Benefactor members support the association financially and are kept informed of railroad activities.

Welcoming visitors to our sites in Mariembourg and Treignes is also a possible task for our members.
Service in the cafeteria, in our dining cars or guided tours of the museum are all part of the association’s daily routine.

CFV3V has taken on the legal status of an asbl (non-profit association). The management of this non-profit organization is entrusted to a Board of Directors made up of some fifteen people. Under the authority of a chairman (Mr Didier Mosseray), the directors share the day-to-day management tasks. Directors are active members of the association.

No track, no train. Maintaining the track and its surroundings is also part of railway life.

Although major work is subcontracted to specialist companies, there are many tasks carried out by association members, including :

• pruning
• switch maintenance
• dock maintenance
• …

Trainmen are responsible for coordinating train movements. On a single-track line, this function is essential for everyone’s safety. It is they who inform the conductor (chief guard) that the track is clear.

The movement manager is probably one of the most obscure functions in the operation. Yet his task is one of the most important. The movement manager is also responsible for organizing traffic (timetables, special trains, etc.).

The driver of a railcar, locomotive or diesel engine fulfills a role similar to that of a steam engineer. The difference, of course, lies in the mode of propulsion…

On board the machine, the labourer helps the driver and mechanic in their work.

In addition, on all convoys, he is in charge of signalling at unguarded level crossings and hooking and unhooking wagons.

The driver of a steam locomotive is the one in charge of “heating”. He takes care of the fire (lighting and maintenance) and the water.

The combination of these two elements produces steam and pressure. It is the steam pressure that enables the locomotive engineer to operate the locomotive. To cover the 14 kilometers of the line, the driver will consume around 250 kilos of coal. For a single return trip during the day, to the coal consumed on the line must be added what is consumed at standstill and during warm-up. Around a ton of coal will be burned for a single daily run! It’s not just a matter of throwing coal into the fire, but also of distributing it evenly over the grates to optimize combustion. As far as water is concerned, the operator has to ensure that the water level in the boiler is always above a minimum threshold, by feeding water into the boiler via injectors or a feed pump. A good quality fire and a good water level produce steam in sufficient quantity to keep the locomotive running smoothly.

The steam engineer is the person who “pilots” a steam locomotive. He makes sure the machine is in good working order, lubricates it and carries out any necessary maintenance operations. En route, he or she must respect the signs and make sure that the journey runs smoothly and safely. Once the convoy is underway, he is the ship’s “captain”.

Becoming a steam mechanic requires several years of schooling and a good knowledge of how the machine works. There’s nothing like a visit to theworkshop to learn the ropes.

Every Saturday, volunteer members maintain and restore CFV3V’s rolling stock.

The tools available at the Treignes workshop enable us to carry out almost all work on rolling stock in service or being restored for the Chemin de Fer à Vapeur des Trois Vallées …

For example:

A dozen or so various machine tools (lathes, drill press, band saw, etc.)
A well-stocked reserve of parts
Heavy handling equipment:
A 20-ton overhead crane
A set of lifting trestles (total load 100 tons)
A set of 4 jacks (total load 80 tons)
… This specialized equipment is handled exclusively by qualified personnel, to ensure safety!

The workshop, located in the Treignes museum buildings, can also be visited via a secure footbridge.