Stichting voorheen RTM

Stichting voorheen (RTM)(Rijdend Tram Museum)

The Foundation formerly (RTM) former name: Rijdend Tram Museum, is a tram museum and operates a tram service on the route Punt van Goeree ( Ouddorp ) – Port Zélande – Scharendijke on the Brouwersdam with historical equipment from the former Rotterdamsche Tramweg Maatschappij (RTM). This is the only line in the Netherlands on Cape gauge, with a track gauge of 1067 mm, on which many Dutch tram lines and foreign railway lines used to be built.

Stichting voorheen (RTM) History

After the closure of the last RTM tram lines southwest of Rotterdam in 1965-66, the Tramweg-Stichting, founded in 1965, saw an opportunity to take over a large part of the remaining tram equipment and store it at the old tram depot in Hellevoetsluis (Tramhaven).

This involved three steam locomotives, two diesel locomotives, two diesel railcars and a number of wooden carriages, three so-called 'steel' carriages from after 1950 and freight wagons. Because there was insufficient storage space available, the equipment had to be stored in the open air, which did not benefit the state of maintenance. Under difficult circumstances, a short tram line was reconstructed over the former route, which was used regularly between 1968 and 1988. In the meantime, some of the old trams were restored. Two RTM carriages (370 and 395) moved to the Hoorn-Medemblik Steam Tramway in the 1970s, where they were put into service on standard gauge after restoration and conversion.

Under pressure from expansion plans of the Municipality of Hellevoetsluis, the line had to be shortened. After the relationship with the municipality deteriorated further and there was even a lawsuit, the situation had become untenable in the eighties. Several plans to expand the museum were torpedoed by the municipality.

In 1989, the opportunity arose to move to De Punt in the municipality of Goedereede, where there were better opportunities to expand the museum business and the authorities were willing to cooperate. A large depot building was built here where the rolling stock could be housed. A 6 kilometre long new tram line was constructed through the dune area and over the Brouwersdam to Kabbelaarsbank, near the Port Zélande holiday park, which was completed in 1996. Since the move to its current location, the museum tram company has flourished. Much of the rolling stock has since been restored and put back into operation, so that the museum collection now offers an almost complete and coherent picture of a large interurban tram company from the 20th century.

In 1999, the former tram set 'Sperwer' was acquired from the Zillertalbahn in Austria, which had been in service with the RTM between 1963 and 1966. It was restored and put into service in 2004. In the sixties, several RTM vehicles were placed in the collection of the Dutch Railway Museum. They returned to the RTM on loan in the nineties. These trams were officially transferred in April 2009. This involved: locomotive 57, motor locomotive M 67, carriages B 364 and AB 417, freight wagons 458 and 635.

On 26 September 2009, after a major restoration, three museum pieces were put back into service: motor locomotive M 67 (former Railway Museum) and carriages AB 1513 and B 1515.

In April 2007, the extension to Middelplaat-Haven came into use, where a connection can be made to a tour boat and a historical bus. In 2011, an extension was built to Scharendijke. The first test run with locomotive 50 took place on 26 October 2011. On 16 November 2011, the official opening of the extension to the stop West Repart ('Dolfijn') at the end of the Brouwersdam just before Scharendijke took place. The new section of the line has been used regularly since the 2012 season.

For several years now, there has been an effort to create a general 'RTM museum', which also focuses on buses and ships. The first phase of the museum was put into use on 16 April 2014. The museum building was opened on 16 March 2016. In 2016, the museum also celebrated its 50th anniversary.

After completing a five-year restoration, carriage AB 414 was put into service on 30 September 2017. Together with the motor locomotive M 67 and carriage AB 417, this forms a 'Limburg tram set', consisting of equipment taken over by the RTM from the Maas-Buurtspoorweg (MBS) in Gennep in 1946, which had operated on the Nijmegen – Venlo tram line until 1944.

On August 9, 2022, the tram museum escaped a wildfire. Only a few wooden sleepers were lost.

Stichting voorheen (RTM) Material Overview

In recent years the foundation has built up a considerable collection of narrow gauge equipment.

