Time Travel by Train: Namur to Liège on a Vintage 1973 SNCB Classique!

[@SimplyRailway]

My bad! It’s not the AM75 Break but the « pig nose » ! The « break » is the AM80 😅

[@besjfo8292]

@Jaxon Ancona they have donne à video about this train on their channel

[@checked_cheese]

How is it a Pig nose?

[@petercameleon356]

@@besjfo8292 AM 75 EMU with four coach, the EMU who run between Antwerpen and Rosendael

[@stf2222]

Honestly i am from belgium but flanders and i don't see them on my local line. I really miss those old ones. they are to me at least a lot more comfy than the ones that replace them. makes me nostalgic seeing this even tho i'm not old XD

[@MozzaBurger88]

"Pig nose" or "quadruples" ou "800" for their serial numbers. :)

[@GeekVincent]

As a Belgian myself, I have a lot of great memories as a kid riding the SNCB fleet (70s-90s stock) in their retro dark red livery. It gives me warm feelings of nostalgia seeing these trains, I like how they recently refurbished some other models to prolong their lifespan. I hate the graffiti tags tho, SNCB should really find a solution for that. I’m going to miss those trains when they’re gone, especially legacy models by now defunct companies like this one (La Brugeoise et Nivelles). However as much as I will miss them it’s time for some of these trains to go a SNCB museum. I live in a small town myself, which is inside of a rural area and we almost only get old trains here, like a MS75 (pig nose) also from BN. While I absolutely love these legacy models, I do not like to sit in them in a long trip when it’s summer 30-40 degrees without AC. Or if they break down, I mean they’re becoming old give them a break. Btw I wish you ever come across an M5 coach for a review, original or refurbished. Or the MS86, I love that little goggle front especially in the original red livery.

[@tonguepiercing]

For those who need a more rapid or modern connection between Namur and Liege, there is also an intercity with much less stops.

[@5mnz7fg]

This train is really a time machine. And the acceleration sound is so wonderful! It resembles the now sadly extinct sound of the old S-Bahn (Stadtbahn = city rail) stock of Berlin... As for the soap powder: Yes of course, it was common in all German trains until the introduction of the ICE trains. I still can easily recall the smell of that powder, the feeling on the hands, and the cracking sound of the dispenser. They looked exactly like those in this Belgian train. Maybe it was even the same manufacturer. ^_^

[@benklomp4616]

I've always liked the doors of these EMU's.

[@plegrain]

and the little handle to open the doors ;)

[@jropeways]

Wow, I never knew that opening the door to the first class, transformed the train into an I10! XD Great video! keep it up!

[@wangxg00]

This kind of train (I am not sure whether the same type) was also used between Aachen and Liege, depart always at platform 9 of Aachen. I took that train between Aachen and Liege many times when I worked in Leuven 15 years ago and went to Aachen to meeting friends during weekends. The sound of brake releasing and door closing is unique, as well as the acceleration whining sound. Good to see that this kind of trains still exist nowadays. BTW, the route along the Meuse river valley between Namur and Liege is quite beautiful, and was also very important in Belgian history for industrialization.

[@frhypeforfreedom]

they are still operating between Aachen and Spa Géronstere :-)

[@tonguepiercing]

These historical trains have remarkably many fans, just before they will forever disappear. Their ride quality has not been bad at all, and they have a great seating comfort in first class. But they are really really outdated, both for passengers and for drivers. The idea was to get rid of them a while ago, but the arrival of the new double deck trains being delayed, the ‘classics’ remained in service a bit longer. On some lines the ‘new’ trains are the Siemens Desiro, in a not that comfortable version the Belgian railways did choose. For those of us Belgians who travelled by train in the 70s, 80s and 90s, these classical trains were the main offer except for the intercity lines. I have indeed good memories of these days. One of the sometimes overlooked aspect was that they did usually have a … very good heating even on the coldest days.

[@JaapFilius]

In the past I travelled a lot in Belgium by train (these AM73 were not refurbished back than). Although the 2nd Class was never very comfortable with their 3+2 seating configuration I always liked the very smooth ride of almost every train, even when track conditions were not at their best.

[@hubm4753]

Quite funny to see "Marche-les-Dames", I live on the heights and sometimes take the train in this peaceful little station. Love your channel!

