De Rhijnboog ('loc op poten')

The Rhijnboog locomotive represents a huge leap forward in locomotive construction. It was the first locomotive to have a double-axle bogie system at the front that improved driving performance. This also made it possible to increase the length and therefore the capacity of the boiler. The nickname ‘Rhijnboog’ combines the name of the Dutch railway company that ordered the locomotive (Nederlandsche Rhijnspoorweg-Maatschappij) with the word ‘bogie’. After the NRS shut down, the series of locomotives was ultimately acquired by the HSM. They were so pleased with these engines that they ordered 50 more virtually identical locomotives. Locomotive NRS 107 has been given a special place at the museum. It towers over our visitors from its lofty ‘throne’. In fact, that vantage point predates the museum building itself. During the major renovation in 2005, the museum building was not built until after the NRS 107 had been installed atop its columns.