21.4.2024 by Ilkka Siissalo.
Inside view from the upper deck of one of the new type M7 doubledecker coaches.
Picture from Brussels-Noord 21.4.2024 by Ilkka Siissalo.
The new M7 coaches are comfortable and have wide doors to get in into the train, but some passengers complain about the steeply rising stairs
to the upper deck. And there's a door right in front after climbing up the stairs, so that some elderly people have problems.
Picture from Brussels Zaventem airport station 21.4.2024 by Ilkka Siissalo.
A driver's cab coach or so called control car of an M7 train.
Picture from Zaventem Dorp station 21.4.2024 by Ilkka Siissalo.
Not all of the M7 double decker trains are being pushed or pulled by a locomotive. SNCB also has now these M7 Bmx motorised end cars which are
similar to the German class 445 motor cars, also built by Bombardier. Here we see the other end of the same train shown in the
picture above and this is a pushing motorised end wagon.
Picture from Zaventem Dorp station 21.4.2024 by Ilkka Siissalo.
Class 18 locomotive 1802 seen from its front. This individual locomotive 1802 was the very first one which Siemens delivered to SNCB
on 3.3.2009. However, the class entered commercial service only in autumn of 2011.
Picture from Brussels Zaventem airport station 21.4.2024 by Ilkka Siissalo.
This is a very old Belgian EMU of the class EM62 still in its old dark red livery,
seen here at the Oudenaarde station 18.7.2010. At this time it was fairly rare to see Belgian old EMUs still in the old
paintings.
Photo from Oudenaarde 18.7.2010 by Sanna Siissalo. The man in the picture is train photographer Ilkka Siissalo.
Another view of the same not yet renovated old class EM62 EMU.
Photo from Oudenaarde 18.7.2010 by Ilkka Siissalo.
Yet another view of the same not yet renovated old class EM62 EMU. Photo at
Oudenaarde station 18.7.2010 by Ilkka Siissalo.
Yet another class AM62 electric multiple unit still in old red livery. These machines have all been scrapped by now.
Picture from Brugge station in July 2011 by Johannes Erra.
Another class EM62 EMU, this time the no. 623, but this time renovated and
in the new painting scheme, also seen here at the Oudenaarde station 18.7.2010.
Photo by Ilkka Siissalo.
Another view of the modernised class EM62 EMU now showing its front.
In some other cases SNCB modernised these old EMUs so that only one of the original two front windows remained.
Photo from Oudenaarde station 18.72010 by Ilkka Siissalo.
Here is an example of an old class AM62 commuter EMU "with one eye shut".
This one has not received a thorough revamping as you can see from its old red painting scheme, yet one of the two
front windows is covered.
Picture from Liége station 18.7.2010 by Ilkka Siissalo.
A renovated AM62 unit with just one front window.
Picture from Namur station 11.5.2002 by Ilkka Siissalo.
A class 78 refurbished and repainted old commuter train looks pretty much like
the previous ones.
Picture at Liége station 18.7.2010 by Ilkka Siissalo.
A little newer, a class AM80 EMU stopping at Oudenaarde station.
Photo from Oudenaarde station 18.72010 by Ilkka Siissalo.
Another AM80 unit approaching the Oudenaarde station.
Photo from Oudenaarde station 18.72010 by Ilkka Siissalo.
As you can see, it is truly not a low-floor train. In addition to the height, many other details such as the "cow rail" at the front also suggest
rather a Russian/Soviet train than a Western European one.
Photo from Oudenaarde station 18.72010 by Ilkka Siissalo.
The same train seen from slightly higher up from the stairs
at Liége station 18.7.2010.
Picture by Ilkka Siissalo.
In 2024 these same, now already pretty old AM80 trains were still used in Intercity trains, typically in 3x AM80 = 9 coaches
compositions.
Picture from Brussels Gare du Midi 21.4.2024 by Ilkka Siissalo.
