10308 "Standard Métallique" maneuvering at the museumTram map of Tramway Lobbes Thuin
The ASVi is a tramway museum in Thuin in Belgium, which specialises in the history of the Belgian narrow gaugeVicinal system. The museum includes an operating museum tram line which runs from Thuin to Lobbes.
The metre gauge historic tram line is made of two sections :
a part of the former vicinal tramway line Thuin - Anderlues (lines 91 and 92). This line was part of the famous and extensive Belgian vicinal tramway network which once covered the whole country;
a part of the SNCB normal gauge line (line 109 Mons - Chimay) which was converted to metric gauge and equipped with an overhead line for power supply.
Description of the historic line
Leaving the Thuin museum, the line first follows the former SNCB line, then the Avenue de la Couture towards the cemetery of Thuin and a bridge over the Sambre. It then runs parallel to the SNCB railway to Lobbes Pont du Nord where it crosses Route Nationale 559. Then it loops round the western side of Lobbes to reach the Lobbes Hôtel de Ville stop. From there, the line turns again towards RN 559 to reach it at the Lobbes Entreville stop; from there the line is on the west side of this road to the terminus of Lobbes Bonniers. This northern section is one of the last electrified roadside sections of tramway which remains in Belgium.
From Avenue de la Couture, a section of the former vicinal runs down Grand'Rue to the lower part of Thuin on the banks of Sambre.
In August 2010, a 3 km extension to Biesme-sous-Thuin was inaugurated. It follows the trackbed of the former SNCB line from Mons to Chimay.
Rolling stock
In the museum - from left to right, 10409 "PCC", A.9073 and HL303
The collection also includes a PCC streetcar which has quite an uncommon story. It is part of a first series of 24 cars built for Belgium in 1950, which were transferred to Belgrade in 1960. One model of this iconic vehicle was brought back to Belgium in 1986.
