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 There
are a number of themes that always find their way into my various trips;
history, stamp collecting, automobile racing and trains. In Utrecht, a
city south of Amsterdam existed two of the four. A stamp store that I have
returned to a number of times and the National Railway Museum. The museum
is located in the former 125-year-old Maliebaan station in East Utrecht.
In an area filled with museums and galleries.
Opening
hours are:
through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. Saturday, Sunday, Ascension Day,
and public holidays from 11.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Monday, New Year's Day,
Easter Sunday, White Sunday, Christmas Day and the Queen's Birthday the
museum is closed.
 The
museum has a shop, guided tours, a restaurant and library. The library of
the Dutch Railway Museum contains about 15,000 books and magazines on
railways and tramways in the Netherlands and abroad. If you really want to
splurge the Dutch Railway Museum lends out various railway carriages and
locomotives to transport you all over the Netherlands. Renting your own
train as you tour the countryside will make you feel as if you are the
King of Prussia during the 19th century.
It seems
that you can reach about any place in Holland by train. The Dutch
Railways consist of a network of some 2600km, of which 2000km is
electrified with 1500V= overhead wire. On
the Dutch Railways you can find about 140 electric locomotives, 125 diesel
locomotives, 100 diesel shunters, 500 EMUs and 150 DMUs.
The trains cross
the country in all directions and not a moment goes by that you don't see
a train on its appointed route. The museum
itself is less than 10 years old and plays host to many schoolchildren.
Though not as large as the National Railway Museum in York, England
I still found it well worth my trip. The exhibits are well arrayed and
show many fine examples from the railway's history. The next time I visit
Holland maybe I'll rent my own train, then again maybe I'll have to save
up some more!
      
  
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