NS1125

The 1100 locomotive series is based on a series of French locomotives. In 1949, the director of the NS, F.Q. Den Hollander and his wife visited the Alsthom factory during construction to have a look at the locomotives. The French designer, Paul Arzens, showed the couple a number of pastel tints as potential paint colours. Mrs Den Hollander, however, felt that the trains should be given a more cheerful hue. She chose turquoise. This was quickly replaced with Prussian blue, as turquoise showed dirt too easily. In the early 1980s, a nose cap was added to the locomotives to offer the drivers better protection in case of collisions. The 1107 is an example of the version with added nose cap. In 1989, as part of the festivities marking the 150th anniversary of the Dutch railways, the 1125 was cosmetically restored and its nose cap was removed. The 1100 was known as a true all-rounder that could be relied on to pull both passenger trains and goods trains, whether light or heavy.