View in direction Geusenweg viaduct. CFL 1807 coming from the cokeplant in Alsdorf with a heavy train uphill to the tunnel.
(Thanks to Peter Cooper)
( 29 Mei 1989 )

DB 151 087-4 after pushing a train to the tunnel returning to Aachen-West. (Thanks to Peter Cooper)
( 29 Mei 1989 )

View from the viaduct Geusenweg at the line in direction Aachen. The former signalman´s house now is privatly inhabited
( 15 Sept 2006 )

Porch of the tunnel at the German side.
( 15 Sept 2006 )

Two Belgian diesel-locomotives of the series 55 bring back a long "empty" train to Montzen.
( 15 Sept 2006 )

The official borderline between Germany and Belgium is exact in the middle of the tunnel. At the belgian side at Gemmenich the line comes to the daylight. Originally the tunnel was built for the Aachen-Plombières Railway and for the Montzenline a crossing free connection had to be created at Botzelaer. This was done by a sort of Fly-over. Also a station at Gemmenich-east was planned, which never became more than a concrete bridge across the street with the name Botzelaer at a hamlet with the same name. It is not clear how the connection once looked but one can make a reconstruction with the help of airial pictures on Googlemaps .

Click the map !

The tunnel-exit at the Belgian side just passing the Three Country Point.
On top of the hill the King Boudewijn tower.
( 28 July 2005 )

A close-up of the tunnel entrance. The tunnel was built in 1872  for the Aachen-Plombières Railway.
( 28 July 2005 )

A diesel class 55 leaves the tunnel like a mouse leaving its cave.
( 28 July 2005 )

The DB uses on this track some diesels of the class 225.
( 2 Sept 2004 )

Now in 2008 one has finally started to build the overhead wiring of the trackpart between Montzen-Gare and Reinartzkehl.
Update of the works in progress of Aug 10, 2008!

Branch of the former line 39

Gemmenich: In the winter one has a better overview of the terrain. On the forestry we find westward the former branch to the line 39 to Gemmenich.
( 26 Dec 2007 )

Further on the track we come to a concrete viaduct across the Rue trois Bornes with a seperation in the middle making two levels possible !
( 26 Dec 2007 )

At the northside the viaduct across the road to the Three Country Point in the winter of 2007.
( 26 Dec 2007 )

And from the southside in the summer of 2005.
( 28 July 2005 )

Following the track we come to Gemmenich at the road to Vaals. Here was a guarded railway crossing with a signal box.
( 26 Dec 2007 )

The name on the sign of the busstop still  makes reference to the former station.
( 26 Dec 2007 )

At the other side of the road we find unmistakable, however renovated and privatly inhabited, the former stationhouse of Gemmenich at the Line 39 to Plombières.
( 26 Dec 2007 )

Gemmenich station in the old days.
From the collection of Guy Demeulder.
For more old postcards see : Les gares belges d'autrefois

The former Gemmenich station seen from the Rue trois Bornes.
( 12 Oct 2008 )

At the hamlet Botzelaer a station was planned with two platforms. It never was finished and never taken in use as such. The viaduct remained to access the meadows at the other side of the line 24.

Viaduct across the street Botzelaer in Gemmenich.
( 26 Dec 2007 )

This is the raw building of the planned Gemmenich-est station.
( 26 Dec 2007 )

The stairway to the planned platforms.
( 26 Dec 2007 )

The stairway seen from above.
( 26 Dec 2007 )

The never finished Gemmenich-est station.
( 26 Dec 2007 )

A hundred yards south we find the transformer house at  Botzelaer.
( 26 Dec 2007 )

At this spot the trains could change tracks. In Belgium the trains run left, in Germany right traffic is common !! Some years now the trains between Aachen-West and Montzen keep right traffic.
( 26 Dec 2007 )

The metalled part of the Rue de Nouvelaer at Gemmenich ends at a viaduct.
( 25 Aug 2007 )

This viaduct is a well known site for trainspotters.
Note : momentarily a new viaduct is build because the old one is not high enough for the upcoming elektrification of this part of the line !
( 25 Aug 2007 )

At this early Saturday morning we did not have to wait long fortunately.A pair of Series 225 pull a heavy train uphill to Botzelaar
( 25 Aug 2007 )

Soon a pair of NMBS Diesel of the Series 55 followed from the other side heading for Montzen.
( 25 Aug 2007 )

NMBS ° 5528 and the blue-yellow 5510.
( 25 Aug 2007 )

The two locomotives with a heavy tankcar train in direction Montzen.
( 25 Aug 2007 )

At the Rue d´Aix we find a hidden viaduct which looks quit new.
( Aug 19, 2007 )

At the other side we find a entrance way which leads to a nice photo opportunity. Hereby a view in the direction of Nouvelaer.
( Aug 19, 2007 )

View in direction Buschhausen.
( Aug 19, 2007 )

At Buschhausen a viaduct of two floors was built over the road to "La Calamine". The lower floor was in use for the connection to Aachen-Liège. This connection does not exist anymore.
( 28 July 2005 )

The viaduct was also built as a station, but it was never taken into use. The entrance was situated between these two bridge-heads.
( 28 July 2005 )

Coming upstairs a view on the neglected platform-floor.
( 28 July 2005 )

Here was the connection to the line Aachen-Liege cross under the upper floor, on which is the present line to Montzen.
( 28 July 2005 )

At the end the track goes up, where it made connection to the line Aachen-Montzen by means of a switch. ( 28 July 2005 )

At the other side of the underpass the track made a right turn to La Calamine. ( 28 July 2005 )

Update :The Buschhausen viaduct was put on the list of protected monuments.
Momentarily it is being restaurated ! See Update page >>>

Recommend link to the site of :
Reinhard Gessen

H.J.Vos
2002/2008

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