Steam says farewell to Dutch boat train route

A German ‘Pacific’ has become one of the last locomotives to run over Holland’s historic boat train route before it is closed - to become a tramway. The 24km (15 mile) line between Schiedam Central and Hook of Holland is to be vacated by NS (Nederlandse Spoorwegen) in March 2017. It will then be converted to light rail operation as part of the Rotterdam Metro (RET), in a €318 million project. A series of steam charters ran between Rotterdam Central and Hook of Holland on October 1, with Class 01 4-6-2 No. 01.1075. Run by Dutch preservation group and main line operator Stoom Stichting Nederland, the trains were organised to coincide with a harbour festival held in Maasluis.

dB ‘pacific’ No. 01.1075 departs from Maasluis, en route to Hook of Holland on October 1. PAUL CONLAN