Kop Dubbeldekker

Design model of a double-decker nose

Model of the nose of a double-decker train at 1:10 scale, made by the Willems Brothers from Voorburg around 1983 and commissioned by the German manufacturer Talbot. In the early 1980s, in order to effectively accommodate increasing commuter volume and transport more passengers without changing the timetables or platform lengths, the NS decided to transition to double-decker rolling stock. Initial pilots were conducted using French coaches, but these failed to meet the requirements of the NS. Consequently, the railway company decided to task its Advertising & Design and Stock & Workshop departments with designing the train in-house. The challenge facing the NS designers was to come up with an effective shape for bridging the height difference between the tall roof and the low engine driver’s cab. The manufacturer Talbot and the NS Design department ordered this model of the nose to be made from soft foam rubber, so that last-minute tweaks would be possible. Next, the model was covered in plaster, details were added and the whole was sealed with cellulose lacquer. The definitive nose was then used to create the moulds needed to manufacture the actual trains.