Winter 2023-2024 wasn’t one of the best. Understatement. It seems that this second half of March is finally getting a bit better. Therefore a small selection of recent dark photos, to prepare for the times when we get homesick for those short dark days. You’re welcome. Continue reading Are the dark days over?
Last year’s summer vacation was spent partly in the utmost south of France, in the canton of la Côte Vermeille. It was a family holiday so I didn’t spend too much time chasing trains, however on 2 mornings I got myself out of bed early enough to catch some interesting traffic. The region is splendid in many ways, so I consider this as only a … Continue reading Merveilles à la Côte Vermeille
Day 2 in Bulgaria. I can’t remember how we prepared for this trip, and maybe that’s the reason why we didn’t get to see so much. We started to check out action in Pirdop, destination of a copper train running from Olen, Belgium. We didn’t get to see the train, but saw a lot of parked imported locomotives. Old British Rail power was resting next … Continue reading Bludmilla!
Today the part of Belgium where I live saw some snow. That’s a rather rare thing, so after work I went out to shoot an evening rush hour train. Hoping for a vintage 21 series, but this new 18 series loco also worked well. 20 minutes delay was all that I needed to get it at the blue hour. The platforms of the station will … Continue reading Snowy opportunity
On the to-do list before the end of the year were the evening southbound trains originating from the Hauts-de-France region. It was a very special evening. Upon arrival it was still raining quite hard, and I had to wait some time in the car before being able to go out without getting soaked. During the set-up for the photos, lightning bolts were still shooting around … Continue reading Not so silent night
Medway’s Neuss to Antwerp container shuttle for mother company MSC was right on time to enjoy some early spring sunshine. A few more kilometers to go before it has reached its final destination, it passes through this rare rural lap of ground just north of Antwerp. Continue reading Yellow train in yellow light
Detours are a good means of making photos on lines where usually only few freights run. Seen here, a Transfennica train from Bayonne to Antwerp rerouted via Brugge. The locomotives will run arund here and continue the journey to Antwerp. Seen at Loppem on April 12, 2021. Continue reading Rural detour
Earlier attempts to shoot the famous French nez cassé locomotives on the IC trains between Paris and Maubeuge were rather frustrating, partly due to the very sparse number of trains. That is, until we discovered that there were also loco-hauled trains running between Paris and Saint-Quentin. It turns out you can fill quite a day south of Saint-Quentin chasing these trains, which my friend Eurorailer … Continue reading The hunt for nez cassés
A work day in France on June 6th was the perfect opportunity for me to stay a bit longer in this beautiful country. I wanted to go to Miraumont, of which I had seen many nice photos. The Miraumont spot was only good for 2 freights though, as I arrived a bit too late. I then set off to explore the region around Miraumont and … Continue reading Afterwork south of Arras
Car traffic to the port of Zeebrugge has been booming in recent months. Many car trains drive to and from the port 24 hours per day, operated by almost all freight operators present on Belgian rails. On one of the few dry days we’ve had in weeks, I ventured out into the fields to flash some trains. Besides a Railtraxx and a Crossrail train, I … Continue reading Empties under a starry sky
Railscapes 