Jan Bartek - AncientPages.com - How and why could an English railway car end up under an old fortress in Antwerp, Belgium? Belgian archaeologists and other experts are attempting to answer this question.
According to consultant archaeologist Femke Martens, the wooden railway wagon was produced in England about 100 years ago by the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER). Members of the Urban Archaeology department of the City of Antwerp were surprised to discover it at the wall of a nineteenth-century fortress known as the Northern Citadel.
An old railway car has been unearthed in Belgium. Credit: LNER
"It’s a mystery as to how the carriage came to be in Antwerp, and unfortunately, there’s very little left of the relic as it disintegrated while being excavated," Martens told the York Press.
The former LNER wagon was found in Antwerp, Belgium. Credit: Archaeological Service, City of Antwerp
“Upon closer examination, its only identifiable features were the inscriptions which included ‘FURNITURE REMOVAL TO HOUSE,’ ‘Enquire at any station,’ ‘BK769,’ (which identified the truck’s size – B – and its use, for furniture, - K) and crucially ‘LNER’.”
LNER has indicated, based on their research, that this particular wagon represents the initial model of LNER removal. It had a short-lived service period around 1930. The more prevalent model was a blue version that saw extensive use, which makes finding this earlier model even more extraordinary and unique.
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"This curious find has certainly generated lots of interest and we are delighted the team from the Urban Archaeology department of the City of Antwerp have helped shed more light on the discovery.
We’re fascinated by LNER’s history, and we’d like to thank the team for their help in unearthing more information about LNER’s proud past," The rail firm’s communications director, Stuart Thomas, said.
Written by Jan Bartek - AncientPages.com Staff Writer
