NS1010

When a large portion of the railway network was electrified in the 1930s, a demand for electric locomotives ensued. The NS ordered locomotives to be built in Switzerland, but World War II put a hitch in these plans. The Swiss were unable to deliver the engines to the Netherlands during the war. After the war ended, however, the NS did receive ten locomotives, numbers 1001 through 1010. The NS wanted to use the locomotives to pull coal and goods trains. Unfortunately, the locomotives were plagued by problems related to an irregular drive rhythm and short-circuits. They were also unable to reach the desired top speed of 160 kph. As a result, the speed limit for goods transport was reduced to 100 kph and later to 80 kph. In the 1980s, the STIBANS (a society aimed at preserving decommissioned Dutch railway stock) planned to keep the 1005 for posterity, but it broke down while still being used by the NS. Ultimately, the 1010 was the only locomotive from this series to escape the scrapyard.