Key takeaways
- The MBS is the oldest heritage railway in the Netherlands, founded in 1967 in Haaksbergen.
- Services run on standard gauge between Haaksbergen and Boekelo, a remaining section of the former local railway.
- The steam fleet is mostly of German origin – Dutch steam locomotives had long since been scrapped by the time it was founded.
- The railway is run by a society; footplate duty, workshop and upkeep are all voluntary.
- Services are seasonal and infrequent. Without checking a confirmed running day, the trip isn't worthwhile.
Contents
- 1.Fact file
- 2.Business areas
- 3.Structure & brands
- 4.History at a glance
- 5.How to recognise the company
- 6.Strengths and weaknesses
- 7.A local railway, not a remnant of a main line
- 8.Why German locomotives stand here
- 9.What you see on a running day
- 10.How to plan the journey
- 11.Photographing at a small heritage railway
- 12.A society keeping a railway tradition alive
- 13.Verdict
- 14.Frequently asked questions
Fact file
| Organisational form | non-profit society with volunteer-run services |
|---|---|
| Gauge | 1435 mm standard gauge |
| Line | Haaksbergen – Boekelo, a short section of the former local railway towards Enschede |
| Region | Twente, province of Overijssel, close to the German border |
| Type of operation | Steam as the regular service, plus historic diesel vehicles |
| Founded | 1967 – making it the oldest heritage railway in the Netherlands |
| Operational hub | Haaksbergen, with an engine shed and workshop |
| Origin of the name | buurtspoorweg – a Dutch category for local railways built to simplified regulations |
| Official website | www.museumbuurtspoorweg.nl |
Business areas
Structure & brands
History at a glance
How to recognise Museum Buurt Spoorweg
Does the train really belong to Museum Buurt Spoorweg?
- German locomotives in the Netherlands – tank and industrial locomotives from German manufacturers dominate the fleet
- Local-railway scale – short platforms, small buildings, simple track layout instead of main-line architecture
- No overhead line – unlike almost all Dutch main lines, there's no catenary here
- Mixed train formations – carriages of different origins and eras in the same train
- Workshop operation in view – in Haaksbergen the technical side is part of the visit, not just scenery
- Society staff – guards and footplate crew wear the society's own uniform, not a corporate one
Strengths and weaknesses
What the company stands for
- The oldest heritage railway in the Netherlands, with a correspondingly grown collection
- German steam locomotives in a Dutch setting – a subject you'll hardly find anywhere else
- A short line, so several train runs at the same spot per day
- Close to the border: doable in a day from north-west Germany
- The absence of overhead wiring makes composing images considerably easier
Where it falls short
- Very limited running days, essentially summer Sundays
- A short line offers only a few different line-side subjects
- No direct connection to a station on the regular network – the last leg is by road
- Which locomotive is operational changes and isn't continuously published
- On event days the station gets busy, making quiet shots difficult
Updated: August 2026 – Anyone standing on the platform in Haaksbergen for the first time is puzzled by the lettering on the locomotive. The Museum Buurt Spoorweg is the oldest heritage railway in the Netherlands – and runs mostly with German machines. That’s no coincidence and no quirk, but the direct consequence of how quickly the Dutch state railway ended its steam operation.
Keep heritage railway sightings clearly separated
Log locomotive, origin, location and date separately – rather than wondering later where the machine came from.
A local railway, not a remnant of a main line
The name already tells you what it’s about. Buurtspoorweg was a category of its own in the Netherlands: local railways allowed to be built to simplified regulations because they ran slower and carried less traffic. Small stations, simple track layouts, short platforms – all of that is deliberate, not the frugality of a heritage railway.
This category of railway has completely vanished from the regular network. What exists today as branch lines in the Netherlands is electrified, worked by railcars and built into a clock-face timetable. Operations at ProRail and the transport companies have barely anything operationally in common any more with what you see in Haaksbergen. That’s exactly where the MBS’s value lies: it preserves a type of railway, not just individual vehicles.
Why German locomotives stand here
The Dutch state railway ended steam operation very early and had its machines scrapped almost completely. When the first preservation initiatives formed in the late 1960s, there was simply nothing left. The nearest market for operational steam locomotives lay across the border – above all in the industrial sector, where works and mining railways still ran steam into the 1970s.
This pattern applies to almost all Dutch heritage railways. Alongside industrial locomotives, you’ll therefore also find German standard-design classes; the Class 64, for example, is on the books of several operators in the country. Conversely, an original Dutch steam locomotive still in service is a rarity.
For identification, that means: the vehicle’s country of origin, the heritage railway’s operator and the country it runs in can be three different things. Note them separately, or your sighting list becomes unusable.
| Level | At the MBS | Typical mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle origin | mostly German manufacturers | locomotive mistaken for an NS machine |
| Operator | Dutch heritage society | confused with a transport company |
| Infrastructure | society’s own heritage line | assumed to be ProRail network |
| Mode of operation | steam without catenary | expecting an electric railcar |
What you see on a running day
Regular operation is steam-hauled. You’ll encounter tank locomotives from an industrial background, along with historic passenger carriages of various origins and diesel shunters working around the station. A heritage train here doesn’t represent a fixed formation, but whatever happens to be operational – that’s part of the character of a small railway.
I’ll stay cautious about individual running numbers: what runs depends on boiler inspection deadlines and workshop status, and changes over the years. Note down the type, wheel arrangement and lettering, and assign the number later.
Anyone looking for a contrast with modern Dutch rail travel will find it just a few kilometres further on. Intercity trains of the ICM Koploper type and Sprinters of the SNG series run to Enschede; the regional lines in Overijssel belong to Keolis Nederland. Between this operation and the heritage line lie a hundred years – and around twenty minutes’ travel time.
The station is worth more than the line
With such a short line, most of the subject matter is in Haaksbergen: the engine shed, workshop, water crane, shunting movements between train runs. Deliberately plan time there rather than spending the whole time out on the open line. Whatever isn't running in the train right now is usually standing there instead – and is often the rarer sight.
How to plan the journey
Confirm the running day
Services run on selected summer days. Without a confirmed date, the trip is wasted.
Take the train as far as Enschede or Hengelo
The regular network gets you into the region; you cover the last leg to Haaksbergen by road.
Take in the border crossing
From Germany, a stop at a border station is worthwhile – system and locomotive changes are subjects in their own right.
Limit yourself to two locations
One spot at the station, one on the line is enough. More adds no value on a line this short.
Check the return journey before the last train
Services in the region thin out on Sunday evening. Check the last useful connection early.
How far is it for you?
Rough guide for planning, not a timetable enquiry.
Bring cross-border sightings together
German locomotive, Dutch line – both logged cleanly instead of mixed up later.
Photographing at a small heritage railway
The great advantage is predictability. You know in advance when the train is coming, and you get it several times over. The downside is the number of subjects: with only a few kilometres of line, the usable viewpoints run out quickly. So use the first run as a test and check the light angle beforehand, as described in the article on planning the sun’s position at a photo spot.
The viewpoint works if …
- you're standing on the platform or a public path
- the background is free of modern fixtures
- the locomotive is visibly working rather than coasting
Check first if …
- access runs across agricultural land
- you want to photograph in the workshop area
- an event day is filling the station heavily
Don't …
- use track or level crossings as a viewpoint
- wait for a shunting move for a shot
- get around barriers in the shed area
A small station means short distances – for the locomotive too
In Haaksbergen, the public area and operational facilities lie close together. Between two train runs, engines are run round, watered and shunted, often with no audible warning. Stay behind the markings and don't step onto any track. What the law says is set out in the article on trespassing on track.
A society keeping a railway tradition alive
Behind the MBS stands a non-profit society. Footplate duty, workshop, ticket sales and administration lie with volunteers, with paid staff playing only a minor role. Everything else follows from that: the short season, the Sunday-only model, the reliance on event days as a source of income.
