Mat '36 - NS252

The design of the Mat ‘36 in the late 1930s is quite remarkable. Before that point, trains were usually made up of steam locomotives hitched to a series of individual carriages. With the Mat ‘36, however, there is no separate locomotive. This train consists of linked carriages and a built-in engine. It was extremely progressive in terms of technology and structure.

For starters, the train has the modern streamlined shape. It was also assembled entirely using (electric) arc welding, making it relatively lightweight. The train featured the latest innovations, such as automatic couplings, disc brakes and modular electrical equipment cabinets, which made it possible to resolve any technical issues more quickly.

The Mat ’36 series, with 217 carriages, was at the time the largest rolling stock order ever placed by NS. The Mat ‘36 rolled onto the rails just as the electrification of the rail network in the central Netherlands was complete in May 1938. Train 252 was built as a two-coach train by Werkspoor in Utrecht. During World War II, it was extended by adding a middle coach. During the Second World War, it was extended with an intermediate carriage. In the 1970s, train set 252 was saved from scrapping by STIBANS, preserved, and transferred to the Railway Museum in 2009. Currently, the train set is being restored in the museum depot in Blerick.