The Beverloo Camp Railway was a long gauge railway line in

Beverloo Camp Beverloo Camp (french: Camp de Beverloo, nl, Kamp van Beverloo) 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 independence of Be ...

near

Leopoldsburg Leopoldsburg (; french: Bourg-Léopold, ; li, Leopolsbörch) 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 22.49 km² (8.68 sq mi) which ...

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

, which was operated from 1879 to 1940.

History

The first section of track was laid in 1879 by

Paul Decauville Paul Decauville (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 1875), prod ...

. 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, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

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 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 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

/ref>

External links

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