Since January, track work has resumed ahead of our next traffic season. Major projects are planned for this year, but we still need to maintain our 16 km of track. Worn wooden sleepers are being replaced with new ones. This operation is made easier by more favorable weather.

Our association deplores a new theft of equipment on its line in Dorinnes. During track work, the team was stunned to discover that the reserve wagon had been completely emptied, including spare parts and track maintenance equipment. This theft is particularly discouraging and distressing because the stolen equipment was intended for track work planned before the start of the season. This delay is therefore all the more regrettable as it risks impacting the schedule of other planned work. Although the market value of scrap metal is low, the loss in terms of spare parts is considerable, even inestimable. These parts,…

On September 18, the company Amberg Engineering came to carry out the scan of the Yvoir tunnel. This type of scan will allow us to have a 3D vision of the state of the tunnel. Thanks to the data collected, the non-profit organization will be able to estimate and evaluate the work to be carried out. This is a great moment for the non-profit organization because this invisible step will determine the schedule for future rehabilitation work on this tunnel, necessary before reaching the Yvoir station. https://be.linkedin.com/company/patrimoine-ferroviaire-et-tourisme-toerisme-en-spoorpatrimonium?trk=public_post_embed_feed-actor-name

As part of our line maintenance, we need to check our engineering structures and embankments. Given their age, special attention must be paid to them. We will have to top up some areas with earth, but before we can carry out this operation, we need to take measurements with a surveyor to assess the scope of the work. While this work is not urgent, it requires extensive preparation and foresight to avoid finding ourselves in a difficult situation at an unexpected moment. A few volunteers carry out the thankless task of clearing brush necessary for the measurements. This clearing is sometimes carried out in difficult areas. This invisible work is essential for...

After a long period of analysis and administrative work, preparatory work for the Yvoir tunnel studies began on August 16. Thanks to the tireless commitment of a team of volunteers and close collaboration with the Yvoir quarries, the site is now ready to welcome Swiss experts. They will implement innovative analysis techniques to assess the condition of the infrastructure and define a detailed work plan. This step marks a turning point in the restoration of this railway heritage. The results of these studies will help outline the contours of an ambitious project, which is part of a perspective of sustainable development and heritage enhancement…

The earthworks for track 2 at Bauche station were made easier by the creation of a guide lorry by one of our volunteers. Thanks to this clever setup, two volunteers (a crane operator and a dumper driver), supported by two other volunteers, were enough for this project. The guide lorry replaced the use of a laser or a sighting scope with a graduated pole and thus allowed the crane operator to concentrate on the earthworks, instead of regularly getting out of his cab to measure the depth of the earthworks. Since the platform had to be 30 cm higher than the top of the rail, it was important to earthwork the platform…

During the first half of August, work at Bauche station resumed. This important phase of the work consisted of preparing part of the future trackbed for track 2 to, among other things, allow access to the Bauche Yvoir quarries section with construction vehicles. Historically, Bauche station had been reverted to a single track and later still the former owner of the restaurant had built a terrace on the old tracks. In order to prepare the trackbed, we had to remove and move a very large quantity of excess cubic meters of backfill (earth, concrete, iron and metal). This was a surprise…