Holland March/April 1995

Thanks to “TC” for the memories and write up and phots

Holland 1995

In early 1995 the newspapers came out with an offer that was a repeat from 1994, offering discount tickets on various ferry crossings. Along with Driver Phil, I had spent a successful day chasing electrics around Holland, and we decided to have another go. This time we both collected a set of tokens.

We soon had the required number of tokens, so two trips were booked, one giving us a Saturday, and the other one giving us a weekday. Like the previous year we travelled overnight with a cabin on the ferry.

The first trip was early March, and again we made for the Zandvoort – Maastricht / Heerlen route. After a run past the freight yards south of Rotterdam, we caught the following express towards Eindhoven. The Den Haag – Venlo was hourly and seemed to be booked for 1600’s.

After getting to Eindhoven we just missed a required 1200 heading south, but no matter, with the help of the timetable we worked out what it was due to return north on. A quick move from Eindhoven to s’Hertogenbosch saw us on a 1200 coming back but the delight was marred as it was one of the three we had the previous year. Although there was another 1200 out, which we passed we had to settle for our original plan and 1202 was had for a long run as we came back via Amsterdam.

The following were in use on the Zandvoort route that day:
1202/1211/1216, 1602/1605/1607/1609/1614/1628/1641/1644/1650/1652/1655

Friday 3rd March 1995

319176 13.55 Bedford – Kings Cross Mid Bedford – Kings Cross Mid
86223 19.00 Liverpool St. – Harwich PQ Liverpool St. – Harwich PQ

Saturday 4th March 1995

4210+4214 08.03 Hoek van Holland – Amsterdam CS Hoek van Holland – Rotterdam CS 28km
1773 07.39 Amsterdam CS – Breda Rotterdam CS – Dordrecht 20km
1638 08.45 Den Haag CS – Venlo Dordrecht – Tilburg 51 km
1633 09.31 Venlo – Den Haag CS Tilburg – Breda 21km
1615 09.45 Den Haag CS – Venlo Breda – Eindhoven 58km
1614 09.55 Zandvoort – Maastricht Eindhoven – Roermond 52km
1605 12.31 Maastricht – Zandvoort Roermond – s’Hertogenbosch 84km
1216 12.25 Zandvoort – Heerlen s’Hertogenbosch – Eindhoven 32km
1652 12.55 Zandvoort – Maastricht Eindhoven – Roermond 52km
1202 15.31 Maastricht – Zandvoort Roermond – Amsterdam CS 171km
1190 18.25 Amsterdam CS – Brussells Midi Amsterdam CS – Rotterdam CS
(via Woerden / Gouda, engineering work) 86km
2869 19.42 Rotterdam – Hoek van Holland Rotterdam CS – Hoek van Holland 28km

Sunday 5th March 1995

Bus Replacement Harwich PQ – Liverpool St.
319165 10.00 Kings Cross Mid – Bedford Kings Cross Mid – Bedford

A month later and we were off to Holland again.

After making an earlier train from “the Hoek”, we caught the Venlo express an hour in front of what we had planned. This paid dividends because as we arrived at Eindhoven required 1224 was waiting on the connecting train to Heerlen. We reluctantly cut short 1224’s mileage to see what else was around, and ended up at Utrecht. The only other 1200 we had seen was 1202 and we got a picture of this waiting at Utrecht to head north.

We went back to Eindhoven on 1639 and it was “big grins all round” as 1304 was sat there waiting with the Den Haag – Venlo, a train I would have expected to be a 1600. Again the mileage was cut short as we wanted to head back via Amsterdam. A busy spotting session in the afternoon peak at Amstedam CS followed before heading to Rotterdam for the ferry home.

Luckily we had allowed plenty of time to get to the ferry, but there was still a panic when another oldie 1107 arrived at Rotterdam with the 17.31 from Venlo (maybe the return working of 1304??). A quick check in the timetable meant we could do it to Den Haag HS and get back for the ferry, assuming nothing went wrong, and thats what we did to conclude a very successful trip.

I didn’t get to Venlo until 1998 (that’s another story), but I sometimes wish I had stayed on 1304 that afternoon.

1302 at a chilly Dordrecht with a freight. March 4th 1995

1216 at Eindhoven with the 1225 Zandvoort – Heerlen, March 4th 1995

1615 looking good at Eindhoven with the 0945 Den Haag – Koln Hbf on March 4th 1995

Tuesday 4th April 1995

43044+43049 15.50 Derby – St. Pancras Bedford – St. Pancras
86217 19.00 Liverpool St. – Harwich PQ Liverpool St. – Harwich PQ

Wednesday 5th April 1995

2857 07.36 Hoek van Holland – Rotterdam CS Hoek van Holland – Rotterdam CS 28km
1619 07.45 Den Haag CS – Venlo Rotterdam CS – Eindhoven 108km
1224 07.24 Zandvoort – Heerlen Eindhoven – Weert 28km
1623 08.59 Heerlen – Zandvoort Weert – Utrecht CS 108km
1738 09.56 Den Helder – Nijmegen Utrecht CS – Arnhem 58km
1735 12.16 Nijmegen – Den Helder Arnhem – Utrecht CS 58km
1639 12.25 Zandvoort – Heerlen Utrecht CS – Eindhoven 80km
1304 12.45 Den Haag CS – Venlo Eindhoven – Helmond 13km
1622 13.17 Koln Hbf – Den Haag CS Helmond – Eindhoven 13km
1638 13.59 Heerlen – Zandvoort Eindhoven – Amsterdam CS 119km
1182 18.25 Amsterdam Cs – Brussells Midi Amsterdam CS – Rotterdam CS 86km
1107 17.31 Venlo – Den Haag CS Rotterdam CS – Den Haag HS 23km
4066+4061 19.25 Amsterdam CS – Roosendal Den Haag HS – Rotterdam CS 23km
2895 20.40 Rotterdam CS – Hoek van Holland Rotterdam CS – Hoek van Holland 28km

Thursday 6th April 1995

86220 07.50 Harwich PQ – Liverpool St. Harwich PQ – Liverpool St.
319171+319166 09.28 Farringdon – St. Pancras Farringdon – Bedford