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Railways - Belgium: Illustrated History Books & Guides

Explore the best illustrated books on the history, locomotives and other rolling stock of the NMBS (Nationale Maatschappij der Belgische Spoorwegen).

Railways - Belgium: Illustrated History Books & Guides | Quick Select

Belgium's Unique Railway History
English | Mainline & Maritime
Les chemins de fer belges - Hier, aujourd'hui, demain
French | Racine
Chemins de fer, chemins croisés - Victor Horta / Henry Van de Velde
Dutch | Snoeck

Belgium's Unique Railway History

It is a little known facet of railway history that Belgium produced a number of world firsts, records and innovative railway engineers and entrepreneurs that is quite disproportionate to its size.
This book seeks to set the record straight, and give Belgium the place in railway history that its achievements deserve.

Product details

Author:	Ron Smith
Details:	48 pages, 11.6 x 8.25 in (29.5 x 21 cm), paperback
Illustrations:	illustrated
Language:	English
Publisher:	Mainline & Maritime Ltd (GB, 2021)
ISBN:	9781900340939

Belgium's Unique Railway History

Language: English

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Les chemins de fer belges - Hier, aujourd'hui, demain

A journey through the history and current events of Belgian railways, from 1835 to the present day, with a look to the future. The author describes the historical evolution of railways as a pillar of our mobility. He is also interested in their contributions to our economy and their interactions with our industries.
He highlights the significant transformations of our railways over the decades: the end of steam, the arrival of high speed and their all-round modernization in order to best fulfill the major role they will play in the sustainable mobility of tomorrow.
An encyclopedic and evolving panorama of Belgian railways. An essential reference book.

Product details

Author:	Louis Gillieaux
Details:	256 pages, 11 x 9 in (28 x 24 cm), hardback
Illustrations:	many b&w and color photos
Language:	French
Publisher:	Racine (B, 2017)
ISBN:	9789401448055

Les chemins de fer belges - Hier, aujourd'hui, demain

Language: French

Chemins de fer, chemins croisés - Victor Horta / Henry Van de Velde

In the first half of the 20th century, Victor Horta and Henry Van de Velde were Belgium's leading Art Nouveau architects. Both also worked for the Belgian railways. Horta spent over 30 years designing Brussels Central Station, though he did not live to see its completion. Using unique archival documents, this book traces the development and complex history of the project, which went through three different designs.
In the 1930s, the NMBS faced modernization. Henry Van de Velde was tasked with designing new passenger carriages and introducing innovations that improved travel comfort. He also contributed to the planning and construction of several stations in a distinctly modernist style.
This book was created under the auspices of Train World and accompanies the exhibition Dessine-moi un train. It was written by Art Nouveau specialists Françoise Aubry and Anne Van Loo.

Product details

Author:	Françoise Aubry, Anne Van Loo
Details:	194 pages, 11.2 x 9.7 x 0.94 in (28.5 x 24.5 x 2.4 cm), hardback
Illustrations:	many b&w and color photos
Language:	Dutch
Publisher:	Snoeck Publishers (B, 2024)
ISBN:	9789461618771