Nestor

In the early days, the HSM was the only railway company in the Netherlands that always gave its locomotives a name as well as a number. The Nestor, for instance, was also assigned the number 89. Despite the fact that it was always referred to as ‘The Nestor’, the nameplate shows only ‘Nestor’. This series of locomotives were nicknamed ‘Tenners’ because they could handle steam pressure equal to 10 atmospheres. One noteworthy feature of this locomotive series is that the engine driver’s cab is made from wood rather than the more-usual metal. Their drivers were therefore sometimes called ‘caravan dwellers’. Metal bars known as rail guards were attached to the front of the frame plates. The driver could mount brooms to these guards to clear the rails in snowy conditions. Like all locomotives, the Nestor also has grease pots mounted on it. These pots would have been filled with grease and yarn or felt used to lubricate the axles.