[@ananas8427]

Beau train cityrail am75 Namur Liège très belle ligne de train beau modèle merci beaucoup pour cette belle vidéo 😍

[@kristofkellens3264]

Went from Liege to Marloie and back to Liers today with one of these. Great nostalgia specially the older versions but they have all been replaced by classiques like this

[@lyr1953]

It's got a wheel flat!...that and the motor and gear noise remind me of the old Southern Electric in the UK, wonderful!

[@osasunaitor]

4:54 wow, the driver keeps the cabin door open during the journey!! In my country he would've got assaulted 7 times even before the train had departed...

[@osasunaitor]

@Yann Biart your question doesn't make much sense, does it?

[@bobmmann3917]

Super basic but super clean train (inside at least). Interesting journey.Love to see these short unglamorous commuter type trains.

[@Andrewjg_89]

Both French and Belgium trains are so beautiful and fantastic. Same in the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Italy, Sweden and all over Europe. Amazing trains in Europe.

[@Bananaman-hk6qw]

The Dutch trains are the best 😏

[@LS-Moto]

Germany needs to refurbish its track network though and do something about their horrendous prices.

[@vincentwillems8048]

Que de souvenirs avec ce trains, avant et après la rénovation. 😢😢

[@pierrem4560]

la Brugeoise et Nivelles ..... historique compagnie, qui a marqué l'histoire du rail !

[@deco983]

Great review! Love Those Classic trains ! The scenary was cool too!

[@BartLCY10]

Those foam powder dispensers - or foam shredders actually - used to be very popular on Polish State Railways, still relatively easy to find on non modernized stock

[@MattijsVandebroek]

Today is the day the very last classic multiple unit does it's last service. There's a farewell service today, and one unit, number 660, will be preserved by Train World, the Belgian National Train Museum. With the first one entering service in 1939, this has become an iconic train.

[@ilannghost6306]

sad to see them go, but also logical. not big bathrooms, okay second class benches, a climb to get on, slow. but really cool

[@MattijsVandebroek]

@ilannghost6306 their second class was better than the sncb ms80 Siemens Desiro ML first class. These trains will take the place of the older trains, while IC services are taken over by the brand new M7. These double decker coaches will now be the most appearing train in Belgium

[@ilannghost6306]

@@MattijsVandebroek I'm also a Belgian train fan😆

[@MattijsVandebroek]

@ilannghost6306 cool. Do you also like to use youth unlimited in the Holiday?

[@ilannghost6306]

@MattijsVandebroek youth holidays in the summer. Yes. A month and then youth holidays for a week in de herfstvakantie

[@tonguepiercing]

The first stop at Marche-les-dames is a noticeable place engraved in the memory of older Belgians : a former Belgian king did het killed during a climbing accident. The monument is right next to the railway line.

[@klmisbetter7229]

15:04 when you open the door its so satisfying

[@azrich2463]

Watching this reminded me of coming from Köln to Brussels to connect with Eurostar to London in 2015. It was my first experience stopping at small towns in Belgium, though I have been on many international trains since 1961. It was somehow like riding steam trains that had flag stops. The only things missing were little boys selling coffee through the windows and others walking up and down the aisles hawking sweets and cigarettes. And of course the smell of coal dust has long since gone away (thankfully as going through tunnels required a wet handkerchief over one's nose). Où est la fumée d'antan ?

[@mullerman1104]

In Germany we still have these powder soaps too. In the old IC and IR wagons from 1971, some of them haven´t been refurbished, so you still see this kind of soap quite often.

[@plegrain]

It's the trains of my youth. Peculiar indeed, but I find them much more confortable than the Desiro. They kind of have an "autorail" feeling, I really like it. Back then I wanted to be a train driver. Maybe I should still consider that :)

[@Benjamin0c]

One of my favorite EMU

[@virtualtours419]

those trains are time machines, but inside are still good looking, nice shoots, thank u

[@Je_Existe]

I really love them i prefer these over the Break sometimes because these has the most comfortable seats that you can get if you ask me

[@MHG1023]

Nice those Trottinettes get their own video ... I have been on many of these during my travels around Belgium in the 1980´s. From an enthusiasts point of view the older ones were more exciting. Especially while they had the mechanical electric (accelerator ?) switches in the compartment opposite the driver cab ... While accelerating or cutting off power there was a symphony of electric switches acting in sequence (switching resistors/engines in serie an/or in row...) in combination with the traction motors distinctive sounds which seem to remain even after the mechanical electric switches were replaced by thyristor drive electronics. The mechanical electric switches were quite maintenance intensive but surprisingly reliable. Btw. the early series of these EMU´s had a speed limit of 130 Km/h. Only the later ones were permitted up to 140 Km/h.

