NS railway museum .. it's just like visiting your cousins.. it's so similar

I recently had the opportunity to visit the fantastic collection at the Dutch railways Netherland Spoorweg museum in Utrecht, Holland.
Only 30 minutes from Amsterdam to Utrecht, and a dedicated hourly shuttle service from Utrecht Central Station to Utrecht Maliebaan station.

The hourly shuttle in itself is interesting.. on this occasion a brand new 5 coach EMU takes the train from the station approx 10 minutes off the mainline and over a flat crossing. The driver then changes end and the unit then reverses onto a curve onto the line it just crossed over. The line itself is a little used (read nothing) freight line that looks probably closed and runs directly to the Maliebaan station, no station stops and approx 20 minutes in duration.
The station is flanked either side by the museum, but the station is open to regular passengers.
Tickets can be bought for the train, or train / museum combined from ticket machines at Utrecht Central, or on the train from the guard / conductor.

Old and new EMUs side by side.



On this occasion, I was the only passenger, in both directions.

The railway museum has a very interesting collection of locomotives well laid out and definitely gives the entertainment value.
The sections of the museum include a replica of Shildon streets in the 1800s, as well as the station platform where "de arend" the first locomotive in Holland went from.
It also includes a roller coaster ride in the dark that goes over, under and around a locomotive shed / works simulation which uses two locomotives and a coach as well as visual effects, sounds and smoke.. it's really quite scary !

A steam locomotive simulator is provided in the form of no other than "Longmoor" WD 2-10-0 73755 where standing in the cab and viewing the driver/fireman's side windows gives the visual of the train in steam in the form of a video.

There is a definite British ancestry about the collection... locomotives from North British, Beyer Peacock, Sharp Stewart as well as diesels from Dick Kerr of Preston, as well as the LMS at Derby... walking round here makes one think what it would be like if we had more 19th century steam locomotives restored to working order..

Here's a few pictures..


(can anyone identify the purpose of the bell on the tender ?)

NS 3737, the last steam locomotive to run in the Netherlands, this engine has been twice since overhauled for use. This example was built in 1911 by NS, but was based on a Gorton design to which several predecessors where built.


One of 3 "08 shunter" look a likes, predating the class, this one seems to be trying to camoflage itself in the bushes.



The "goods shed" exhibit in the main building contains many examples of locomotive number and builders plates. This example is off E26000 (the original EM1 which the LNER worked in Holland until the Woodhead route was ready to use it).




I'm surprised this hasnt been mentioned before.. but someone seems to have copied someone in 1957/8.. this Alsthom (France) built BO-BO diesel has almost identical shape and dimensions to the BTH class 15 in the UK, it has similar axle weight (and overall weight) and similar rated HP engines..and the shape is too close to miss too..I am sure if we didnt have D8233 in preservation, one of these would have been a "conversion to a class 15" candidate.

ASFAIK there wasnt a direct lineage between the two.. so if anyone knows more...


finally.. not old but interesting, this is the old KLM livery on a modern 737.. (Lufthansa also has a retro just running around currently).

 

not in the musuem itself on the day, but some have in recent past. (one I noticed had a perfectly smooth brand new tender.. contrast to the more beaten locomotive), NS3737 (although 1911, but a Victorian design) was also recently operational. From previous visits to the Netherlands, their mainline and preserved line steam is mostly ex-German locomotives (BR64s, 23s etc).

 

The UK has more preserved victorian railway history than most of the rest of the world, yet the UK operational fleet seems to be of types constructed since 1923.

Seeing locomotives like these overseas, constructed in the UK, my personal preference would be to see more of the UK's 19th century steam locos in steam in the uk.
It's just my wish after seeing these examples and others as I travel... older pre-1923 types are so much more elegant and interesting..
Of all museums around the world, the NS museum definitely feels "close to home"...

 

i went to the spooweg museum a couple of years back with a touring company. indeed it was excellent and the roller coaster ride thing was a surprise treat. NRM take note haha. I see that they have had a shuffle about as longmoor isnt where it was last time I visited.

quick question, how did longmoor come to end up in holland? was she sold directly from the LMR?

 

"The hourly shuttle in itself is interesting .. approx 20 minutes in duration"

It is possible to walk between the Central Station and the museum in little more than 20 minutes. A very worthwhile visit and quite inspirational seeing those UK-built Victorian locomotives (which now seem to be better arranged than on my last visit a few years ago).

 

Wouldn't that be such a wonderful thing !



