On Friday June 3rd, 2011 my wife and I visited the RTM tramway museum at Ouddorp, NL.
1 The RTM, Rotterdam Tramway Co, was an overland tramway that operated on the south west islands between 1878 and 1966. The narrow gauge net grew to 150 km in its heydays. Four steam locomotives, some diesel cars and an array of rolling stock survived, mostly in terrible condition. The RTM (Riding Tramway Museum ;-) is lovingly restoring them to running condition as time and finances permit. The track at Ouddorp is not original but custom laid for tourist purposes
2 We arrived after a one and a half hour's drive with just minutes to spare to catch the 13:30 tram
3 No 57 is one of the class 0-6-0 numbered 51-58 built between 1915-1920 by Orenstein & Koppel. No 57 was built in 1920 and withdrawn in 1963. It stood rusting away in the National Railway Museum in Utrecht, though under a roof completely exposed to the weather. Since 2003 it is on permanent loan at the RTM.
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5 Bell in the smoke
6 Although superheated, which was highly modern for trams at the time, these engines are classical tramway locos: water tanks below the footplate (you can see tank lid left of the head lamp), inside cylinders (see the cylinder covers above the buffer), central buffer, well protected driving mechanism against road dust and "unintended interaction with the general public". Gauge is 1067 mm and note that the profile of loco and stock is extremely narrow.
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30 Who says "The Cob" at Porthmadog is unique??
31 On the left hand side the Grevelingen, freshwater, on the other side the Northsea.
32 Intermediate stop
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36 Approaching Middelplaat Haven, the temporary end of the line.
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38 Running around. Note the extremely narrow profile of the loco, adpated to to squeeze through the narrow streets of towns in the twenties
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42 Low angle view
43 It takes a little exercise to get to such a low vantage point
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45 This young man was taking his driving exams today.....
46 The "examinator"
I met him later on the day and he turned to be author of several books I have. Nice to meet him!!
And NO, the man in the background is not picking his nose!!
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51 The shooter shot
52 On our way back, a view through the first coach towards the loco. The driver-examinee watching his gauges
53 Janneke having a good time
54 The "examinator" is keeping an eye on the tram
55 Arrival back at the museum
56 One of diesel trams
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63 The RTM's herald, with Rotterdams herald enclosed
64 RTM letter logo on an axle box
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66 A shot that could been made in the thirties
67 A new boiler for no 56 waiting
68 In a small side shed I found the two other locos
