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Abandoned Orient Express Train Reminds Us Of The Luxury Travel Of The Past

A Rotterdam-based urban photographer who goes by the name of Brian has managed to capture a piece of history that’s slowly fading into oblivion, namely the Grand Orient Express. The train that defined luxury back in 1883 when it was launched by the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits (CIWL).

There are only a couple of these beauties left in the world. One, for example, was repurposed into hotel suites in Venice-Simplon Orient Express. The other, the one you’ll see in the pictures below, stands dormant in Belgium, untouched from its last trip in December of 2009.

The Orient Express is only one of the awesome finds by the urban explorer and photographer: “When I step into an abandoned site it feels like stepping into a time machine. I try to feel the emotions of it’s past and that is what I want to show in my pictures,” Brian writes on his website. “When people are looking at my work and raise a question about the “what, why, when” then I feel I have succeeded.”

More info: Preciousdecay.com | Facebook (h/t: demilked, fubiz)

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In cahoots with the secret orde... With nobody. In cahoots with nobody.

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What do you think ?

POST

Yves Van Hee 8 years ago

This is not the Orient Express, but an old Belgian train. https://www.google.be/search?q=nmbs+620&client=ms-android-samsung&biw=360&bih=560&prmd=imnv&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj5kM3X0bTOAhXQ0RoKHVpmCvgQ_AUIBSgB

15points

Vincent Peerlinck 8 years ago

In the first picture you can even see the Stella Artois logo in the background of the main office in Louvain.

3points

Load More Replies...

Miha Grgurovic 8 years ago

this has nothing to do with orient exspress

11points

António Lima 8 years ago

Worth being restored

3points

KinDeL 8 years ago

Also trains do not degrade like that in 7 years

2points

Iurii Bazai 8 years ago

Good base for making cool cafe or bar new main railway station

2points

Randy Hendrickson 8 years ago

HDR. Ugh.

1point

Pinkk Wormm 8 years ago

those were not abandoned, they just run out!!

1point

Edwin van Boven 8 years ago

NMBS type 620 from the 1930's so about 50 years later. More photo's here: http://forum.beneluxspoor.net/index.php/topic,65119.msg3221577525.html?PHPSESSID=hafo0g2cvmppmgo66ktuneafo7#msg3221577525

1point

Eleni Vassas 8 years ago

I would have absolutely loved to travel with this

1point

Cesi Baca 8 years ago

It says this train made its last trip in 2009. so appearantly luxury travel was not left in the past.

1point

KinDeL 8 years ago

Nice..after all the rant with the passangers and emotions and luxury blablabla we get to see chairs....

1point

Patrick Spiteri 6 years ago

Anyone know the exact location or whereabouts of this please?

0points

Patrick Spiteri 6 years ago

Anyone know the exact location of this, please?

0points

alvarobueno 8 years ago

Oh! Incredible photos!!! I invite all of you to take a look to my photos about old trains in Canfranc, Spain. LINK: https://www.flickr.com/photos/alvarobueno/albums/72157631867540541 Thank you!

0points

Mehul Bansal 8 years ago

Convert it into a bar and a party place. It'd be so cool. Keeping the spirit alive .

0points

Kurt Ristniemi 8 years ago

Who is the pathetically ignorant one: the photographer or the editor? Or both of them? How can anyone think that this would be a train from the 1800s?

0points

Dirk De Beer 8 years ago

Must have been very luxurious at some time.

0points

Tim McDaunting 8 years ago

And now let us see the pics again without the clarity control set to 11...

0points

Richard Petch 8 years ago

Just like humans, work you to death then just throw you aside and forget about all you have given in your life, Rust in peace old girl.

0points

Paul Zink 8 years ago

In the summer of 1959, my mother and I traveled on the Orient Express (I was 8 years old) from Belgrade to Vienna, during a European tour to visit her old wartime friends and colleagues from the Red Cross and postwar relief organizations. In 1959, it was surely not the Orient of Express of its glory days, but we had a sleeper, as I recall, and I do remember lots of dark woodwork.

