Le Belge (locomotive)
First railway locomotive built in Belgium.
Built in 1835, the steam locomotive Le Belge was a 2-2-2 Patentee type with a tender. John Cockerill & Cie made it under license from Robert Stephenson & Co. It ran until 1869 and was Belgium’s first railway locomotive, also one of the first in Continental Europe.
Quick Facts
- Builder
- John Cockerill & Cie.
Facts from the source article.
Background
Belgium became independent after the Belgian Revolution of 1830. It was the second European country after Great Britain to enter the Industrial Revolution, with coal, steel, metalworking, and manufacturing along the sillon industriel, plus textile industries in Ghent and Verviers. However, independence brought economic dislocation due to the rupture with the United Netherlands and the Dutch blockade of the Scheldt, which cut off Antwerp's shipping. Liberals also saw railways as a means to forge a national identity. In 1834, a plan was approved for a line from Mons to Antwerp via Brussels, costing 150 million Belgian francs. The first stretch, between Schaerbeek (Brussels) and Mechelen, opened in May 1835 as the first steam passenger railway in Continental Europe.
Design and operation
The Belgian government ordered five 2-2-2 Patentee locomotives from Robert Stephenson & Co., named La Flèche, L'Eléphant, Stephenson, La Rapide, and L'Eclair, all built in Britain. George Stephenson travelled on the first train between Brussels and Mechelen. As the sixth locomotive, Le Belge was built under license by John Cockerill & Cie at its Seraing workshops and delivered on 30 December 1835. It measured 5.45 m long, weighed 11.75 MT, produced 41 horsepower, and could reach 60 km/h. It underwent modifications during its service life and was scrapped in 1869.
Replicas
The 1927 replica, created for King Albert I's factory visit, was restored and now resides at Brussels' Train World museum. A fourth replica, constructed entirely from wood by Vresse-sur-Semois locals, commemorated Belgium's 150th independence anniversary in 1980.
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