Beverloo Camp Railway

Beverloo Camp Railway
Decauville railway station at Beverloo Camp, 1920s Route of the main line, as shown on a 1970s map
Technical
Line length	115 km (71 mi)
Track gauge	600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Route map Beverloo Camp 1879-1940 Military railway station 1879-1940 Leopoldsburg 1914-1940 Leopoldsburg station on standard gauge line

The Beverloo Camp Railway was a 115 km (71 mi) long 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in) gauge railway line in Beverloo Camp near Leopoldsburg in Belgium, which was operated from 1879 to 1940.

History

The first section of track was laid in 1879 by Paul Decauville. It was extended to Leopoldsburg Station, on the standard gauge railway, in 1914.

The track was lifted on 10 May 1940 by Lieutenant Jeunehomme of the 3rd Compagnie and his troops, because of the German invasion during World War II.

Route

The network was in total 115 km long including all the tracks throughout old Beverloo Camp. They went to the barracks, but also to the buildings outside the Infantry or Cavalry Barracks (military bakery, military butchery, military hospital etc) and to the firing range, which was located several kilometers away from the barracks.

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  Military railway station
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  Military butchery
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  Military bakery
• 
  Actors and soldiers with a mock-up train, 1899

Rolling stock

Carriages

Initially horse-drawn, eight-wheeled Decauville bogie carriages were used.

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  Barracks
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  Transport services
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  Food transport

Steam locomotives

Later Borsig steam locomotives were used:

Name	Type	Manufacturer	Operator	Image
Anna	0-4-4-0	Borsig	RCF
Cecile	0-4-4-0	Borsig	RCF
Henriette	0-4-4-0	Borsig	RCF
	0-4-4-0	Borsig

Troup transport

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  Troup transport
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  Embarkment of the troops
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  Military railway station
• 
  Embarkment of the troops
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  Troop transport

External links

• Photos