[@benjamintery7847]

Great video, good work Benjamin with the filming :) Sad to hear these units will go, but at least comfort is probably better on a Desiro

[@imaginox9]

Non pas du tout, c'est bien connu ici en Belgique que les Desiro ont les pires sièges de tous les trains du pays

[@benjamintery7847]

@@imaginox9 J'aimerais bien voir ca! Mais c'est vraiment dommage que ce soit le cas

[@imaginox9]

@@benjamintery7847 Oui en effet. Après heureusement après les très nombreuses plaintes au sujet de ces sièges ils ont décidé de mettre pour les M7 des sièges très confortables pour des trains modernes (c'est à dire un peu moins que sur des trains des années 50 à 90)

[@scotty241991]

Soap powder dispensers I have on multiple Dutch trains , older VIRMm I believe. The odd seating size in 2nd class is its actually 1,5+2,5 seating. Wide off peak, but 2+3 in peak. Doesn't work in practice though, capacity remains 1+2.

[@thibaultdemaziere3150]

i am now 15 i live in flanders and i have not seen these trains for 8 or 9 years when i was younger i often took this train to the coast i miss it when i think about it because i like to travel by train i want them back in my area

[@XNekomaru]

Those are my favorites in Belgium with the AR41. Not the most comfortable, but I love the sound those trains make. I took the 697 unit a few times but never on that line. (close to Braine-le-Comte and Mons) It will be sad the day they will disappear.

[@jommegoovaerts9606]

The AR/MW41's are the best trains the NMBS/SNCB has. They're comfortable and fast!

[@carnivorousFlOoDman]

@@jommegoovaerts9606 Good to know their service is not done for nothing

[@WhyFi59]

We also have that kind of soap powder in Portugal, although I've only seen it on the intercity coaches which are french Corails.

[@crompton33022]

Great video and very informative Thank you.

[@bklynbubba]

The first time I visited Belgium back in the 1990s I rode on many of these little trains. They were fast and efficient, if not too comfortable. On one of them from Antwerp to Bruges they actually had a trolley serving coffee and pastries. It was the best coffee I've ever had on a train.

[@gf-iw1zw]

namur and liege railway stations... i miss them

[@thhseeking]

The last time I rode on one of these was decades ago. They were green and yellow, and the seats were green, too. I don't know why you said that the SNCB had strange trains. The only oddity I find is that at some point the AMs went from having the driver on the left, to have him on the right. The signals are on the left, and the trains run on the left.

[@ilan1236]

Once you have road the desiro you will find those seats very comfortable

[@antoinewattier]

The desiro are the most uncomfortable trains of SNCB. Seats are too straight and very hard and bad shock absorbers when the speed is high. And it’s too noisy inside because of fan noise

[@StratosTitan]

Love these classiques. I ride them sometimes all the way in the North of Belgium. They have a service sometimes between Binche-Turnhout or Antwerp-Turnhout.

[@timsimmk]

I liked your comment about the symphony of the motor sound. I agree, I love the sound of DC traction motors! And the opening windows! Did you ever travel on an HST in the UK? I miss standing by an open window at 200 km/h 😢

[@jstoney6471]

Is the Graffitti on the exterior part of the "official" paint scheme?

[@bertvandepoel]

It's sadly part of a common tradition of vandalism towards trains by so called taggers. It has become less frequent nowadays here in Belgium though, in my experience, or perhaps the NMBS/SNCB has been more quick in cleaning tags off.

[@jstoney6471]

@@bertvandepoel Same with Freight cars in USA

[@liamtahaney713]

@@bertvandepoel ever been to portugal? CP is a pretty decent service (incredibly cheap at least) but wow I have never ridden more tagged trains. they looked like NYC subway cars in the 70s

[@PBallroomBlitzK]

I enjoyed the trip and the filming very much, with all those beautiful views. I should make compilations like this of all my train trips as well 🙃. Well, it might be when retired.😄. Btw, in Holland they still have those kind of soap dispensers as well. Thnx for posting

[@scottyerkes1867]

Nice review Benjamin. Interesting rolling stock.

