Schaerbeek/Schaarbeek's first proper railway station was built in 1887, replacing a wooden hut that had been used for this purpose since 1864. It comprised the left wing of the current building and was designed by architect Franz Seulen and an engineer called De Paepe of the Belgian Railway Authority. The latter oversaw construction of the right wing in 1913, designed to house the ticket offices at a time when passenger and freight traffic was growing steadily. The Flemish neo-Renaissance station building combines stone and brick with a monumental metal structure. Until 2000, all sleeper trains to France and Italy departed from this station. The building then underwent a series of major restorations to accommodate the Train World museum, which opened in 2015. Belgian rail operator SNCB/NMBS had preserved almost 200 examples of historic rolling stock, some of which had been exhibited at the original train museum, opened at Brussels-North station in 1951 (closed in 2007). Train World features attractive scenography by François Schuiten, with hundreds of objects linked to the history of the railways displayed alongside the first locomotives to be put into service in Belgium. The deck of a railway viaduct that once spanned the River Meuse serves as a platform for a journey full of surprises. (Listed 10/11/1994)