Belgium: Project Zone 01

Friday 1 June 1990 – NMVB (Nationale Maatschappij van Buurtspoorwegen) 4196 (0130 P) seen in Nekkerspoelstraat, Mechelen. It is a Fiat engined Van Hool 409 AI 6 integral new in September 1974. It wears the standard NMVB livery unlike 5079 (0325 P) in the background which carries the colourful livery of the Mechelen town network branded ‘Die Mechelbus’. That is a Cummins engined Van Hool AU124 integral new in December 1976.

Friday 1 June 1990 – NMVB (Nationale Maatschappij van Buurtspoorwegen) 4202 (0643 P) seen stuck in the busy afternoon traffic in Lakermakensstraat, Mechelen with a full standing load of passengers wanting to get home at the end of their week. It is a DAF powered Van Hool AI114 integral new in October 1974 which had a capacity for 92 passengers (44 seated and 48 standing). Not the best of photos which I took from the car whilst passing by in Nekkerspoelstraat so I was unable to get further back to fit the whole bus in the frame.

Friday 1 June 1990 – In addition to operating its own vehicles NMVB (Nationale Maatschappij van Buurtspoorwegen), the national bus and tramway company of northern Belgium, employed numerous contractors whose vehicles carried six digit fleet numbers – the first four being the NMVB contract number and the remaining two the operators own fleet number. The two buses in this photograph, which was taken from the passenger seat of a British right-hand drive car, were operated by contracted companies. We were about to draw up behind 954138 (CPS 893), a LAG BC21 Odyssee bodied DAF MB200 new in March 1977, operated by De Decker-Van Riet. Heading towards the camera is a nice looking bus which I have not identified although I wonder if it is a Bus & Car Eagle 14. Is it NV Nuyens 158135 (DRZ 225)? I have to be vague regarding the location but it would be somewhere near Puurs on the N16 road

Friday 1 June 1990 – NMVB (Nationale Maatschappij van Buurtspoorwegen) 5079 (0325 P) seen in Nekkerspoelstraat, Mechelen. It carries the colourful livery of the Mechelen town network branded ‘Die Mechelbus’. In the mid 1970s added 115 short length Van Hool AU124 buses to its fleet to operate local services in various towns and cities. They were 10.25 metres long with seating for 29 plus a capacity for a further 44 standees and were delivered in three batches 4475-4499 (40), 4825-4864 (50) and 5040-5089 (50).

Monday 25 March 1996 - De Lijn (Vlaamse Vervoersmaatschappij De Lijn) 3245 (1748 P), a Mercedes-Benz O 609D with Denolf & Depla bodywork/conversion new around November 1995, seen in the village of Beveren IJzer when operating a ‘Belbus’ service. ‘Belbus’ is a network of smaller bus services serving the rural communities on a ‘dial a ride’ principle. Beveren-IJzer was also served by a full sized bus service (744) but that was really only related to school/commuter timed journeys. For commuters there was one morning and one evening trip to/from Poperinge and Ieper plus a morning school timed journey to Poperinge only. Because certain Belgian schools close at lunchtime on Wednesdays there were also lunchtime trips that day in each direction. De Lijn was created in 1991 from the northern part of NMVB (Nationale Maatschappij van Buurtspoorwegen). My Austin Montego is parked in the background of the photograph.

Monday 25 March 1996 - De Lijn (Vlaamse Vervoersmaatschappij De Lijn) 3245 (1748 P), a Mercedes-Benz O 609D with Denolf & Depla bodywork/conversion new around November 1995, seen in the village of Beveren IJzer when operating a ‘Belbus’ service. ‘Belbus’ is a network of smaller bus services serving the rural communities on a ‘dial a ride’ principle. Beveren-IJzer was also served by a full sized bus service (744) but that was really only related to school/commuter timed journeys. For commuters there was one morning and one evening trip to/from Poperinge and Ieper plus a morning school timed journey to Poperinge only. Because certain Belgian schools close at lunchtime on Wednesdays there were also lunchtime trips that day in each direction. De Lijn was created in 1991 from the northern part of NMVB (Nationale Maatschappij van Buurtspoorwegen). I was spotted taking these photographs by an old farmer gentleman who lived in a cottage across the road. He invited me into his yard to look at his horse of which he was most proud.

