Apeldoorn Steam Trains – December, 2019

28Dec/190

Apeldoorn Steam Trains – December, 2019

Back to Apeldoorn, but this time to check out heritage equipment operated by the De Veluwsche Stoomtrein Maatschappij. Again, it was a very early start via Amsterdam Centraal, which coincided with the Thalys arriving from Belgium.

A standard Intercity was taken through to Amersfoort with a small transfer over to another service through to Apeldoorn. It was quite the dreary day, so apologies that all shots hence-forth are in low-light... the temperature was exactly as it looks!

The picture above is the northern side of the station and via this exit you can get to the town center. I had travelled there on December 26 and there was absolutely no point of doing so... there are no boxing day sales in regional towns in Holland! After a quick lap of the town (even McDonalds was shut), I ventured to the southern side and then to the east with a plan to intersect with the branch line that the steam engine runs along. From the station it's about a 15 minute walk.

I walked from the first level-crossing down to the next along the line in search of photo opportunities. Thanks to the weather, the sun was hidden... otherwise it'd be head-on into the lens! Regardless, there wasn't much chop, apart from straight-on photos down the line, or side-on from across the canal. Instead, I wandered back to the bridge at the first crossing and lined up a 30-degree angle with the track. This also let me see the two 'white' signals down the line.. of which I hoped would indicate occupancy, or at least triggered crossings... but did neither with the up service.

I was happily kept amused by the wildlife, watching my clock as the minutes clicked past the expected times on the schedule. Running around 15 minutes late, the steamer arrived and paused at the crossing right next to me!

The train had stopped as the crossing next to me required manual activation. The guard quickly alighted, unlocked the control box and triggered the gates.

The consist then rolled on through to Apeldoorn Station. I noted the steam pipes running through the entire length of the train, presumably for heating? Once it passed and the crossing cleared I light-footed it back as well. As I was running to make it to the opposite platform, the same gas/oil train rolled through as happened last time I was in Apeldoorn. In fact, that was the only freight I saw all day... which is really only one more than I saw last time I was here!

The steamer had also already run around and was ready to roll away. After being 15 late, it still left on time! I managed to format my card before I remembered that I had a video of it on there. Whoops. After all the fun was over, I stopped for a burger at the restaurant in the station building.