TTO-NOORDZEE vzw

Even before the association TTO-Noordzee vzw. was founded in 1978, there was already a de facto association under the name 'Club 231'. As early as the mid-seventies, tourist tram rides along the Belgian coast were organised using rented tram equipment from the then National Company of Local Railways. Partly due to the success of the tram rides organised for tourists with old equipment, the then West Flemish management of the NMVB became sympathetic to this event. Because the objectives of the NMVB did not actually allow such tourist activities, they looked for a discussion partner in order to be able to do this through them. This was the real concept for what would later become the TTO-Noordzee vzw. As a logical consequence of this, TTO-Noordzee vzw was able to obtain exclusivity from the NMVB, with the signature of the then competent minister, for the realisation of the stated social objective.

Tourism, Transport and Recreation at the North Sea was born. A standard tram was completely restored in 1980 to its 1930s condition. The tram quickly proved to be a tourist attraction and was rented for all sorts of activities or rides.
The tourist tram consisted of the Kortrijk motor car standard 9985 to which Standard Coast trailers 9944 (=19656) and 19211 were coupled. To complete the whole, a freight car A.18116 was repainted in the same colours as the tram.
The tram became the very first tourist tram of TTO-Noordzee vzw.
In the following years more trams were formed to meet the demand for tourist trips.