On Sunday 21.4.24 the so called airport train from downtown Brussels to Brussels Zaventem airport consisted of a train of three old
AM80 units in very poor condition. And they called this as an Intercity train.
Picture from Brussels Gare du Midi 21.4.2024 by Ilkka Siissalo.
Two SNCB class AM86 "Sprinter", also unofficially nicknamed as "Diver's mask",
units at Brussels Centraal. These trains were built by BN (La Brugeoise et Nivelles) and ACEC (Ateliers de
constructions électriques de Charleroi) in 1986 and they have been active especially in the regional train traffic
around Brussels.
Picture 6.9.2002 by Ilkka Siissalo.
This is class 08 of SNCB, a Siemens Desiro MainLine. SNCB bought in a single deal 305 trains of the type Desiro ML to replace several of
the old regional and S-Bahn trains shown above. It was the biggest train buying deal in the history of SNCB and it cost about 1,3 billion
euros. These Desiros are 3 coaches long EMU units intended for both S-Bahn style stopping train services as well as Intercity services.
They were built 2010 to 2015. Numbers 08001 to 08210 can run only with 3 kV DC, numbers 08501 to 08595 with both 25 kV AC and 3 kV DC.
Picture from the small station Zaventem Dorp close to Brussels 21.4.2024 by Ilkka Siissalo.
Another class 08 Desiro ML, this time running a short route stopping train service on line S2.
Picture from Brussels Centraal 21.4.2024 by Ilkka Siissalo.
In the 1970s and beginning of 1980s there was a European wide habit or rather a mania to paint
all buses, trains and trams orange throughout Europe. At least the express trains of Switzerland, Austria, Italy,
Belgium, Holland and France were all orange. This one may have been one of the last totally orange coloured
express trains. This rake consisted of only SNCB Belgian coaches, although it was led by a Luxemburgian locomotive.
Photo of an express train leaving towards Belgium from Luxembourg main station 12.6.2002 by Ilkka Siissalo.
A Belgian locomotive in the Netherlands. The Dutch NS and Belgian SNCB made a big mistake and ordered from the Italian
company AnsaldoBreda new bullet trains of the class V250. They were intended to link the Netherlands with Belgium with a
superfast and highly priced service called Fyra (Fyra means four in Swedish and the name refers to it linking four cities,
Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Antwerpen and Brussels.) But first the trains were severely late, causing NS and SNCB to try to find
alternative rolling stock to replace them. And finally the trains turned out to be of such lousy quality that it caused a major scandal
and they were returned to their builder. This is one of those Fyra replacement trains, consisting of older Dutch coaches but
with new red and white Fyra tapings and with a Belgian class BB1100 locomotive.
Picture from Schiphol airport underground train station 9.3.2009 by Ilkka Siissalo.
What was thought as an intermediary solution has become now the new normal. The current fast trains linking Brussels and Amsterdam consist
of old Dutch NS express train coaches with rented TRAXX locomotives at both ends. The coaches have lost their previous red and white "Fyra" colours
and the name Fyra has disappeared. And although these are old NS coaches in now again NS colours, they have both the Dutch NS and the Belgian SNCB
logos at their sides.
Picture from the train station of the Brussels Zaventem airport 21.4.2024 by Ilkka Siissalo.
One of the two TRAXX locomotives of the same train as above. These fast trains between Brussels and Amsterdam are now run in "sandwich style" with
one TRAXX E186 locomotive at both ends. The locomotives are now leased from Akiem, a train leasing company fully owned by the French state railways
SNCF, Earlier rented TRAXX machines from the company Alpha trains of Luxemburg were used. Although these E186 machines were built as cargo locomotives,
they are suitable for the task as they can run up to 160 km/h with these coaches and they are fitted with the ETCS systems so that they are allowed
also on the new high speed lines.
Picture from the train station of the Brussels Zaventem airport 21.4.2024 by Ilkka Siissalo.