[@rezaalan3991]

That seat between 2nd Class and 1st Class like different world

[@haisheauspforte1632]

In Germany they're about the same but double the price

[@shivaprasad6311]

Really beautiful ❤️ 👌🏼

[@CsabyC]

Regarding the foam powder dispenser. I don't know if anybody commented before, but MÁV-Start Hungary still uses them.

[@christophernoble6810]

We had those weird soap dispensers on BR back in the 1980s. Belgium has the densest system in the world by area. These units do have a certain charm despite their outward appearance.

[@Bananaman-hk6qw]

The Netherlands not?...

[@enzoleferro-nerd]

6:41 this traction, like in France with our p'tit gris😍

8:42 In Hungary we also have these soap dispensers on some coaches

[@jolo304]

08:43 - Germany - for Decades. I loved the technique, and I loved the soap, you very little amount for a lot of foam...

[@martengrotherus8514]

We had that type of soap dispenser when I went to primary school in the early eighties.

[@tomdeschutter95]

Where is the time.... Loved riding the AM73 and AM75 series. Regarding the windows, as a little child we sometims putted our head out while driving, but not to far ;-) I miss those classics, and also love the "whining" of the electric motor

[@belgiantrainspotter4886]

Finally! I also rode them in March, they are sweet but the toilet was terrible(it was dirty). They also run some connections with a MS75 ;)

[@R3C0NPr0X]

SNCB already refurbished the interior (on the video title of this trip report) and the toilets are clean now clean on the toilets time

[@belgiantrainspotter4886]

@@R3C0NPr0X true but they aren't always, when I entered a modernised one the floor was placking/dirty. Other then that okay!

[@fabulouskangourou]

Station refurbishment in Namur is because they are building a multimodal station. Bus station will be on train station's roof ! You just need to get up or down to switch transport.

[@lpt2606]

hey, just wondering but when are you going to do a review of the "nmbs desiro", its almost impossible that you not have ride 1 yet. they are everywhere

[@stf2222]

Good point there altho personally i am really not fond of them. But curious to see his review tho.

[@polishstick0609]

2:47 this looks quite weird. Btw here's an intersting fact about the most popular retro EMU in poland: EN57 EMUs were soppsosed to have such fronts too, but that idea was scrapped for some reason. It woudl've looked nearly tye same as the unit reviewed in this video.

[@Vehicle-spotterharry]

Wow what a retro thing

[@72Keydet]

Love the Belgian Ardennes

[@bernardbuet7251]

Je connais bien cette am j ai fait son entretien bon souvenir

[@DanielsUKT]

Nice classic 1970s train (Nice on the inside 😅)

[@anonomia5535]

From the inside, apart from the bench-style seating, they actually look pretty neat - definitely not like a train from the 70s. I haven't been on them for a long time, but I was actually surprised by the modern toilet they apparently installed during the refurbishment. Knowing this, all trains in the SNCB fleet have vacuum toilets. My experience with them is that they're cleaner than in France or the Netherlands, based on many journeys in those countries. The powder soap dispensers are also present on the ICR trains in the Netherlands. They need to be taken out of service in 2025 at the latest due to the lack of ETCS installed. ETCS is a requirement for all operators in Belgium from 2025 onwards. This is also why the M4 and M5 will be taken out of service.

[@belgiantrainspotter4886]

True, all rolling stock will probably need ETCS2 since they are rolling that out like everywhere. My line got it but the fleet not except AM80 which already got it :P

[@headslash55]

it's planned to phase them out in 2023 when the m7 bmx carriages become available. the m4 will be taken out mostly due to the internals (mainly electrical side) not being modernized/standardized enough compared to the others. the M5 will be equiped with ects afaik from the workplace.

[@belgiantrainspotter4886]

@@headslash55 I know that it will go out of service in 2023 same for M4 as you said.

