The Beverloo Camp Railway was a long gauge railway line in

Beverloo Camp Beverloo Camp (, ) was a military installation at Leopoldsburg (Bourg-Léopold in French), Belgium; 70 km southeast of Antwerp. The camp was created in 1835, shortly after the Belgian Revolution, independence of Belgium from the Netherlands. ...

near

Leopoldsburg Leopoldsburg (; ; ) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg. On January 1, 2006, Leopoldsburg had a total population of 14,403. The total area is which gives a population density Population density (in agriculture: Stand ...

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

, which was operated from 1879 to 1940.

History

The first section of track was laid in 1879 by

Paul Decauville Paul Decauville (; 7 June 1846–1922) was a French engineer and businessman. He was also mayor of Evry-Petit Bourg and senator from Seine-et-Oise. He is the founder of a manufacturing company that bears his name ( Decauville, established in 187 ...

. 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 World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

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. Camp de Beverloo - Le Gare militaire.jpg, Military railway station Kamp van Beverloo, Krijgsslachterij.jpg, Military butchery Kamp van Beverloo, Bakkerij.jpg, Military bakery Camp de Beverloo - Periode de 1899 - Gotthold-Bajart - Phot. Bourg-Leopold.jpg, Actors and soldiers with a mock-up train, 1899

Rolling stock

Carriages

Initially horse-drawn, eight-wheeled

Decauville Decauville () was a manufacturing company which was founded by Paul Decauville (1846–1922), a French pioneer in industrial railways. Decauville's major innovation was the use of ready-made sections of light, narrow-gauge track fastened to st ...

bogie carriages were used. Camp de Beverloo - Chausee d'Hechtel - Casernes des Soldats (Ph. Mahieu, phot, Bourg-Leopold).jpg, Barracks Camp de Beverloo - Service des transports.jpg, Transport services Camp de Beverloo - Transport de Vivres (Desire Gotthold).jpg, Food transport

Steam locomotives

Later

Borsig Borsig is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * (1867–1897), German entrepreneur * August Borsig (1804–1854), German businessman * Conrad von Borsig (1873–1945), German mechanical engineer * Ernst Borsig (1869–1933) ...

steam locomotives were used:

Troup transport

Camp de Beverloo - Detachment A 86.jpg, Troup transport Camp de Beverloo - Embarquement de la Troupe pir le tir.jpg, Embarkment of the troops Camp de Beverloo - La Station militaire.jpg, Military railway station Camp de Beverloo - L'Embarquement des troupes.jpg, Embarkment of the troops Camp de Beverloo - Transport des troupes.jpg, Troop transport

References

Patrick Marquenie
''History: Evolution of the Cavalry Camp.''
''Fotografie-Versorgungsmaterial-Zug. 1899-Militär, Komiker, Sepia. Lager von Beverloo. Leopoldsburg. Militärlager. Officier. Belgique.''
/ref> Joerg Seidel
Camp de Beverloo.
/ref> ''De Achttiendaagse Veldtocht. Het Belgische verhaal van mei 1940, eenheid per eenheid: Regiment Spoorwegtroepen.''
/ref> Roger Decoster

External links

Photos
{{coord, 51.12237, 5.26509, region:BE_type:landmark, display=title Decauville Railway lines in Flanders Railway lines opened in 1879 Railway lines closed in 1940