Belgian Blue

1935 · NMBS Type 1 · Work 25 of 1,871

Belgian Blue, 1935, NMBS Type 1

A Belgian Type 1 Atlantic locomotive under the vaulted roof of Antwerp Central station, ornate ironwork arching overhead, platform clock visible in the distance.

What it was used for
Belgian State Railway expresses between Brussels and Ostend. Six built, delivered in 1938 and 1939.
What was new
On 12 June 1939 they ran the fastest booked steam service in the world: Brussels-Midi to Bruges, 92.4 kilometres in 46 minutes, an average of 120.5 km/h, with a maximum of 165. Within months the American *Hiawatha* took the title back, and in September the war began. The fastest schedule steam ever held lasted one summer.