A Suggestion For A Dutch Route (bilthoven - Zeist)

Discussion in 'TSW General Discussion' started by The SimTrain Tube, Dec 12, 2020.

  1. The SimTrain Tube

    The SimTrain Tube Well-Known Member

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    Here's my suggestion for a possible Dutch route, altough I'm not sure in which time period it would be, and also I couldn't find information on the type of locomotives used.

    After the opening of the Utrecht - Kampen railway line, the Nederlandsche Centraal Spoorweg-Maatschappij no longer focuses on national connections, but mainly on the emerging commuter traffic around Utrecht. Various subsidiaries are building so-called local railways to the villages around the city of Utrecht. The NCS then operates these connections. The attractive surroundings and good connection with the city ensures that some villages are experiencing enormous growth. Tourism in the wooded area is also becoming increasingly popular during this time. The Nederlandsche Buurtspoorweg-Maatschappij was founded in December 1900. The railway company is an independent subsidiary of the NCS and is constructing a seven-kilometer long local railway from De Bilt to Zeist, connecting to the Central Railway. The seven-kilometer local line between De Bilt and Zeist was opened in August 1901. The train service on the link is operated by the NCS. With the arrival of the new railway line, various residential areas are created in the wooded area around the stations of De Bilt and Zeist, partly thanks to investments by the railway company. For example, the NCS is the major shareholder of Villapark Bosch en Duin halfway the line. The stop of the same name was taken into use in 1907. The short local line became very popular in a short time and was provided with a second track in 1912. Due to the rise of the car and bicycle, the increasing competition from cheap buses and the direct tram line between Utrecht and Zeist, interest in the local line via De Bilt quickly declined after the First World War. In January 1941 the train service was discontinued and the second track was broken up by order of the occupying forces. After this, the line will remain in use for freight transport. Around 1950, the first 500 meters of the line to the level crossing with the Julianalaan was fitted with overhead wires as a turning track for the Bilthoven yard. However, the planned shuttle service between Utrecht and Bilthoven with electric multiple units was never introduced. The connection was finally closed in 1972. It will take until 1978 for the railway to be broken up. The A28 motorway between Rijnsweerd and Den Dolder was opened in 1985. The motorway is located in an excavation near the former route of the De Bilt - Zeist railway line. A single-track viaduct was built at the crossing in 1969, three years before the line was closed. The viaduct was only demolished in August 2018.
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    In Bilthoven, the former railway line between the Centraalspoorweg and the Sperwerlaan has been merged into the various gardens. Only the striking bump in the Julianalaan is a reminder of the former railway crossing.
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    Outside the boundary of Bilthoven, the former railway line meanders through the wooded area of the Biltsche Duinen and various estates.
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    Here you can clearly recognize the wide slope of the double-track local railway.
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    A 10 kV line for NS is located under part of the route.
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    Several rails that were used as hectometre markers have been preserved along the former railway line. However, these are now almost all illegible, such as this one near Golfclub De Pan.
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    Hardly anything can be found of the former Bosch en Duin station. The slightly elevated path on the right, however, betrays the former platform.
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    The former track halfway between Bosch en Duin and Huis ter Heide.
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    The station building of Huis ter Heide was taken into use as a café Spitfire two years after the discontinuation of passenger transport. Due to its location on the Amersfoortse Weg and airbase Soesterberg, it has been a well-known operating base for years. In 2020, the former station building was renovated and sik 329 was placed on a short stretch of track.


    The A28 motorway between Rijnsweerd and Den Dolder is opened in 1985. The highway crosses the former track of the De Bilt - Zeist railway line via an excavation. A single-track viaduct was constructed at the crossing in 1968. Since 1961, however, there has been no significant freight transport to and from Zeist. The main argument for the viaduct is therefore the possible reactivation of the local line as a passenger connection. The viaduct will be demolished in August 2018. After the breaking up of the railway line and the station yard, an undeveloped site remains in Zeist for a long time. A few years ago, the last traces of new construction of residential areas and industrial sites disappeared. The only thing that reminds of the former NBM line is the Stationslaan in the middle of the town.

    The barely used railway viaduct that runs on the A28 for 50 years.
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    The viaduct became inaccessible not only because of several fences, but later also because of the vegetation.
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    A few years earlier, the viaduct can still be reached. However, a large fence ensures that it cannot be entered.
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    Station Huis ter Heide

    Bosch en Duin station (between 1925 and 1940)
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    Railroad crossing Amersfoortseweg
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    Huis ter Heide station (between 1901 and 1905)
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    Station Zeist (1903)
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    Depot behind Zeist station (1910)
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  2. Knightfire1964

    Knightfire1964 Well-Known Member

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    good suggestion with lots of info but think this post would be better suited and be seen by other in the suggestions page rather than the pc discussion page
     
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  3. The SimTrain Tube

    The SimTrain Tube Well-Known Member

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    Didn't think about that one, thanks. Perhaps one of the mods can move it?
     
  4. Rudolf

    Rudolf Well-Known Member

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    It may be interesting, but only as a historic route. It would be awesome to have historical Dutch routes. The length would be a bit short, but as a start ... Personally I would prefer the regional routes in the eastern part, e.g. for Winterswijk to Zutphen or Arnhem. Also to route from Zwolle to Emmen would be very interesting and allow for some freight as well.
     
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  5. TheDutchGuy

    TheDutchGuy Member

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    The idea is fun and interesting, but if you want to recreate it in an realistic way (what TSW is aspiring) it would be extremely hard to do. Although there are still markings that there used to be a railway, the landscape, buildings and such have changed greatly trough the years. You would litteraly need tons and tons of documentation (for example about track speeds, switches, crossings etc.) to get the idea of the ground.
    If TSW would ever get the idea to make a Dutch route, I think the Amsterdam - Utrecht line would be the easiest for them to make. It holds everything that is good and/or fun to work with. It runs from one big city to another, with enough stops on the way, a fairly big chunk with only meadows and it also holds dual signalling (ATB and ETCS), to give it a bit of variation. Depending offcourse on the trains they would create for it, or adapt for it like the BR406.
     
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  6. The SimTrain Tube

    The SimTrain Tube Well-Known Member

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    Yes I thought as much myself, but since I live in Zeist myself, I just had to make a post about it.
    At the very least I hope people will find it interesting to read.

    Oh, and on a side note, I'm Dutch too:)
     
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  7. TheDutchGuy

    TheDutchGuy Member

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    I figured about the part of being Dutch :cool:. Hardly anybody from outside of the Netherlands would come up with this. But it's certainly interesting! Speaking of this, we have more abandoned lines that would be very interesting to do. For example the line from Haarlem to IJmuiden. The only chance that we have of seeing those lines appear in the game is if it became an open source idea like MSTS was. Maybe in the future? Who knows.
     
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