0points

Anita Cuellar 8 years ago

Nice, but I wonder what furniture parts are originaly from 1883?

0points

Bob Snow 8 years ago

Hard to believe that the last trip of this train was only 7 years ago.

0points

Yvonne Bernal 8 years ago

Thank you Brian, you've allowed us to go back in time with your photos. Hopefully some wonderful person will continue the adventure and restore this wonderful relic back to her glory!

0points

Martyna Zagórska 8 years ago

Awesome! Polish version: https://www.facebook.com/martynazagorskafotografia/photos/a.1050658971621384.1073741926.541643182522968/557101154310504/?type=3&theater

0points

Hans 8 years ago

Stunning photos!

0points

LaDarryl Hollingsworth 8 years ago

Wow this train looks awesome (inside and out)!

0points

Amanda Panda 8 years ago

This gives me the same eerie and nostalgic feeling as looking at the Titanic remnants.

-1point

POST

Yves Van Hee 8 years ago

15points

Vincent Peerlinck 8 years ago

In the first picture you can even see the Stella Artois logo in the background of the main office in Louvain.

3points

Load More Replies...

Miha Grgurovic 8 years ago

this has nothing to do with orient exspress

11points

António Lima 8 years ago

Worth being restored

3points

KinDeL 8 years ago

Also trains do not degrade like that in 7 years

2points

Iurii Bazai 8 years ago

Good base for making cool cafe or bar new main railway station

2points

Randy Hendrickson 8 years ago

HDR. Ugh.

1point

Pinkk Wormm 8 years ago

those were not abandoned, they just run out!!

1point

Edwin van Boven 8 years ago

NMBS type 620 from the 1930's so about 50 years later. More photo's here: http://forum.beneluxspoor.net/index.php/topic,65119.msg3221577525.html?PHPSESSID=hafo0g2cvmppmgo66ktuneafo7#msg3221577525

1point

Eleni Vassas 8 years ago

I would have absolutely loved to travel with this

1point

Cesi Baca 8 years ago

It says this train made its last trip in 2009. so appearantly luxury travel was not left in the past.

1point

KinDeL 8 years ago

Nice..after all the rant with the passangers and emotions and luxury blablabla we get to see chairs....

1point

Patrick Spiteri 6 years ago

Anyone know the exact location or whereabouts of this please?

0points

Patrick Spiteri 6 years ago

Anyone know the exact location of this, please?

0points

alvarobueno 8 years ago

Oh! Incredible photos!!! I invite all of you to take a look to my photos about old trains in Canfranc, Spain. LINK: https://www.flickr.com/photos/alvarobueno/albums/72157631867540541 Thank you!

0points

Mehul Bansal 8 years ago

Convert it into a bar and a party place. It'd be so cool. Keeping the spirit alive .

0points

Kurt Ristniemi 8 years ago

Who is the pathetically ignorant one: the photographer or the editor? Or both of them? How can anyone think that this would be a train from the 1800s?

0points

Dirk De Beer 8 years ago

Must have been very luxurious at some time.

0points

Tim McDaunting 8 years ago

And now let us see the pics again without the clarity control set to 11...

0points

Richard Petch 8 years ago

Just like humans, work you to death then just throw you aside and forget about all you have given in your life, Rust in peace old girl.

0points

Paul Zink 8 years ago

0points

Anita Cuellar 8 years ago

Nice, but I wonder what furniture parts are originaly from 1883?

0points

Bob Snow 8 years ago

Hard to believe that the last trip of this train was only 7 years ago.

0points

Yvonne Bernal 8 years ago

Thank you Brian, you've allowed us to go back in time with your photos. Hopefully some wonderful person will continue the adventure and restore this wonderful relic back to her glory!

0points

Martyna Zagórska 8 years ago

Awesome! Polish version: https://www.facebook.com/martynazagorskafotografia/photos/a.1050658971621384.1073741926.541643182522968/557101154310504/?type=3&theater

0points