The Soignes Forest Railway was a Belgian type

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 ...

railway, which has disappeared since its closing in 1918.

History

Put into service in 1902, this railway linked the Petite-Espinette in the Brussels municipality of

Uccle Uccle (French language, French, ) or Ukkel (Dutch language, Dutch, ) is one of the List of municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located in the southern part of the region, it ...

(at the limit of Rhode-Saint-Genèse), then served by the old line to

Waterloo Waterloo most commonly refers to: * Battle of Waterloo, 1815 battle where Napoleon's French army was defeated by Anglo-allied and Prussian forces * Waterloo, Belgium Waterloo may also refer to: Other places Australia * Waterloo, New South Wale ...

of the Brussels tram, to

Boitsfort railway station Boitsfort railway station () or Bosvoorde railway station () is a railway station in the municipality of Watermael-Boitsfort in Brussels, Belgium, operated by the National Railway Company of Belgium (NMBS/SNCB). It lies on line 161, between W ...

, on the Brussels–Namur–Luxembourg railway line. Established in the

Sonian Forest The Sonian Forest or Sonian Wood (, ; , ) is a forest at the south-eastern edge of Brussels, Belgium. It is connected to the Bois de la Cambre, Bois de la Cambre/Ter Kamerenbos, an urban public park which enters the city up to from the Pentag ...

, the line was long. After the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, it was abandoned for reasons of unprofitability. This railway line transported

gravel Gravel () is a loose aggregation of rock fragments. Gravel occurs naturally on Earth as a result of sedimentation, sedimentary and erosion, erosive geological processes; it is also produced in large quantities commercially as crushed stone. Gr ...

ling materials for the laying of forest paths, and was also used to transport wood.

Location

Starting from the beginning of the Drève Saint-Hubert, the railway crossed the Drève de Lorraine and then ran along a large part of the Drève des Deux Montagnes.

Gallery

The railway

File:Neolothische site 'Bosvoorde-Vijvers' aan de Twee Bergenlaan in Watermaal-Bosvoorde. Gedeeltelijk zicht op de grachten en aarden wallen van het Decauville-veldspoor in het Zoniënwoud.jpg, The railway before 1920 (

Chemin des Deux Montagnes Chemin or Le Chemin may refer to: Arts and media * ''Le Chemin'' (Emmanuel Moire album), 2013 album by French singer Emmanuel Moire * ''Le Chemin'' (Kyo album), 2003 album by French band Kyo ** "Le Chemin" (song), title song from same-titled Kyo a ...

) File:Wagon du Rail en Soignes.jpg,

Decauville wagon 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 stee ...

open wagon An open wagon (or truck in the UK) forms a large group of railway goods wagons designed primarily for the transportation of bulk goods that are not moisture-retentive and can usually be tipped, dumped or shovelled. The International Union ...

used at the time

The shed

The shed, built in 1902 like the line,The hangar is located at the coordinates: (taken from ). was renovated in 2003. Having served as a shed for the

rolling stock The term rolling stock in the rail transport industry refers to railway vehicles, including both powered and unpowered vehicles: for example, locomotives, Railroad car#Freight cars, freight and Passenger railroad car, passenger cars (or coaches) ...

, it is the only remnant of the old railway. In the , this building served as a storage facility and shelter for foresters. Hangar du Rail en Soignes.jpg, Shed in the

Hangar du Rail en Soignes2.jpg, Traces of the three old rolling stock access gates Hangar du Rail en Soignes4.jpg, Entrance for

bats Bats are flying mammals of the order Chiroptera (). With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most birds, flying with their very long spread-out ...

, fitted into the roof

References

{{Reflist Minimum-gauge railways

Literature

* Stéphane Vanwijnsberghe und Jean-Christophe Prignon
''Beheerplan voor het Brussels gedeelte van het Zoniënwoud. Boek III. Beheerplannen voor de archeologische sites, natuurreservaten en bosreservaten.''
* Stéphane Vanwijnsberghe und Jean-Christophe Prignon
''Plan de gestion de la Forêt de Soignes bruxelloise. Livre III. Plans de gestion des réserves archéologiques, naturelles et forestières.''
* Bart Vanmontfort, Els Meirsman und Roger Langohr
''Archeologische evaluatie van de neolothische site (Bosvoorde-Vijvers) Twee Bergenlaan in Watermaal-Bosvoorde.''