[@anonomia5535]

Point still remains that the classic EMUs and the M4 Adx cannot run after 2025 anymore due to their lack of ETCS. Of course they might be taken out of service earlier, but for the classic EMUs, they would first have to find another train that can run to Aachen (perhaps as part of an extension of the intercity trains to Welkenraedt/Eupen). Seeing how omnipresent these trains still are, I wouldn’t bet on them leaving on time in 2023. For the M5, I have to say I didn’t hear about plans to install ETCS, but it’s possible.

[@belgiantrainspotter4886]

@@anonomia5535 M5 is planned to go out of service arround 2033 I heard, so they will probably or just use locs.

[@susienkatv]

It reminds a lot the Polish EMU EN 57 in its original form !

[@AjayKashyapRailfan]

I love your video's ❤️❤️❤️ I'm from India 🇮🇳

[@hbruins85]

Beautiful sound of these motors. Desiro might be more efficient, but I would rather enjoy the hand-crafted sound of the Classique than subject myself to synthetic music from the new cars. Btw…do you happen to know what is inside the windowless space across the aisle from the driver’s cab? Japan’s Kintetsu Railway had EMUs (2200 series) whose faces had a similar distinctive look, so I became curious. The 2200 cab car had a toilet in the windowless space.

[@Marvinfinn]

What surprised me everytime, is that a Country like Belgium changed there new Rolling Stock, nearly completly to Siemens. While before there where Alstom (French) only. But it seems to work. SNCB ist very reliabel.

[@basiletome6304]

The new M7 coaches are built by Alstom and Bombardier

[@Marvinfinn]

@@basiletome6304 Yeah but still. All EMUs and Locomotives aren´t. I like that tbh. its a global market but still unusually for a "French" Country.

[@bertvandepoel]

As a state company, I believe the NMBS/SNCB has to use a bidding process and usually has to take the cheapest bid. Siemens got a very big contract with the Desiro, but the M7 double decker is a pretty important contract that went to Alstom and Bombardier. I believe this channel has done videos on the M5, M6 and M7. The NMBS/SNCB also still has a significant amount of old rolling stock, including locomotives, in use. For example from BN before it was acquired by Bombardier.

[@jorisvanhandenhove5865]

the first units with that design were built in 39 just before the war

[@lespoteurbelge2790]

Yesss les Classiques peuvent bel et bien rouler avec les 75 ;) La seul relation ou tu peux encore trouver ce genre de composition c'est le Week-end en général sur Des Schaerbeek-Binche !

[@ferroviphateclemfranco-bel9919]

nn aussi sur Anvers encore cette compos est utilisé en heure de pointe

[@lespoteurbelge2790]

@@ferroviphateclemfranco-bel9919 C'est vrai juste 😜

[@cy2ncity873]

Et sur l'IC 3417 ;)

[@desnooz]

i like these trains, the oldest one i was on. it was a am56, they where diffrent. they had no color. just metal thats it.

[@R3C0NPr0X]

The exterior of the EMU looks like it was scrapped or left in storage SNCB hasnt been cleaned this or its unit while youve ride it, i hope SNCB will clean them 🙂, i like the interior and the trip report btw i am Indonesian 😀😀😀

[@HSstriker]

They are being fased out. So no they wont do anything to them ;) same as the M4m carriages

[@R3C0NPr0X]

@@HSstriker Thanks dude i hope SNCB will clean all of its dirty trains

[@HSstriker]

@@R3C0NPr0X truth is, they are actually cleaned often. Grafitti artists and vandals just ruin them faster than sncb can clean...

[@bwolper]

The old train in the new station looks like some sort of time machine.

[@smarius17]

8:44 in Switzerland we used to have this kind of dispenser too

[@ampersand.]

I don`t know about the soap dispenser, but the book left in the lavatory looked very boring :D

[@chefchaudard3580]

@@ampersand. and it's the same story on all trains... 😀

[@alejandrayalanbowman367]

I was last in Namur in 1963 on the way back from Austria

[@alexander-de]

We have or at least used to have those type of soap dispensers on trains in Germany.

[@flookiethefox6376]

are they retired allready cus i just cant find them any where

[@EpicThe112]

This train is said as Automotrice Septante-Trois in Belgian and Swiss French because they do not use Soxiante-Treize which is what France Canada use

[@juliejayan5996]

good review.

[@iman2341]

These units sound nearly identical to the BR Class 313s and 319s!

