It was a rainy Monday when I arrived in Antwerp. Working with my Lumix LX7, I spent several hours riding the Lijn trams and making photos.
Does the rain and gloom ad atmosphere to this eclectic Flemish port city? There’s a lot of history here.
Lijn has been buying new low-floor articulated Flexity-2 trams to replace its antique fleet of four-axle PCCs, so I was keen to catch the older cars at work while I still can.
A modern Flexity2 tram glides through the rain in Antwerp. Lumix LX7 photo.Complicated track work makes for a more interesting urban image. The PCC is almost incidental to the scene.There are plenty of eclectic establishments in Antwerp where you can grab a bite to eat an enjoy a glass of beer while watching the tram cars grind along cobblestone streets.Antwerp enjoys a complex transport system with tram lines on many streets. However, expansion of the tram subway may soon reduce the number of surface services in some parts of the city center.
Could a bus be as photogenic in such a setting?
Among the advantages of photographing on a cold wet day is that there tends to be few people on the streets to get in your way. Not to sound antisocial, but masses of urban humility can be a hindrence when composing tram photos.
Near the main railway station there’s a tram loop used by route 11 cars.This level crossing is a great place to catch the action.I don’t think everyone was quite as enthusiastic about tram tracks and cobblestones as I was.
Curbside running makes it easier to board the cars.Here’s my car now!
White trams navigating narrow dark cobble-stone streets makes for some interesting contrast. So, would shafts of sun have improved these images?
Last weekend (October 3, 2015), I made my second visit to the Belgian Coastal Tramway (LIJN Kusttram). This tramway is one of Europe’s more unusual railways. It’s a narrow-gauge electric interurban line that connects towns and cities along the Belgian coast using modern trams.
The setting is peculiar to my eye, as much of the coast is characterized by mile after mile of high-rise apartments that face North Sea beaches. Between resort areas are heavy port facilities, such as that at Zeebrugge.
Panoramic composite of the Belgian coast exposed using a FujiFilm X-T1.
On my first visit, back in March 2013, I traveled from Ostend to the south end of the line near the French border. Back then it was gray, cold, and exceptionally windy. In other words, it was a complete contrast to last weekend, when it was warm, sunny, and comparatively still.
During this more recent visit, I explored the North-end of the line with some of my Irish friends who are now living in Belgium. At no point did my two journeys on the coastal tramway overlap.
LIJN Kusttram the Knokke terminus at the north-end of the route. (The tram carries a destination for De Panne at the far south-end). Lumix LX7 photo.Blankenberge Pier. Lumix LX7 photo.Blenkenberg Pier. Lumix LX7.
One of these days I’ll need to visit again, and travel the line from end to end. I’ve by no means worked the most dramatic or most characteristic locations on the line.
Interestingly, I’ve seen relatively few published photos on the route, which makes it a bit more mysterious, and perhaps more interesting to explore.
Belgian Coastal Tramway at Blankenberge.Advertisements. Lumix LX7 photo.Sunset on the Coast Tramway. Lumix LX7 Photo.A passenger validates a ticket on-board the Kusttram.Knokke terminus at dusk. exposed with a Lumix LX7. There are some 70 stops between Knokke and De Panne. That could take a lot of exploring!
The other day I posted a selection of images at Gent, Belgium. I made dozens of photos on my recent visit in late March 2015 and I thought I’d post a few more of the most interesting images.
Gent Lijn 24 PCC with castle. Lumix LX7 photo.Fuji X-T1 photo at Gent, Belgium.Lumix LX7 photo.View from the 22. Lumix LX7 photo.Brand new low-floor tram on the streets of Gent. Lumix LX7 photo.Lumix LX7 photo.
