0216 NETHERLANDS (Netherlands / Overijssel) - The locomotive NS 451 from rom Museum Buurt Spoorweg

The little Haaksbergen (24,339 inhabitants), located in the east of the Netherlands, in the province of Overijssel, very close to the German border, has something that only few cities have: a railway museum. Moreover, the Museum Buurt Spoorweg (MBS) maintains a tourist railway link with steam locomotives and other historical rail material between Haaksbergen and Boekelo. Visitors may experience the way of travelling by district trains in the past. The railway line was constructed almost 125 years ago, the station in Haaksbergen was built in 1884, and the historical steam locomotives tell the story of travelling in the early decades of the previous century.

This railway line mainly supplied the twents textile industry with coal, but besides the many freight trains, passenger trains also rode on the line. Because of the rising concurrence of the bus, passenger transport was ended in 1937, and in 1973  ceased also the freight transport. This didn't mean, however, the end of railway, because on the 21st February 1967 was established the MBS foundation, with the purpose of reviving a branch line of bygone times. Since its establishment, the MBS has developed itself to an authoritative museum, with a large collection of rolling material.

The Foundation has the most extensive collection of Nederlandse Spoorwegen (Dutch Railways) diesel locomotives. Among the exhibits is the locomotive in the picture, NS 451, the only one in its class who survived and is in the museum since 1972. The NS locserie 450 was used by the Nederlandse Spoorwegen between 1956 and 1972, originally replacing the steam locomotives. In 1956-1957 Werkspoor Utrecht delivered  451-460. They had the same olive green color that the other small diesel locomotives in those days wore, but were full train locomotives with continuous brake and a higher speed limit. The locomotive in the image was at the MBS administrative number 11, but carries on the locomotive itself the original number 451.

The stamp is the second from the Postcrossing series that I received it (the first is here). So I need another four to complete the series.


sender: Annemieke Reinderink (direct swap)
sent from Haarlo (Netherlands), on 04.05.2012