WD 73755's name plate reads

"The 1000th British Built Freight Locomotive ferried to Europe since 'D' Day"
"Locomotive number 73755 Wednesday 9th May 1945"
"Longmoor"

AFAIK this locomotive this loco was sold from WD service to NS after the war.


View from the footplate with video simulator

 

The tender mounted bell (see post#1) was an early type of communication cord - used in the U.K. also. Hope this answers your question. Ray.

 

Quite a few changes since I visited some 20 years ago. Layout seems much improved.

 

The outdoor 7.25" gauge railway is also stocked with British-built equipment, from Mardyke Miniature Railways.

 

First time I've had to ride on a roller coaster just to see some locos - the Indonesian Mallet and a 4.6.4T are within a darkened area of the museum that can only be reached by these means!

 

Just to put the record straight: Utrecht Maliebaanstation is NOT open to passengers and is integraqted in the museum.
In the days until the 1920s it was the terminus of the main line from Amsterdam via Hilversum, operated by the HIJSM company (known as the Holland Rly ). The direct line between Amsterdam and Utrecht CS was then operated bij de competing SS (State Rlys). From 1920 on its use gradually declined and its last use was to serve the nightly mail trains in the late 1930's. Soon after 1950 it became the home of the infant Dutch Railway Museum. The line from the junction described (known as Blauwkapel) until recently continued beyond Maliebaan to Lunetten Junction on the line from Utrecht CS to Eindhoven and Maastricht. It was used as an avoiding line for freight until recently and is currently being lifted.

The "class 08" diesel shunter was covered in artisic foyle as part as a special exhibition. it is not a regular exhibit. The collection does include an original LMS-built ex-WD 0-6-0D.

The bo-bo diesel of the 2400-series is of the standardised design built in large numbers by Alsthom for the then French colonies in Africa and Asia in t he early 1950s. NS bought them off the shelf for light freight work to speed de withdrawal of steam.

Dirk

 

Thanks for your informative post on the history of the station and the collection do you have any more details on the NS2400 diesels, I have found them quite interesting to read.. are they still in use in France for railway construction traffic ?


I do beg to differ with regard the railway service to Utrecht Centraal station. Unless this changed in the last 2 months..

I definitely didnt imagine my journey to Maliebaan station though I was the only paying passenger on the train.. did I perhaps jump on a train that runs but not for public use ?

Here's some more pictures including train times:



When purchasing the ticket I had the option of a ticket to the station or a ticket which included museum admission.
The service is still listed on ns.nl website today as still running it seems reliable enough to me, though admittedly running what looks to be a brand new 5 car EMU on a shuttle that carried only myself for the day (I didnt see anyone on the other inbetween services whilst I was there), does seem to be a waste of money.. the Green EMU next to it may be a more suitable use for this service

 

I will return to the 2400 series later.

As for the trainservice to Maliebaan station:

Your observations are of course correct, your conclusions are not.
The train service is for visitors to the museum only. In the past it was operated with preserved stock, but it was found that exposing these coaches to the wear and tear of regular service, including a large proportion of young people was not the best option.Since then regular NS passenger stock is used and the trains are announced in the regular way at Utrecht CS.

The fact that tickets are sold without the museum admission is for members of the "Friends of the musuem" society, and holders of the "National Museum Card", both of whom have free admission. Trains can be quite full during school holidays and weekends, although a 5-car set is slightly overdone. I think this set was available for this service that day. i have been in 2-car sets in the past.

Dirk

 

Like ADB, I would still classify this station as open.

 

I went here in June and thought it was great. Lots of British outline engines in the main hall and the roller-coaster ride around the 'loco works' was inspired! Well worth a visit.

 

You are of course free to think what you want... it's a free country, but Utrecht Maliebaan is not open to the general public.

From the street you cannot reach the platform without paying for the museum admittance.

Dirk

 

i dispute that too...
I couldnt go into the exhibition hall without showing a ticket..
but I walked out of the station into the car park and onto the street, and returned via the station building to the platform... no one challenged me at all.

However even if it's a station for museum visitors only.. it is none the less an open station.. or are you saying the 400 odd stations around the UK preserved railways are all closed as well because they are not under control of the national network ?


I think we're chewing over english language.. IMHO a station with a timetabled train operation, with regular trains, which accepts paying passengers.. is an open station.. even if it's private, public or a museum ?
If your saying people cannot walk from the street to the platform to catch a train to Utrecht.. well it may not be the case in spirit, but nothing prevents it physically (and doesnt stack up logically), but it's still an open station.

To me, this is a closed station:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abandoned_railway_station