Nearly all the major heritage railways van be reached via a cross-platform connection from the NS national network. And once the mileage has been collected and the photos are in the bag, you'll have plenty of time left over to enjoy the pleasures of one of Europe's most urbane, courteous and sophisticated societies.

Constructed in 1887, the Hoorn-Medemblik line connects two proud and historic seaport cities in North Holland.  During the Dutch Golden age in the 1600s, Hoorn and Medemblik were launching pads for the deep-bottomed sailing vessels which made the Netherlands a power in trade and exploration (indeed, South America's Cape Horn honors the city of Hoorn, so named by the Dutch explorers who first reconnoitered the area).  By the 1900s, however, silting in the Zuider Zee, Holland's great inland sea, had caused the overseas trade to desert both cities in favor of the North Sea port of Rotterdam.  By the time the railway came to link the two towns, the area was more a rural backwater than a center of commerce. 

Despite the region's reduced circumstances, the rail line did a good business for eighty years or so, ferrying fish from the two ports and fruits and grains from the nearby farms to the great urban markets at Amsterdam.  However, declining traffic volumes placed the line of the closure list in the 1960s. The prospect of abandonment rallied the line's friends,  and enthusiasts successfully took over operation of the railway in 1968.

After 30 years of loving effort, the SHM today is a model of preservation. Guided by their clear mission statement-- "to interpret the role which rural transport by rail has played in the development of the country between 1879 and 1966"--the SHM volunteers are restoring the entire railway to a "theme year" of 1926. Beautiful original brick stations have been restored at Twisk, Medemblik, Opperdoes and Zwaag; a new station in a period style has been built to welcome visitors at the main portal of Hoorn. (The original Hoorn station still stands in daily use to serve the electrified mainline trains of NS--passengers can connect from the NS platform to the SHM platform via a catwalk across the yards).  Also in Hoorn you'll find a classic wooden interlocking tower. Relocated from the NS mainline at Kesteren, the century old wooden interlocker now directly controls the Hoorn yards and serves a headquarters for the dispatchers who control the entire line.

The SHM rolling stock collection includes nine steam locomotives, seven 0-4-0Ts and two 0-6-0Ts. The oldest dates from 1887, and the newest from 1943. None are native to the line, but all are typical of the light engines which once served there. The locomotives are complimented by a large collection of vintage wooden carriages and freight wagons assembled from rural railways and tramways around Holland. The heritage carriages operate periodically on photo charters and special events, but day-to-day passenger services are held down by a large fleet of matched 1950-era two-axle carriages acquired from the Austrian State Railways. 

Lake Valkenburg is a nature reserve and recreation area, and the train's slow amble around the lakeshore offers several attractive photo opportunities. On the day of my visit, the demonstration train was an wonderfully atmospheric two-car branchline rambler comprised of #7474, an original 1899 four-axle Mail-Baggage car from the Ooster Stoomtram-Maatschappij (Eastern Steam-Tram Company) of Utrecht and Aarnhem; and P42, a 24-seat coach constructed in the Museum's own shops. Motive power honors were provided by 0-4-0T Marijke, a 1928 product of Orenstein & Koppel, the famous German builders of industrial and construction locomotives. Together the little consist just dripped European narrow-gauge steam tram charm.

Competition from trucks brought abandonment of the once-sprawling rtm network in the 1950s and 1960s; the final railway  line from Rotterdam to Hellevoetsluis closed in 1966. However, a great deal of the surviving freight and passenger stock passed into the hands of a hardy band of preservationists. Basing their operations in the former rtm yards at Hellevoetsluis, the new Stichting rtm made a go at creating an operating museum on historical rtm track. However, the town of Hellevetsluis was fast becoming an expensive bedroom community for Rotterdam's middle class, and the new neighbors did not look kindly on the "old-fashioned" steam trains. By the 1990s, relations had deteriorated to the point at which the Stichting rtm was forced to find a new home.

Luckily the village of Ouddorp further south was more open-minded. A charming seaside resort in deepest Zeeland, Ouddorp welcomed the foundation with open arms. Though the historic rtm right of way through the area was no longer available, a new new site was found outside town at a nature center and camping park called De Punt ("the point"). Rides on a reconstructed 7km demonstration railway began in 1995.

Today the Stichting rtm gives a fine impression of a light rural development railway at the turn of the century. A short stretch of track through open sand dunes northeast of the yard presents some particularly fine photo possibilities, recalling as it does the lonely island grandeur of the original rtm. Steam motive power is provided by two "Class C" 0-6-0Ts built new for the rtm by Orenstein & Koppel. In deference to the Rotterdam street running, the Class C's running gear is shrouded in a wrap-around skirt which helped keep pedestrians' hands safe from fast-revolving rods. Though the engines don't look large, appearances can be deceiving; these little tank engines use superheated steam, develop 350 hp, and could reach speeds of 55km/hour on the old rtm mainline. Interesting as are the class C's, the real pride of the rtm is its fantastic collection of wooden carriages. Built of solid teak (a product of Holland's colonies in the Dutch East Indes) on steel frames, these centenarian bogie coaches are a priceless legacy; varnished rather than painted to bring out the natural richness of the wood, the eight survivors provide as handsome a consist of coach stock as you'll ever hope to see.

The rtm operates on several days each month during the spring and summer, but not every weekend; call ahead or check the websites listed below for details. 

