Autorail AR 86
In the quest for a cheaper, faster, and more efficient means of transportation, the diesel tram, autorail, or railcar appeared on many rural tramway lines starting in 1935. It replaced the steam tram on lines with limited traffic that weren't suitable for electrification. The diesel tram was initially equipped with a gasoline engine from the Belgian brand Brossel, also known for its buses.
In Ghent, the autorail, for example, served on the tramline to Sint-Lievens-Houtem and Geraardsbergen.
AR 86 dates back to 1934 and was built by the NMVB in the workshops at Kuregem (Anderlecht). The railcar entered service on the Waver-Geldenaken line. During the Second World War, the engine was removed, and it became a trailer, later converted to an ART (with the T for Tractor) to pull heavy trains during the sugar beet harvest.
The tram came into the possession of ASVI in the early 1980s, which restored it to its original condition.