Return trip to Rotterdam, Scheveningen with the first electric train in the Netherlands

The first ‘electric’ train in the Netherlands ran between Rotterdam (Hofplein), The Hague and Scheveningen and I had a train ticket! I got the love for this line from my father. He worked at the Zuid-Hollandsche Electric Spoorweg Maatschappij (ZHESM).

It was a warm summer day in 1909, ideal weather for a day at the beach. Dad had arranged train tickets for my mother, my sister and me through his work. It was very exciting, because it was one of the first electric trains that ran from Hofplein to Scheveningen.

Mermaid Gate

Around half past nine we walked on the Goudsesingel towards Hofplein. Once there we crossed the large square, with tall trees and cozy terraces. My attention quickly turned to a beautiful white building. It was semi-circular and here the café-restaurant Loos had acquired a spot with terraces and colorful awnings. It was not visible that this was a train station. The large entrances to the station hall were on both sides of the terraces, but out of sight.

From the square you still had to cross the street. We slalomed past a street sweeper, a horse-drawn carriage, a horse-drawn tram, an omnibus, even an automobile, and once on the sidewalk we dodged a street vendor. Mom was lugging a bag of beach gear in one hand and my sister in the other. I was thirteen, so I didn’t hold hands anymore. I did have a sketchbook and pencil in my hand. The sketchbook also served as a notebook. Drawing was a big hobby of mine and that came in handy on this trip. These would have to be quick sketches of the stations that I would work on later.

Finally we stood in front of the beautiful round arch of the entrance called Mermaid Gate. Now that we were so close to the building, I saw that the glare emanating from this building was caused by white glazed bricks placed against the facade. With the sun shining on it, the exterior facade gave the feeling that we were already on the sunny Scheveningen beach.

We walked through the Mermaid Gate to a glass-covered courtyard in the middle of the station hall, where the ticket office was located. Above the counters there was a large glass wall with colored glass in which I recognized dunes, sea and some bobbing ships. The hall was equipped with the latest gadgets, because in addition to shops and an information desk, there were public telephones, very nice toilets and even an electric elevator. In addition to ticket sales, there was a passage with a reference to the trains. We followed that track, which passed under a concrete arch of the train viaduct, and via a wide staircase we entered the platform located on the train viaduct.

Electric train ZHESM 6

Two electric trains, type ZHESM 6, stood shiny with novelty on two of the four tracks. The platform felt very cozy and cozy. This was due to the glass side walls that allowed ample daylight to pass through. The roof also provided light during the day through a strip of glass.

Our train was already ready. A white keel (someone who transports luggage for someone) carried two suitcases onto the train via an easy boarding and looked for two window seats for his customers. The carriages were beautiful on the outside, but once inside we were completely overwhelmed. The walls were elaborately painted with graceful curls and enriched with red and dark red metal with matching red-brown and golden-brown wood with beautiful wood grains. The electric lighting consisted of glittering glass balloons captured in the same red metal. The space in the carriage was completely open, with four or six comfortable sofas with soft, shiny cushions on either side of the window. Modern reading lamps hung on the wall. It felt like we were in the hall of a very luxurious hotel!
The route from Hofplein to Scheveningen was 28.61 km long. Because the journey took only 27 minutes, this train did not have first class, but only second and third class.

Departure

Exactly at ten to ten the train left the station almost silently, but it remained at altitude via a two kilometer long viaduct. The municipality had set a requirement that the railway should not cause any hindrance to the rest of the traffic, so ZHESM built a viaduct with 142 arches, including 14 underpasses for the intersecting roads. Halfway through this viaduct we passed the first stop Bergweg (after 0.982 km), where the buildings ended and the polder landscape began. We stayed at altitude until the Ceintuurbaan (after 1,935 km) and the last arc spanned the Noorderkanaal. Immediately afterwards the track descended to the level of the polder.

From here to Loolaan (The Hague) we stayed in the polder area and drove past the stops Schiebroek, Rodenrijs, Berkel, Pijnacker, ‘s Gravenweg, Nootdorp-Veenweg, Voorburg-Leidschendam without stopping. My father had told me that all the buildings associated with these stops contained a staff house, a waiting room and a room for operating the switches (block room).
At Rodenrijs and Leidschendam sidings led to a small harbor and at Leidschendam there was also a carriage depot and workshop.

After Leidschendam we drove past the meadows of the ‘Mariahoeve’ farm and past the Orangery of the ‘Essesteijn’ country estate. We were already in the Binckhorstpolder and in the distance on the left we briefly saw De Groote Loo. A little later, signs indicated that we were approaching the Looland railway triangle. Before Wassenaar, Scheveningen the train had to take the track that turned to the right via a switch (at 20.13 km), because the train went to Hollandspoor station via the track that turned to the left. Still in the bend to the right we crossed the elevated state railway line from The Hague to Leiden via an underpass.

After we passed the triangle, we drove over the Schenk via a bridge. The polder landscape changed into sandy soil and a little later it became a dune landscape. At the Bezuidenhoudscheweg crossing (at 20.39 km) we drove past a small wooden waiting booth where a friendly crossing guard waved at us. The track then crossed the Leidsestraatweg The Hague – Leiden (at 22.9 km) via an elevated railway track.

Immediately after this viaduct we passed the Wassenaar stop (at 22.9 km). Even though my father had told me that this stop had a temporary building to later install a Wassenaar-worthy station, I was surprised by this shabby wooden barracks. So many wealthy businessmen would be waiting here every day for the train to Rotterdam, which is not right! I secretly had to smile a bit evilly.

After Wassenaar the track descended again and first ran through a piece of forest and then plunged back into the dune area. A little further on was the Renbaan-Achterweg stop (at 24.08 km) with a double stone official’s house. I didn’t understand why ZHESM had added such a large building here, because people only stopped here during horse races at Duindigt?

There wasn’t much time to think about it, because we soon passed Waalsdorpscheweg station (at 25.83 km). What struck me was that this was the first station building that was not located along the track, but made an angle with the railway line.

From the window I saw a concrete pedestrian bridge (at 26.29 km) approaching and I just saw a column of soldiers marching over it. They came from the left, where the barracks buildings were located, and went to the right where the associated military training area was located in the dunes. Unfortunately we were already approaching the end of the ride, but first we had to stop at the Pompstation stop (at 27.20 km).

After the Pompstation stop, the track rose slightly compared to the surrounding area, and then passed over the Harstenhoekweg via a viaduct. Just before the viaduct on the left I saw some side tracks with a loading and unloading area. Immediately after the viaduct there was a coal park and three water columns for the locomotives on the left. The signal box with block room that I saw immediately afterwards had about 55 levers to operate the switches, according to my father. Immediately after the signal box there was a gentle bend to the left and we saw Scheveningen-Kurhaus station.

Scheveningen Kurhaus station was a worthy end point at mileage 28.61. This building deserves an extensive report, which is why there is a separate article about it.

The people and the train journey in this article are fictional. It is a way to describe the trajectory during the summer of 1909. If any readers feel the need to add or correct the story, please contact me [email protected].

Read more articles by Peter: