BELGIUM & CHINA - THE PEKING-HANKOW RAILWAY
The modern country of Belgium was created in 1830 and came into being on the 1st of January 1831. The first King, (a German uncle of Queen Victoria and appointed by the British) Leopold I set about uniting and developing this new country. With far sighted vision, he saw that the new invention of railways would create a strong industry and unite the country. The first railway on the Continent of Europe opened between Mechelen / Malines and Brussels in May 1835. The original locomotives and rolling stock came from Britain, but by the end of 1835 engines and wagons were being produced in Belgium.
The Belgian rail and heavy industry grew rapidly. King Leopold’s vision was to have all the country connected by rail, and Belgium quickly developed the densest railway network in the world.