Number ( Name )      Traction      Year of Construction      Factory

Stichting voorheen Locomotives

• 37 Steam since 2010 Replica under construction by the former RTM Foundation
• (original: Werkspoor ; 1906) –
• 50 Steam 1913 Henschel & Son A
• 54 Steam 1916 Orenstein & Koppel B
• 56 Steam 1920 Orenstein & Koppel A
• 57 Steam 1920 Orenstein & Koppel B
• M 67 Diesel 1949 Central Workshop RTM A
• M 1651
• Puttershoek Diesel 1951 NV Spoorijzer B
• M 1653
• Old Beijerland Diesel 2004 Foundation formerly RTM –
• M 1654 Diesel 2008 Foundation formerly RTM –
• MD 1805
• Seagull Diesel-electric 1952 NV Carrosseriefabriek 'Hoogeveen' A

Stichting voorheen Motor Vehicles

• MABD 1602
• Heron Diesel-electric 1950 Central Workshop RTM A
• MABD 1804
• Lapwing Diesel mechanical 1924 Hannoversche Waggonfabrik AG (Hawa) A
• MBD 1700
• Sparrowhawk No own traction,
• diesel-electric for propulsion
• of EB 1701 and EB 1702 1963 NV Carrosseriefabriek 'Hoogeveen' A
• EB 1701
• Sparrowhawk Electric 1955 / 1963 Düsseldorfer Waggonfabriken AG A
• EB 1702
• Sparrowhawk Electric 1955 / 1963 Düsseldorfer Waggonfabriken AG A

Stichting voorheen Carriages

• AB 341 – 1900 Metallurgy C
• B 363 – 1905 Haine-Saint-Pierre C
• B 364 – 1905 Haine-Saint-Pierre C
• B 367 – 1905 Haine-Saint-Pierre A
• AB 376 – 1906 Haine-Saint-Pierre C
• AB 394 – 1906 Allan & Co. C
• AB 396 – 1906 Allan & Co. B
• ABP 397 – 1906 Allan & Co. B
• AB 398 – 1906 Allan & Co. A
• AB 414 – 1913 Allan & Co. B
• AB 417 – 1913 Allan & Co. A
• BD 438 – 1898 Metallurgy B
• AB 1513 – 1907 Allan & Co. A
• B 1515 – 1908 Allan & Co. –
• ABR 1517 – 1906 Allan & Co. –
• B 1525 – 1945-'46 Anglo-Franco-Belge Society –
• BPD 1631 – 1951 Allan & Co. –
• SHM B 19 – 1944 or '48 NMVB - Workshop Kuregem –
• SHM B 20 – 1951 NMVB - Workshop Kuregem –

Stichting voorheen Freight Wagons

• 73 – 1921 Georg Futter, Alwin Hirsch & Co. –
• 96 – 1921 Georg Futter, Alwin Hirsch & Co. A
• 1038 – 1916 Allan & Co. A
• 1111 – 1924 Allan & Co. C
• 1133 – 1898 Metallurgy –
• 1155 – 1926 The Brugeoise –
• PD 291 – 1915 Allan & Co. B
• 296 – 1915 Allan & Co. C
• CD 298 – 1916 Allan & Co. B
• 458 – 1898 Metallurgy A
• 581 – 1906 Metallurgy –
• 615 – 1900 Metallurgy C
• 635 – 1906 Metallurgy B
• 642 – 1908 Allan & Co. C
• 687 – 1914 Allan & Co. C
• 700 – 1914 Allan & Co. C
• 715 – 1906 Metallurgy A
• 722 – 1916 Allan & Co. C
• 728 – 1916 Allan & Co. C
• 772 – 1914 Van der Zypen & Charlier A
• 777 – 2004 St. v/h RTM –
• 778 – 2004 St. v/h RTM –
• 779 – 2004 St. v/h RTM –
• 780 – 2004 St. v/h RTM –
• 783 – 1906 Metallurgy A
• 883 – 1904 Pennock & Co. –
• 884 – 2014 St. v/h RTM –
• 903 – 1915 Allan & Co. A
• 906 – 2004 St. v/h RTM –
• 907 – 2004 St. v/h RTM –

Stichting voorheen Buses

• Bell wagon 1947 Austin –
• Pontbus RTM 82 –
• RTM 107
• Harebell 1977 Leyland / The Oldest –
• From Oeveren 40 1986 DAF / The Oldest –

Stichting voorheen (RTM) Overview

Stichting voorheen Foundation Formerly: RTM
Stichting voorheen Total Length: 10 km
Stichting voorheen Track Gauge: Cape gauge, 1067 mm
Stichting voorheen Opened: 1989
Stichting voorheen Electrified: no
Stichting voorheen Number of Tracks: 1

Stichting voorheen Route Map

• The Point
• RTM tram museum
• Port Zealand
• Middleplate-Haven
• West-Repart