The day excursion again had great interest with 50 entries. We were lucky with the weather. Some rain and a little wind at the start in Brabant, but dry on arrival in Kerkrade. This while storm warning orange was issued in Zeeland and heavy rain came down on the rest of the Netherlands.
The combination of Limburg's mining history, the development of the pottery and glass industries and the parallel history of household appliances in the Continium naturally provided excellent starting points for getting to know each other from the last century. Excellent basis for conversation and acquaintance, all the more so as this museum also provides a view of the future and challenges visitors to discuss and experiment with it.

After lunch, we continued with the 50-year-old diesel-rail bus of the Zuid Limburgse Stoomtrein Maatschappij. We could all get in at once but with that, the bus was full. Dogs on the rails forced the driver to make an emergency stop but in time we were at the Simpelveld yard for a guided tour visiting the old signal box and sheds with the many locomotives and carriages from the first half of the last century. Everything works! The detailed explanation of how the yard, the Kerkrade-Valkenburg line and the old rolling stock are kept ready for operation by the 260 volunteers was vividly illustrated for the locomotives and carriages in the workshop.

The trip in the classic carriages with the steam locomotive to Valkenburg completed the nostalgia. Before dinner was served in hotel/restaurant Atlanta, we were updated on the future of the railway. A presentation from the province of Limburg presented the policy for the next five to ten years for the railways in the region and the connections to international connections. You can view and/or download the presentation here.


Next, Dick Polet was put in the limelight. Dick has been a member of the association for 50 years this year. Always active in Region South and from 1991 he has been a member of the region's board for 22 years, 20 of which have been chairman. The current chairman had all the achievements reviewed and former director Piet Gillisen represented the Bureau in The Hague to address Dick and thank him for his contributions.
In tradition, the day ended with a delicious dinner.


More information on the programme can be found here.

Description

From the train station in Best, we will be taken by bus to Kerkrade for a visit to the Discovery Centre Continium where we will be welcomed with coffee and flan.
The Continium is dedicated to the history of the last 150 years of industry and society. Until lunch, we are guided along a permanent presentation, which no longer focuses only on history but puts the focus on the continuous connection of past, present and future. Also shown are technological and scientific developments and how this affects our society. After lunch, everyone can continue the visit at their own pace, including the interactive experiment stations where everyone can learn about scientific and technical principles. And finally the exchange exhibition.

In style, we are taken to Simpelveld by a historic rail bus of the ZLSM "Zuid-Limburgse Stoomtrein Maatschappij". At the historic complex of the former "Miljoenenlijn", we first visit the workshop where ZLSM volunteers restore locomotives and carriages. This is followed by a tour of the Simpelveld yard and the authentic station building.

From Simpelveld, we are taken by a ZLSM current train to Valkenburg. There we go to Eurotel Atlas, where project manager Raymond Fasen gives a fascinating presentation on the ambitious Railway Programme from the province of Limburg's policy programme. He will offer a surprising glimpse into the future of the regional and cross-border railway network.

There, too, we will conclude the day with the joint dinner, after which we will be taken home again by bus

Dinner:
We will conclude with a joint dinner. Below you can see the menu. When registering, please indicate which soup and main course you will choose.

Soup: Tomato soup, or Asparagus soup, or Mushroom soup

Starter: Chicken cocktail

Main course: Salmon fillet (180 gr) with leek sauce, or Schnitzel with gypsy sauce
Warm vegetables and chips

Dessert: Apfelstrudel with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream / Coffee

Speaker(s)

Guides from Dioscovery Centre Continium; volunteers from the ZLSM; R.M.M. (Raymond) Fasen, project manager Programme Spoor Provincie Limburg.

Location

NS-station Best

Stationsplein, Best

Organiser

Region South

Name and contact details for information

ing. Koos Mulder, 0499 850180, or via the e-mail address below

koos.mulder@ziggo.nl

Continium