SNCV Vicinal 1986. Courcelles to Gosselies

By 1986 just a remnant of the once vast Belgian Vicinal Tramway remained, centred on Charleroi south of Brussels. Nevertheless it contained much of the atmosphere of the whole network and on 8.9.86 I walked from Coucelles to Gosselies videoing trams along the way. A few other areas were then captured. If you like the idea of trams pushing their way through traffic in narrow village streets - on the wrong side of the road, then this is for you! You will also see some terrible tram driving habits.

[@vitavide]

My god, so many memories.
I lifed in Courcelles about 25 years.
I have 52 years old now but when i was young (10 years old), I was going to school in Gosselies (Athénée Royal "Les Marlaires") by tram for 3 years.
I was getting on the tram at Rue Winston Churchill 88 Courcelles
and I went down at the Calvaire Gosselies stop station.
Thank you very much for this video.

[@tressteleg1]

I’m happy that you enjoyed my video. My first visit to the Charleroi region was in 1975 and I returned a few times until 1992. I was absolutely enthralled by what was still running during those visits, at least until 1986. I was somewhat sad when the Vicinal flavour essentially finally disappeared in the transformation to Metro. You will find the rest of Charleroi videos below.
Europe UK Trams Trains Trolleybuses
ruclips.net/p/PLLtOIHp49XNC0_Yij1-K5sFXu_hAe5oZZ

[@patrickmany5606]

Merci pour ces souvenirs.

[@tressteleg1]

Mon grand plaisir!

[@DidierLahousse]

What an amazing film. Thanks you for all the back memories. I used to travel fro Courcelles to Gosselies via this tramway in the early 80ies.

[@tressteleg1]

Thanks. I was happy with the results of the few hours I put into making that one back in 1986 I think it was.

[@StarryStorm]

What a wonderful astonishing tram movie, Richard. Amazing that such traffic conditions existed, car drivers seemed to get used to this endearing little trams drving on the wrong side of the road... It's a pity the most of it has gone... Thank you so much for sharing!

[@tressteleg1]

+Freddy Soer
When the Sydney trams went, it was like losing a friend. Closure of the last authentic original Belgian Vicinal lines felt the same. Not so other closures. I still have a little more to post on Belgium.

[@tressteleg1]

+Freddy Soer
When the Sydney trams went, it was like losing a friend. Closure of the last authentic original Belgian Vicinal lines felt the same. Not so other closures. I still have a little more to post on Belgium.

[@FredHofman]

Amazing film, Richard, Thanks. You were able to capture the scene where S-types creep through the narrow streets of Fontaine. Also remarkable: the velocity of the cars on the poor quality track these last years.
The triangle at 3m10s looks like Gosselies, Place Albert 1 where the tram turned from Rue Calvaire into Rue Vandervelde. The 3rd leg led into Faubourg de Bruxelles, a route recently reinstated (one way only) as Métro M3.

[@billjohnson1809]

Very interresting video and comments :) Do you have any videos of Arlon or the province du Luxembourg in general?.Or maybe old videos of Luxembourg. Greating from Luxembourg.Tom :)

[@tressteleg1]

Sorry Tom, they must have gone before my first visit in mid 1975. The only Vicinal was Wemmel and Grimbergen in Bruxelles, the Coast line and some of Charleroi. I have yet to publish the film from 1975.

[@billjohnson1809]

tressteleg1 thank you anyway :)