You find the same structure across the border. The Selfkantbahn right on the German-Dutch border works on the same principle, though on narrow gauge. Anyone planning a weekend can combine both – though there’s no coordinated timetable between them.
Within the Netherlands, it’s worth comparing two larger operations. The Veluwsche Stoomtrein Maatschappij runs longer lines with heavier locomotives, and the Museumsbahn S.T.A.R. in Groningen even operates a proper timetabled service connecting to the regular network. The MBS deliberately stays small alongside them – and is precisely for that reason the better example of the local-railway operation it represents. Visit all three and you’ll have covered practically the whole range of Dutch heritage railways.
Verdict
The Museum Buurt Spoorweg isn’t a railway for records. It’s a railway for people who want to see how a Dutch local railway used to work – and who find it an intriguing quirk that this piece of national history is preserved today with German locomotives.
Plan a running day, take time for Haaksbergen, and limit yourself along the line to one good viewpoint. Then the day is full.
In short
The oldest heritage railway in the Netherlands, a short line, German steam in a Dutch setting – rewarding for anyone who wants to see local-railway operation, not just locomotives.
Cover everything from Haaksbergen to Boekelo
Every run, every locomotive, every location – in one place instead of scattered across the memory card.
Summary
- In Twente you can see how a heritage railway had to source its fleet from a neighbouring country because nothing was left in its own.
- The short line is no drawback if you take the same train several times a day at different points.
- Haaksbergen is the more interesting station: that's where the workshop is, and where whatever isn't currently running stands.
- For visitors from north-west Germany, the MBS is one of the most easily reached Dutch heritage railways.
Frequently asked questions
Why do German steam locomotives run in Haaksbergen?
Because there were hardly any Dutch ones left by the time the heritage railway was founded. The state railway ended steam operation very early and had its machines scrapped almost completely. When the first preservation societies formed in the late 1960s, the nearest market for operational steam locomotives was Germany – above all its stock of industrial and works locomotives. This origin still shapes Dutch heritage railways today.
Where exactly does the Museum Buurt Spoorweg run?
Between Haaksbergen and Boekelo in the Twente region, not far from Enschede and so close to the German border. The line is a section of a former local railway, not a former main line. It's standard gauge but not electrified – a clear difference from the regular Dutch network.
What does the name Buurt Spoorweg mean?
Buurtspoorweg is a Dutch legal category for local railways that were allowed to be built to simplified regulations: lower speeds, simpler structures, leaner operations. So the heritage railway's name refers not to a place but to a type of railway. That very type has completely vanished from the regular network.
Can I get there by train?
Not directly to the door. The regular network of NS and the regional operators reaches Enschede and Hengelo; the last leg to Haaksbergen is by road. From Germany, the border station of Bad Bentheim makes a sensible stop, since system and locomotive changes can be seen there anyway.
When does the railway run?
Services are concentrated in the summer months, on Sundays, supplemented by themed and special weekends. The society publishes exact dates seasonally. Check the running day before you travel – on days without services the line is empty and the station closed.
What sets the MBS apart from other Dutch heritage railways?
Mainly its age and scale. It was the first of its kind in the country and has deliberately stayed small. The Veluwsche Stoomtrein Maatschappij runs considerably longer lines with larger locomotives, while the Museumsbahn S.T.A.R. in Groningen operates a proper timetabled service. The MBS, by contrast, stands for local-railway operation in the original sense.
Are diesel vehicles also seen there?
Yes. Alongside the steam locomotives, shunting and line diesels belong to the fleet, some from an industrial background, some from former state-railway stock. They work engineering-train and shunting duties, and on some running days pull passenger trains too. For photographers they're often the more rewarding part, because they're documented less often.
How do I photograph well on such a short line?
By using the same train several times. Over just a few kilometres, it passes several times in the course of the day – the first run is your test, from the second onwards you're working with known values. What's technically different with steam is set out in photographing steam trains; small stations have their own advantages, as this article shows.
