European Railroad Discussion > Steam from Hoorn to Medemblik

I was sorting through photos from my trip to the Netherlands in May to get some stuff ready for a slideshow tomorrow, and thought I'd post a few more.

Most of the trip, it rained. I understand that springtime in the Netherlands pretty much means rain, rain, and more rain, but still - whenever I got a bit of sun I took full advantage of it. My last day in the country was forecasted to be warm and perfectly clear, so I couldn't resist getting one more steam trip in. I'd seen the Hoorn-Medemblik line mentioned a couple times, but was wavering until the last moment.

I'm so incredibly thankful I got my lazy rear up out of bed to get from Rotterdam to Hoorn for the morning run. Given how little I've seen in mentioned among fans (aka, never), this has to be one of the most under-appreciated places I've visited. It's a fun little heritage railway, with interesting equipment and a much more laid back attitude.

Photo #1 - The Hoorn station grounds in the morning. The walkway in the background leads over to the modern-day NS (Nederlands Spoorwegen) station, making for an easy transfer from mainline trains.

Photo #2 - One of the neat things about this operation is that they don't mind folks wandering into the shop in the morning before departure. (There are lines and safety chains to keep the general public out of hazardous areas.) It gives you the chance to see the rest of the power, even if it's not out and running that day. Here's NS 7742 "Bello", a 1915 0-6-0 built to operate in these parts. It's one of the few NS steam engines preserved, and it's operational (though not today).

Photo #3 - My favorite of their equipment is actually #8, a 1904 13-ton 0-4-0 steam tram engine. Yes, it runs. Yes, they do use it out on the line sometimes.

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Photo #4 - My train for the day - the 1000h departure - was powered by #26, a 1922 0-4-0 built by the Germans for the Limburgsche Tramweg-Maatschappij, or Limburg Tram Company. Behind it was a long string of 2-axle steel coaches. Somewhere I remember reading that these were acquired from Poland or one of the other eastern bloc countries.

Photo #5 - Behind us, running as a second section, was engine #5, a 1929 0-6-0, with a string of historic wooden Dutch tram coaches.

Photo #6 - Coach AB6, a 1902 wooden tram car

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Photo #7 - Cruising across the Dutch countryside on the branch. The line was built in 1887 and passenger service ran until 1941. Freight continued until later - I can't find an exact date - and the museum appears to have been founded in about 1968.

Photo #8 - The thing I can't get over is how everything on this railroad just shines. I come from a place where steam engines were painted black and spent most of their time working, not being washed. A bright, gleaming blue tank engine is a refreshing change. (And no, I refuse to start photographing Thomas, no matter the similarities...)

Photo #9 - #26 adds their water tank car to the end of our train for the return trip. When we arrived, it was stored at the other end of the station tracks, and both engines took water from it using a small pump.

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Photo #10 - Most folks seem to ride the train up (Hoorn to the end of the line at Medemblik) and then board the Friesland for the trip back to Enkhausen, where they can pick up an NS local train back to Hoorn. However, as much as I like old ships, I was here to ride trains.

Photo #11 - Both trains sit near the end of the line at Medemblik. The station is the banded brick building with two chimneys behind the trains. I'm standing on the seawall that separates the town from the IJsselmeer, a large inland lake carved out of the North Sea by some fantastic feats of engineering (aka the Zuiderzee Works).

Photo #12 - Really, would it be a trip to the Netherlands without at least one shot of a train and a windmill? Having the bike car and then the tank car on the back was nice, as was the fact I was the only passenger in the rear coach. That probably wasn't a bad thing. People kept trying to speak to me in Dutch, which I never have been able to speak, read, or make any sense of. It's strange - German and English I'm pretty good with, and Dutch is supposedly a mix, but I can't make sense of it most times.

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Photo #13 - Both ways, the train stops at the restored Wognum-Nibbixwoud station. It's now a museum and a place where the passengers can get off and stretch their legs. Or, if you're a mob of Japanese tourists, stand in front of the engine the whole time so nobody can get a shot... :)

Photo #14 - Fortunately, if you wait until the very last second, it's sometimes possible that they'll move for fear of missing the train. For that matter, I couldn't say I was all that comfortable that I wasn't going to get left, but the conductor knew what I was up to and gave me a few extra seconds.

Photo #15 - Arriving back in Hoorn, #5 is already back at the engine shed being serviced.

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Photo #16 - The modern day Hoorn depot, used by the NS mainline trains between Amsterdam and the end of the line at Enkhuizen

Photo #17 - Seeing as I was flying from Brussels to Chicago the next morning, I couldn't wait around to shoot the afternoon departure. I needed to get my butt back on NS to Amsterdam, change and go back to Rotterdam to pick up my luggage (NS station lockers only take chip & pin credit cards, which I still lack...), then catch the regional train from Rotterdam Central to Brussels North. I think I finally got back to Brussels around 2100h.

Photo #18 - Here's the train at Rotterdam, getting ready to leave for Belgium.

Hope you've enjoyed this as much as I've enjoyed looking back and trying to remember exactly how this all went together.
Nathan
http://www.drgw.net

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A lovely set of photos.

Excellent photos and captions. I think this will inspire a few of us to add another item to the "Bucket List".

Steve Mitchell
http://www.yardgoatimages.com

Bucket List? Add the Harz Mountain Railroad! Will not disappoint! www.hsb-wr.de

Paul Ramer
Cincinnati, OH