The Chemin de fer à vapeur des Trois Vallées () is a heritage railway in southern Belgium, created in 1973.

It is a non-profit society that operates a railway from the town of Mariembourg, near Couvin to Treignes, near Viroinval. The length of the railway runs about over standard gauge track. The society's name comes from the three rivers followed by the line; , , and . The heritage railway connects with the greater Belgian rail network in Mariembourg.

The society runs two main facilities. The society has constructed its own platforms near the old locomotive roundhouse and water tower in Mariembourg, and in Treignes, a former border station, a museum with a large workshop has been built. The last from the line (partially established in France) are no longer usable, as its tunnel has been sold and turned in a mushroom growing plant.

Founded by former rail employees, the society purchased many steam engines from the largely nascent coal industry in its early years. Since then, it has also acquired representative rolling stocks from Belgium and neighbouring countries, France and Luxembourg, and from countries where steam locomotives were still in use, such as Poland and East Germany.

Rolling stock

Steam locomotives

Operational Original RailwayNumber and nameType or ClassBuilderWorksNumberBuiltWheelsNotesImage Teutoburger Wald-Eisenbahn 158 ELNA Henschel & Son 24917 1940 Purchased from Stoomtrein Goes - Borsele. Deutsche Reichsbahn 64 250 DRG Class 64 Henschel & Son 22178 1933 André Dumont (Waterschei) (coal mine) AD05 Ateliers métallurgiques, Tubize 2007 1926 Restored in 2009. André Dumont (Waterschei) (coal mine) AD09 Ateliers de construction de La Meuse 4672 1951 Neuenkirche Hütte NE61André CHAPELON SACM, Graffenstaden 8099 1952 SA01 Anglo-Franco-Belge 2596 1945 Acquired operational in 1978. Firebox replaced in 2008–2010.

Under reconstruction

Original RailwayNumber and nameType or ClassBuilderWorksNumberBuiltWheelsNotesImage Deutsche Reichsbahn DR 50 3696-7 DRB Class 50 Krupp 2059 1939 PKP TKt48-87 TKt 48 Cegielski 1848 1952 Restored in 2005 in fantasy blue livery. SA SA03 Ateliers métallurgiques, Tubize 2002 1929 Restored in 2014 SNCV 808 Société Saint Léonard, Liège 941 1894 Restored in 2007 Heuze – Malevez – Simon, Auvelais DG22 Type III Cockerill 2851 1913 Small shunter with vertical boiler. Acquired operational in 1980. Monceau-Fontaine coal mine MF32 Haine Saint Pierre 792 1904 Acquired in 1976. Under reconstruction.

Stored, cosmetic condition

Original RailwayNumber and nameType or ClassBuilderWorksNumberBuiltWheelsNotesImage Deutsche Reichsbahn DR 52-46752 8200-9 DRB Class 52 (ex DR Class 52.80) Borsig 15564 1942 Reko-lok retrofitted to its original type in 2004. Monceau-Fontaine coal mine MF73 Usines Metallurgiques du Hainaut, Couillet 1756 1922 Acquired operational in 1975. Monceau-Fontaine coal mine MF91 Usines Metallurgiques du Hainaut, Couillet 1834 1930 Acquired operational in 1975. This engine has hauled the first train of the CFV3V. Pieux Franki, Liège PF84 La Meuse 3398 1932 Displayed as monument in Mariembourg. Monceau-Fontaine coal mine MF33 Haine Saint Pierre 1204 1911 Acquired operational in 1976. Sold in 2013 to National Railway Company of Belgium for Train World.

In storage, needing restoration ÖBB 52-3314 (oOOOOO): built by Jung in 1944. SA02 (0-6-0T): built by Anglo-Franco-Belge. Rusted and in bad technical condition. may be used for didactical purpose. MF62 (0-4-0T): built by Baldwin, Philadelphia in 1916 for the US Transportation Corp. Former SNCB type 50. n° 1 (0-4-0T) Clabecq. Rusted. Acquired in 2003.

A few other locomotives from the National Railway Company of Belgium are display at Treignes Museum.

Diesel locomotive

Operational SNCB 5120 (Co'Co'), built by Cockerill (Liège) in 1961. Green painting scheme. SNCB 6086 (Bo'Bo'), built by Cockerill (Liège) in 1964. Yellow painting scheme. SNCB 7304 (C), built by BN in 1965. SNCB 9008 (B), built by Cockerill (Liège) in 1964. Fina 1 (B), built by Hunslet, Leeds in 1983. used to be operated at FINA's oil refinery, Antwerp. Fina 2 (B), built by Cockerill (Liège) in 1963. VL02-1 and VL02-2 B, built by Cockerill (Liège) for Dolomies de Marche les Dames. Repainted in the Class 77 painting scheme (as the two similar units from SNCB's Ostend depot) SNCF 63123 (Bo'Bo'), built by Brissonneau et Lotz in 1956. Repainted as CFL BB 914 (previously in Swiss' CFF Em 4/41123) SNCF 63149 (Bo'Bo'), built by Brissonneau et Lotz in 1956. In SNCF's original green painting scheme. SNCF Y 5130 (B), built by De Dietrich, Reichshoffen in 1964. SNCF Y 6502 (B), 1957.

In storage, needing restoration GV69 (B), built by ABR (Ateliers Belges Réunis), Familleureux in 1964 FDP1 (B), built by Klöckner Humboldt Deutz, Köln in 1956 for Frateur - De Pourcq, railway infrastructure company in Boom (Belgium).

Diesel railcar SNCB 4407 built by Ateliers Germain, Monceau-sur-Sambre in 1954, SNCB 4510 SNCB 4608, 4610, 4611 et 4616 built by the works in Mechelen in 1952, SNCF X3998 "Picasso", CFL 211 built by Westwaggon (Köln-Deutz), 1956. Mindener Kreisbahnen VT3, built by Talbot Aachen Waggonfabrik in 1953 for Mindener Kreisbahn (local railways of Minden, Germany). Numbered 550.09.

References

External links Official website