2010-06-24 Rtd Waalhaven

Squeezed between the A15 motorway, the Port railroad, the Waalhaven rail yard and Rotterdam's Metro Erasmus line, NedTrain has built an all new locomotive maintenance facility to support freight traffic to and from the Rotterdam port area. On June 24, 2010 this facility was openend
DSC02188 DSC02184  This "Sik" adorns the entrance.  The nickname means "goat", after the bleating sounds its exhaust makes. This type was built between 1930 and 1951, about 200, in various batches. They were designed to be operated with all but the most basic knowledge of motive operation. Further described at   Wiki  , sorry for the terrible Googlenglish.   The design basically still shows a steam locomotive. t, but well placed and very modern. In the front some rails of the Rotterdam metro network, in the background the Waalhaven shunting yard DSC02186  General view of the plant. Small, modest, but well placed and very modern. In the front some rails of the Rotterdam metro network, in the background the Waalhaven shunting yard DSC02189  Inside looms another piece of heritage: a representative of the 2200-2300 series which formed, together with the 2400-2500 series, the backbone of freight traffic from the 50's until the 90's.
DSC02191 DSC02193  A former Belgian loco (T73) with a Cockerill engine DSC02194  Pit track DSC02196  General director (right) and plant manager (blue shirt) meeting guests and collegues
DSC02211 DSC02199b DSC02197  Soccer World Championship also has invaded here DSC02198  In 2007 a gorilla named Bokito jumped the fence of its pen and attacked a visitor in the Rotterdam Zoo. The incident was exhaustively covered in the press. This Niteq entered service at the Tilburg plant shortly after that incident, nameless. One day however it jumped the rails, scared everybody's guts out and was consequently named after the gorilla ;-)
ROTTERDAM-BLIJDORP-BOKITO  ANP photo Evert-Jan Daniels : blijdorp, bokito, rotterdam DSC02210  Bokito is fitted with all kinds of couplers in order to handle just about any rolling stock that could possibly visit the plant. In Tilburg it encountered passenger stock with various coupling systems. That is extremely unlikely here. As freight stock mainly has standard link couplers, I suspect this loco will soon be modfied if it will stay in Rotterdam over an extended period of time DSC02201  A refurbished DDR engine (BR203). The advent of new rail operators is a colorful addition to the old conservative NS color schemes. DSC02207
DSC02212  Taking a peek in the hall a 6400 await maintenance. This loco can be radio controlled, which can be seen from the small R symbol just visible at the lower right of the hatch DSC02218 DSC02220 DSC02213  A 20 years or so younger ascendant of the 6400. The large jacks are used to lift the loco body if the bogies need replacement or separate maintenance
DSC02224 DSC02214  Pit equipment, air, AC power, and lighting DSC02216  Stairs DSC02217  Storage of free issue parts (washers, nuts, bolts etc)
DSC02221 DSC02203  This is what I mean when I say "conservative NS color schemes". Though now property of DB Schenker, the scheme has changed very little. 6400-series on shunting duties on the Waalhaven yard DSC02227  A class 189 is "mounted" by its driver DSC02228  Another RRF engine awaiting duty
DSC02229  ACTS, one of the first non-NS operator in the Netherlands, also has a colorful scheme DSC02231  Despite the party about to start inside, work goes on. DSC02234 DSC02232  Some serious business going on
DSC02233  The litter bins are still well painted. That'll last a few weeks only, I guess DSC02238  1200-series power bogies. Last remnants of a once famous American, now used as support bogies to displace heavy loads DSC02240 DSC02246  Small parts storage in a rotating high density storage facility
DSC02250 DSC02242  Party DSC02251  Speech, short DSC02263
DSC02254  The workforce that will do the daily job DSC02243 DSC02255 DSC02265  Speech, long. Projectmanager of the site's construction. Very proud of course!!
DSC02266 DSC02271  Opening by "dragging" a loco in DSC02273b DSC02282  Somewhat less inconspicuous. The music was nice, the dancing apalling.
DSC02300  Some bragger, ignoring all safety regulations. DSC02296  Don't try this at home!! DSC02314  The opening loco