In 1863 the Dutch railway company "Hollandsche IJzeren Spoorweg Maatschappij" (HIJSM) opened the junction Amsterdam-Utrecht through Hilversum. From 1938 on, the network of railways in the centre of the Netherlands was electrified. In the meantime the HIJSM had passed into the ownership of the "N.V. Nederlandse Spoorwegen", the company that is still responsible for a main part of the network of railways in the Netherlands today.
Because of the shortage of steel during World War II, the railway connection Hilversum-Utrecht could not be provided with steel portals. Instead, concrete portals, designed by J.L.A. Cuperus C.E., were made. Up to the present these portals are still in use, drawing through the Dutch landscape like arched windows in Gothic style.
An unique construction, no where else in the world to be found.
In 1986/87 the overhead lines of the portals were renovated. Since 2001, the portals fall under the Ancient Monuments Department of the Ministry of Works.
Visiting the modelrailway-exposition in Hannover (Germany) in 1986, I was impressed by the H0-gauge module building of MEC Barsinghausen. For me this was the beginning of building a railway track myself after Dutch example: the section Hilversum-Utrecht.
In reality, a highway (A27) runs parallel to this railway connection. Therefore train- and roadtraffic could be combined. After 15 years of building, the total length of the section is now 12 meters, showing the situation between 1984 and 1997. At the centre of the section you will find a copy of the railway station "Hollandsche Rading", one of the halting places along this connection.
The rails (so-called K-Gleise), made by Märklin, make it possible to use both direct current
as well as alternating current. The modelportals in Gothic style I built myself, after an example made by
mr. Doyer C. E.. The overhead lines are made of components originated by Sommerfeldt. These lines
are fully operative.
A central feeding provides the whole section of all voltages needed. In order to work the lighting and
the guarded crossing (with ringing bells from a very old telephone!) a separate 12-voltage DC system is
installed. In each module a relais guided blocksystem for saveguarding is built. Special electronics make it possible for trains to slow down, stop and accelerate.
The rails are painted rust-coloured and put in a foundation of stone-chippings. The scenery is made of building (construction) foam, finished off with landscape-mats by Busch, all kinds of sifted sand and Woodland-materials, like grass, earth and leaves.
The tree-trunks and -branches are made of garden waste from my own garden. The ditches along
the tracks are filled with synthetic cast resin. Buildings by Faller, Kibri, Artitec and Holland Scale are partly altered and supplied with all kinds of details and lights. Lights are also used for special effects, for example
a television crew at work.
The population comes from Preiser and Merten. All vehicles are equiped with registrationnumbers and,
of course, chauffeur.
Working on the modulesections wil never come to an end! Besides keeping everything in repair,