Monday 1 February 1993 (0959) – De Lijn 2106 (1976 P) seen in Guldenstraat, Mechelen nearing the end of its trip as he 0845 service 50 from Antwerp. It was a DAF powered Van Hool AG280/3 articulated model new to NMVB in January 1986. De Lijn (Vlaamse Vervoersmaatschappij De Lijn) was created in 1991 from the northern part of NMVB (Nationale Maatschappij van Buurtspoorwegen).

Monday 1 February 1993 (approx. 1040) – De Lijn (Vlaamse Vervoersmaatschappij De Lijn) was created in 1991 from the northern part of NMVB (Nationale Maatschappij van Buurtspoorwegen). In addition to operating its own vehicles both NMVB and De Lijn have employed numerous outside companies as contractors. In this photograph taken at Mechelen the bus on the left is De Lijn’s own 2186 (0555 P), a DAF powered Van Hool AG280/4 articulated model new to NMVB in June 1988, which carried the final NMVB livery. The destination blind features an abbreviated form for the village of ‘Onze Lieve Vrouw Waver’. Onze Lieve Vrouw is the Flemish for ‘Our Lady’ in this predominantly Roman Catholic area. The bus on the right is 151178 (987 P9) in the fleet of a De Lijn contractor Deba-Mebo. It is a Gardner engined Pegaso with a Van Hool bodywork new in May 1976. The livery is an earlier NMVB layout. Buses of contractors carry six digit fleet numbers – the first four are the De Lijn contract number and the remaining two are the operators own fleet number.

Monday 1 February 1993 – De Lijn 2187 (1985 P) seen in Bruul one of Mechelen’s town centre shopping streets working service 53 to or from Tremelo where I believe this bus was based. It was a DAF powered Van Hool AG280/4 articulated model new to NMVB in June 1988 that carried the final NMVB livery. De Lijn (Vlaamse Vervoersmaatschappij De Lijn) was created in 1991 from the northern part of NMVB (Nationale Maatschappij van Buurtspoorwegen). The bus behind is one of the 115 short length Van Hool AU124 buses added to the NMVB fleet to operate local services in various towns and cities. It carries a colourful livery for the Mechelen town network branded ‘Die Mechelbus’.

Monday 1 February 1993 (approx. 1200) – The temperature was just around freezing when I called at the De Lijn garage in Heist-op-den-Berg. These three buses were connected to air lines and possibly heating cables to keep them readily available for service. On the left is 2188 (0842 P), a DAF powered Van Hool articulated new to NMVB in July 1988, in De Lijn livery and on the right is 2170, a Jonckheere Trans City bodied Volvo B10MA-55 articulated that had been new to NMVB in October 1988, in the final NMVB livery (A third bus was parked by the side of 2170 and was 5927 (1576 P), a Van Hool A120/31 new to NMVB in March 1982, in the penultimate NMVB livery. I believe the property had its origins with De Lijn’s predecessor NMVB (Nationale Maatschappij van Buurtspoorwegen) and is accessed via Halfstraat. The mainline railway runs across the background of the photograph. The national bus and tram company of Belgium was formally titled Nationale Maatschappij van Buurtspoorwegen (NMVB) in Flemish and Société nationale des chemins de fer vicinaux (SNCV) in French.

Monday 1 February 1993 (approx. 1200) – The temperature was just around freezing when I called at the De Lijn garage in Heist-op-den-Berg. These three buses were connected to air lines and possibly heating cables to keep them readily available for service. Left to right they are 2188 (0842 P), a DAF powered Van Hool articulated new to NMVB in July 1988, in De Lijn livery 2170 (1918 P), a Jonckheere Trans City bodied Volvo B10MA-55 articulated that had been new to NMVB in October 1988, in the final NMVB livery 5927 (1576 P), a Van Hool A120/31 new to NMVB in March 1982, in the penultimate NMVB livery I believe the property had its origins with De Lijn’s predecessor NMVB (Nationale Maatschappij van Buurtspoorwegen) and is accessed via Halfstraat. The mainline railway runs across the background of the photograph . The national bus and tram company of Belgium was formally titled Nationale Maatschappij van Buurtspoorwegen (NMVB) in Flemish and Société nationale des chemins de fer vicinaux (SNCV) in French.

