The story behind the VSM

Traveling with the Veluwsche Stoomtrein Maatschappij (VSM) is stepping into another world! Experience the piercing sound of the steam whistle. Experience the pounding, steam the development and the pulling power of the mighty steam locomotives. The journey by steam train takes you on the more than one hundred-year-old railway line Apeldoorn – Dieren. Beekbergen station is the heart of this living railway museum. Here is the steam depot with a very extensive collection of equipment. But also the large workshop, a beautiful old station building with an authentic station office, a large turntable for turning the locomotives, a working coal crane, water columns, semaphore signals, manually operated level crossings and much more. Here you will imagine yourself back in times past when the steam train was still a common sight. Everything has changed, but the steam train between Apeldoorn and Dieren has remained. Not as a daily means of transport, but as a special attraction.

In the spring of 1975, a group of enthusiasts gave the first impetus to the establishment of the Veluwsche Stoomtrein Maatschappij, VSM for short. In the same spring, the first wagons and the first steam locomotive were restored. Since then, the VSM has been run by a large number of enthusiastic and skilled volunteers. They work with great care, patience and knowledge on the maintenance of the locomotives, carriages and freight wagons. Moreover, they pass on their knowledge to the younger generations through internal training courses. The many professional steam and diesel locomotives – from various German and Dutch series – are their pride and challenge. This also applies to the many carriages. Such as the so-called ‘Austrians’ with open balconies and the Dutch ‘Blocks Boxes, which date from the 1920s. In addition, the VSM owns luxury carriages from Wagons-Lits and Mitropa, in which guests can have lunch, dinner, party and meet.