Am I free to move around the station site?
Only in the released areas. In Haaksbergen the workshop lies directly next to the public area, and shunting takes place there even outside running hours. Track, sheds and turntables are operational facilities. The rules on this are summed up in the article on safety distance at the track.
Can I get involved with the society?
In principle, yes – heritage railways almost always look for extra hands, and not only on the footplate. Workshop, carriage care, ticket sales and administration are just as much part of the operation. How getting started usually works is described in the article on railway societies.
Log vehicles from Museum Buurt Spoorweg
Company, vehicle, location and date logged in seconds – and visible to the community.
The operational level in the railway operator database
Who actually runs the trains, with keeper markings and identifying features on the vehicle.
Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS)
Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) is the Dutch state railway. Its multiple units carry concept codes like VIRM or ICM instead of class numbers – a real point of adjustment.
Local & regionalKeolis Nederland B.V.
Keolis Nederland B.V. is an operator in Dutch regional rail services. Double-deck trains aren't a special case there but everyday sights – and that changes the look of the trains noticeably.
Typical vehicles
NS ICM (Koploper)
The ICM is the classic intercity multiple unit of the NS. Its nickname Koploper reveals the design principle: a walk-through gangway right through the front.
ClassNS SNG (Sprinter Nieuwe Generatie)
The SNG is the newest Sprinter generation at NS. Its abbreviation stands for Sprinter Nieuwe Generatie, and technically it's built on CAF's Civity platform.
ClassClass 64
The Class 64 is the Reichsbahn's standard tank engine for passenger trains: 520 machines, 1-3-1 wheel arrangement, nicknamed Bubikopf. Here's how to recognise it reliably.
Where you will find Museum Buurt Spoorweg
Spotting locations where you will regularly come across vehicles from this organisation – with viewpoints, the best light and coordinates.
Bad Bentheim
Bad Bentheim is the last German station before the Netherlands – and the point where 15 kV AC meets 1.5 kV DC. Little traffic, but every train brings something: a locomotive change, a system changeover, vehicles from two networks. A small station with a very high haul per train.
Junction stationUtrecht Centraal
Utrecht Centraal is the point where the Dutch network comes together. Over twenty platform tracks, a pattern that repeats exactly every thirty minutes, and a concourse that swallows more light than it looks like it would. Once you've understood the rhythm, you can work here extremely efficiently.
More companies
Veluwsche Stoomtrein Maatschappij
The Veluwsche Stoomtrein Maatschappij operates the longest classic steam line in the Netherlands, between Apeldoorn and Dieren. Its operational hub Beekbergen is more motive power depot than museum – and the reason heavy locomotives run here, where industrial locomotives have to suffice elsewhere.
Heritage railwayMuseumsbahn S.T.A.R.
The Museumsbahn S.T.A.R. in the province of Groningen differs from most heritage railways: it runs between Stadskanaal and Veendam to a genuine timetable and meets the main network there. That makes it less an excursion attraction and more a preserved branch-line operation.
State railwayNederlandse Spoorwegen (NS)
The Nederlandse Spoorwegen run the core network of the Netherlands, but by no means everything moving on Dutch rails. Freight, regional lines and infrastructure sit with other companies – and the yellow livery only tells you which part you're looking at.
Heritage railwaySelfkantbahn
The Selfkantbahn is the last operational remnant of the Geilenkirchener Kreisbahnen. On 1,000-millimetre gauge it runs a short stretch of light railway at the very western edge of Germany – with steam on operating days and a fleet assembled from industrial and light-railway stock.
Related guides from the blog
- How Do You Photograph Steam Trains? The Ultimate Guide to Steam Train Photography (Equipment, Settings, Light, Spots)
- Railway Clubs in Germany, Austria & Switzerland: Types, Membership, Costs, Tips
- Small Stations for Spotting: Why They're Often Better Than the Hbf
- Safety Distance at the Track: The Rules That Save Lives
- Planning Sun Position at a Photo Spot: Light Instead of Luck