Wednesday 7 August 1996 – De Lijn (Vlaamse Vervoersmaatschappij De Lijn) buses at the garage in De Panne (Belgium). De Lijn was created in 1991 from the northern part of NMVB (Nationale Maatschappij van Buurtspoorwegen). In the doorway were 2431 (HVB 001), a Van Hool A600 new in November 1990 now carrying De Lijn livery and 5884 (ETE 012), a Van Hool A120 new in January 1982 that remained in an older version of the NMVB livery.Both had been new to NMVB. De Panne is at the westernmost end of the coastal tramway line and was the base for both buses and trams. This garage was located alongside the road named Loskaai and accessed from Koninklijke Baan. It was subsequently replaced with a new modern parking facility for the buses and trams adjacent to De Panne mainline railway station (about 3km south of the town centre and closer to Adinkerke than De Panne in reality). The original tramway service between De Panne and Adinkerke opened in 1932 but was replaced with buses in September 1954. De Lijn re-established a tramway link in July 1998 and, in addition to the new depot, the line also serves the railway station, a theme park and a park and ride site.

Monday 1 February 1993 – De Lijn 4488 (ABB 332) seen crossing the Dijle river bridge between Vijfhoek and Bruul in Mechelen working a town local service. In the mid 1970s NMVB, the predecessor to De Lijn, added 115 of these short length Van Hool AU124 buses to its fleet to operate local services in various towns and cities. They were 10.25 metres long with seating for 29 plus a capacity for a further 44 standees and were delivered in three batches 4475-4499 (40), 4825-4864 (50) and 5040-5089 (50).

Monday 1 February 1993 (1510) – De Lijn 4492 (ABB 336) seen in Bruul one of Mechelen’s town centre shopping streets. The town network was branded ‘Die Mechelbus’ and the buses carried a colourful livery. In the mid 1970s NMVB, the predecessor to De Lijn, added 115 short length Van Hool AU124 buses to its fleet to operate local services in various towns and cities. They were 10.25 metres long with seating for 29 plus a capacity for a further 44 standees and were delivered in three batches 4475-4499 (40), 4825-4864 (50) and 5040-5089 (50).

Monday 1 February 1993 – De Lijn 4495 (ABB 339) seen at work on Mechelen town service 3. In the mid 1970s NMVB, the predecessor to De Lijn, added 115 short length Van Hool AU124 buses to its fleet to operate local services in various towns and cities. They were 10.25 metres long with seating for 29 plus a capacity for a further 44 standees and were delivered in three batches 4475-4499 (40), 4825-4864 (50) and 5040-5089 (50). 4495 was seen in IJzerenleen one of Mechelen’s town centre shopping streets. The town network was branded ‘Die Mechelbus’ and the buses carried a colourful livery. The building in the background is Het Oud-Schepenhuis (‘The House of the Alderman’) which housed the first courthouse of Charles V‘s Grand Council in the 16th century. I had been waiting around for a few minutes for this bus to arrive listening to (but not understanding) the chatter and banter of the two men and the lady that were waiting to take this bus.

Monday 1 February 1993 – De Lijn 4495 (ABB 339) seen at work on Mechelen town service 3. In the mid 1970s NMVB, the predecessor to De Lijn, added 115 short length Van Hool AU124 buses to its fleet to operate local services in various towns and cities. They were 10.25 metres long with seating for 29 plus a capacity for a further 44 standees and were delivered in three batches 4475-4499 (40), 4825-4864 (50) and 5040-5089 (50). 4495 was seen in Bruul one of Mechelen’s town centre shopping streets. The town network was branded ‘Die Mechelbus’ and the buses carried a colourful livery.

Monday 1 February 1993 – De Lijn 4495 (ABB 339) seen in IJzerenleen one of Mechelen’s town centre shopping streets. The Mechelen town network was branded ‘Die Mechelbus’ and the buses carried a colourful livery. In the mid 1970s NMVB, the predecessor to De Lijn, added 115 short length Van Hool AU124 buses to its fleet to operate local services in various towns and cities. They were 10.25 metres long with seating for 29 plus a capacity for a further 44 standees and were delivered in three batches 4475-4499 (40), 4825-4864 (50) and 5040-5089 (50).

Monday 1 February 1993 (approx. 1445) – De Lijn 4499 (ABB 343) seen parked near Mechelen railway station. In the mid 1970s NMVB, the predecessor to De Lijn, added 115 short length Van Hool AU124 buses to its fleet to operate local services in various towns and cities. They were 10.25 metres long with seating for 29 plus a capacity for a further 44 standees and were delivered in three batches 4475-4499 (40), 4825-4864 (50) and 5040-5089 (50). The Mechelen town network was branded ‘Die Mechelbus’ and the buses carried a colourful livery.