King Leopold II liked to stay in Ostend and wanted to use the tram lines on the coast, which were then in full development.
The workshops in Ostend selected a steam tram wagon with the number A1625 and converted it into a luxurious one for the king (1900-1903). They divided the wagon into two compartments. The first was to give shelter to the king and his guests. The second compartment was equipped for the personnel. The windows were fitted cutted-edges glass. Gilded crowns were placed on the roof. The tram was painted in a sky blue to give it a regal allure.
It is unclear whether Leopold II often used his personal tram. There is only a known photo showing the king with the shah of Persia.
After Leopold's death, the royal wagon fell into disuse and was converted into an 'ordinary' wagon in 1925 by the NMVB workshops in Ostend and put back into service on the coastal tram lines.
By 1956 the carriage had had its day and was sold to a local scrap dealer. He sold it on to the municipal school of Waarschoot as an emergency classroom.
By chance, the employees of the tram museum tracked down the carriage. They immediately identified it as the former royal carriage because of the cutted-edge glass of the windows. The tram was then bought and restored in the workshops of Cureghem (near Brussels).