[@robyoungquist5803]

Liege station certainly is a stunning one 👍🏻. So Benjamin, as an American subscriber, I have a few questions … do you and Thibault both work in train transport or for Alstrom or is it that you both share an affinity for trains in general? Correct me if I’m wrong … are you brothers or friends? Is Thibault still in Kansas or has he returned to France? Keep up the great work … I really enjoy the channel!

[@SimplyRailway]

Benjamin is Thibault's brother. :) Thibault is returning to France is a couple of weeks :) thanks for your message Rob!

[@loughiraldi8805]

Love all your videos! Entertaining and informative. Just curious, why do you have sound in the video but rarely talk or appear in them. Keep up the great videos!!

[@slome815]

I miss opening windows on trains.

[@lpt2606]

13:27 some bloody flat wheels lol

[@ricardobarajas2517]

Bro, simply railway my father was born in 1973

[@renefriebel5383]

Nice Video. I've never been onboard of a SNCB EMU, the AM 73 Classique, Are they still driving in Liege? On which routes? I want to go to Liege in Juli / August so I hope to see them. Perhaps I go traveling with one of them to, thanks.

[@imaginox9]

Yes they can be seen a lot around Liège. Also older Classiques from the 60's are still running on the line between Aachen (Germany) and Spa (Belgium) via Verviers (which is very close to Liège). These Classiques from the 60's look exactly the same but have an older motor that feels "rougher"

[@rasiel2086]

Great channel! One helpful tip is bigger text for easier reading

[@MattijsVandebroek]

15:07 Hey train wait for me!

[@homesinternational8015]

Great video, but to be precise, the Meuse valley between Namur and Liège is not inside the Ardenne (and in Belgium it's singular "Ardenne", while "Ardennes" is the name of the French département). This part is called "Condroz" (and the purists would tell you that it's not even Condroz, it's simply the Meuse valley, separating the Condroz from the Hesbaye to the North - yes it's a complicated country :) )

[@anthonycubadugosz109]

its like EN57 (kibel) in Poland ;)

[@drakefanta7814]

For these kind of soap dispenser, there is plenty of them in old swiss train

[@JeroenvanMontfort]

This was not what I expected. Judging by the graffiti on the outside, I expected a gross train, but it was actually pretty nice on the inside. Guess that's where it counts most. Well done, Benjamin. It would be even better if you also had a stabilizer. I believe your brother has a DJI Osmo Mobile? Perhaps that would be a good birthday or holiday gift suggestion. ;-)

[@lukaspolicky9752]

Same soap dispenser in ČD coaches (older Bmz, Bpee, Bee...)

[@drh3b]

The only time I've been to Belgium was 1973. This train was just going into service then. The world has changed a lot, Europe was still relatively poor. Antwerp was very run down and dirty at the time, at least the part I was in. Western Europe has advanced from being behind the USA in most ways then, to being ahead in many ways now.

[@mikeblatzheim2797]

If you were there in 1973 you'd have just witnessed the tail-end of the Belgian industrial decline, where it was in a similar situation to Detroit (but not quite as bad). It would have looked poorer that it actually was (because like in most of western Europe the wealth accumulated in the 50s and 60s didn't disappear), but times were rough for a lot of people due to the shift in jobs and the economy. Areas like Alsace at the time, or the Ruhrgebiet about 20 years ago were in bad situations with high unemployment, but unlike in the US have managed to rebound. From what I've noticed if you see poverty in the US it tends to be real and severe with hardly a way out, whilst run-down areas at least in Western Europe are generally experiencing a large shift in the local economy and will rebound within a few years or decades.

[@aalb1873]

@@mikeblatzheim2797 I agree with you. The ‘70s was a complicated decade.

[@Yogabudhi]

Naik kereta yang menyenangkan.

[@mozomenku]

Why driver cabin was open?

[@headslash55]

it's incredibly cramped tbh, most of the time drivers just leave it open due to low traffic trajects they take them on.

[@zakishesakii8794]

The oldest train is the AM75

[@le_mini_spotteur_sncb]

Et dire quel vont bientôt disparaître 😔

[@mrmeowmix4131]

the toilet is the most important part on this channel

[@AguadillaCGN]

in germany all the time police officer go to and from work by public transit. since there can ride in any train for free while in uniform

[@StefaanSchroeyers]

AM75 is not the break but the "pig nose" ;) The "break" = AM80 ;)