NS 59221 (GTMK)

These wagons, and others of this type, have transported millions of tonnes of coal. From the coal mines in South Limburg to customers throughout the rest of the Netherlands and abroad. The freight wagons were built between 1912 and 1930. For decades, these wooden wagons were a defining feature of coal transport in the Netherlands. From 1938 onwards, NS began using new steel wagons.

As coal disappeared as a domestic fuel, the use of these goods wagons also declined. In the 1960s, NS had all the wagons scrapped. All but one: the 59221 GTMK. Incidentally, this was also one of the last wagons to roll off the production line. The G stands for ‘open wagon’ and the T for ‘tipping’. This means it can tip its contents lengthways when unloading onto ships, for example. The M stands for a load capacity of 20 tonnes or more. The K stands for Kunze-Knorr freight train brake.