Efteling Steam Train Company

The Aagje locomotive

Over the Gondoletta pond

The track of the steam train through the wooded park area

The Efteling Steam Train Company (Dutch: Efteling Stoomtrein Maatschappij) is a 600 mm (1 ft 11 ⁵⁄₈ in) narrow gauge passenger railway line at the Efteling theme park, in the Netherlands.^[1]

History

The line was constructed in 1968 using Second-hand Cockerill rails in a U-shaped track around the park with a station at each end. Both stations had a wye or rail triangle enabling the locomotives to run chimney-first at all times. In 1984 the line was extended to a circular track. Nowadays there are three platforms along the line, at the Adventure and Fairy realms, plus one station for the fairy characters to board. Ride length: since 1984 3 km, covering the inner part of the park in a circle.

Locomotives

• Aagje (1911): The first locomotive bought, 'Aagje' an Orenstein & Koppel, was, at that time, still in operation at the IJsseloord Brickworks in Arnhem. Aagje started her ‘fairy duty’ in 1969.
• Moortje (1908): After hard labor in a Belgian coalmine she became operational in the Efteling in 1974
• Neefje (1914): Originally a fireless steam locomotive. Operational in the Efteling in 1979- retired 2001. This particular locomotive is named after Kees Neve, who rebuilt and delivered Aagje, Moortje and Neefje for The Efteling. He was a well-known person among Dutch narrow gauge enthousiasts.^[2]
• Trijntje (1992): Built by Alan Keef,^[3] operational in the Efteling in 1992. She is 3.90 metres long and 1.53 metres broad. She weighs about 7,000 kilos and her colour is 'Anton Pieck Red'.
• A Diema (German locomotive manufactorer) diesel locomotive for maintenance purposes.

Each locomotive pulls six carriages which were designed by Anton Pieck. He also designed the locomotive tenders, not an original feature on this type of small locomotives.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Efteling Steamtrack Line.

• Official website