VSM's specialty is big-time steam, nearly all of it imported from neighboring Germany. No diminutive 0-4-0T's here, this is mainline steam with brawny 64-class 2-6-2T commuter tanks and elephant-eared 50-class 2-10-0 freight drag engines, all done up in a handsome scheme of black boiler with red running gear.  15 steam locomotives share the depot at the Hoofdwerkplaats Apeldoorn; festivals and special occasions will see as many as eight engines in steam simultaneously. Carriages are a mixture of the ubiquitous Austrian two-axle cars with more modern ex-NS and German DR and DB bogie stock.

The line rambles through a full cross-section of Dutch landscape, from canalside running along the venerable Apeldoorn Canal, to open countryside and modern urban industrial estates.

One potential response to this problem is to abandon the traditional big-sky 3/4 action shot, and concentrate instead on the more intimate scenes: closeups of the railway workers and the interesting detailing on the rolling stock.  If you are devoted to the action panorama, don't despair if you get up in the morning and the skies are overcast--the weather is changeable, and sunlight may break out at odd hours throughout the day. And when the light does break through, it's some of the sweetest you'll ever see: you'll understand where the Dutch Masters found the inspiration for their colors.

Some other seasonal considerations:

April-May: this is early in the season for the preserved railways, but most are running. However, the payoff here is tulip season. North Holland, from Leiden up to Hoorn and Medemblik, is the world center of tulip cultivation. You haven't lived until you've seen enormous fields entirely painted in vivid blues, reds, yellows and oranges, like God's Own Roller Paintbrush had come down and swept the landscape.  It's simply breathtaking--and it offers a spectacular foreground for trains on the Hoorn line in particular.

June-September: the high running season, with the most dense schedules on all the preserved lines.

Winter: nothing runs, and the weather is cold and wet; not the time for a train holiday.

You can rent a car in Holland, but why bother? NS, the Dutch national railway, is one of the most efficient passenger rail networks in Europe. Services are so dense that no one troubles with timetables; simply go to the nearest station and read the route placards on the walls: departures to everywhere, direct or via connections, will be available on one of three schedules: quarter-hourly, half-hourly, or once an hour.  It's that simple. Railpasses for overseas visitors are available in several varieties, including a very economical five-day pass which can be used on non-consecutive days.  Passes cover all city and intercity bus lines, subways and tram lines as well as NS itself.  Note, however, that most of these special passes must be purchased before entering Holland, and they must be validated at the nearest NS railway station before first use.  DO NOT attempt to help by filling out part of the necessary information yourself; the railway very much wants to do this for you.

All of the standard gauge preserved railways enjoy direct connections with NS. For the SHM, take NS to Hoorn, for the SGB, NS to Goes, and for the VSM, NS to Apeldoorn.

The narrow-gauge lines are a little harder to reach, but not too difficult. For the SVM take NS to Leiden Centraal station and catch the 43 bus line (Connexxion bus company), getting off at the Haagsche Schouw stop.  The train is a 10-minute walk from the bus stop. RTM is the most difficult line to reach via public transit. Take NS to Rotterdam, and transfer to the Rotterdam city subway, riding to the end of the line at Spijkenisse. There, transfer to the Connexxion bus line 104 to Vlissingen. After a long ride including a trip across the amazing Rhine barrier which holds back the North Sea, get off at the stop 'De Punt-West' near the Brouwersdam.  DO NOT get off at Ouddorp village--the railway is several kilometers south of town (I speak from experience here).

The Dutch countryside is about what you'd expect: flat. Water is the omnipresent reality of Dutch life--most of the country's arable land lies below sea level, and the landscape is crossed by waterways, lakes, canals, and hydraulic engineering of every description.  Rent a bike and go exploring on any of the dozens of bike trails, many of which run along the tops of the dikes.  Marvel at the site of a canal on one hand and a field of tulips on the other-- 15 feet below water level. Yes, the famous Dutch windmills do still exist, and yes, they make a very picturesque photograph.

Some personal recommendations, in no particular order:

Amsterdam: the cultural capital of Holland, and one of Europe's great cities--world class art and cultural resources abound. However, I'd encourage you to look beyond Amsterdam to explore real Dutch life in the smaller cities and towns. With their slower pace and more intimate feel, they can reward the more venturesome traveler.

Leiden: this lovely and ancient university town sits astride the old Rhine River (a shadow of itself at this point; the real Rhine now flows down by Rotterdam). Charming canals, fascinating old town gates, and cultured and urbane residents make this a fine base.

Den Haag (The Hague): center of Dutch government and home of the International Court of Justice, Den Haag is well worth a visit. However, the tone of the town is very stuffy and correct--definitely a city whose business is government.

Delft: home of the famous blue china, otherwise much like Leiden, and equally charming.

Gouda: a tie with Leiden for the loveliest small city I visited in Holland. The cathedral is a must-see for anyone with an interest in religious or ecclesiastical history and architecture.  Half the windows were sponsored by Catholic Hapsburg nobles, the other half by Protestant burgers after the Dutch Revolt--a history of the Reformation in stained glass.

Maastricht: Southernmost city in Holland, wedged in a narrow corridor between Belgium and Germany. A lovely city of squares, street cafes, and ancient churches. Headquarters to many EU institutions.  It's predominantly Catholic culture gives it a very different flavor from the Protestant northern cities. Local buses leave from the train station here for a quick trip over to Aachen in Germany; by all means go, and see the magnificant Romanesque cathedral which marks the seat of Charlemagne's court. It's the new world, there are no border controls anymore, but if you do take the cross-border trip bring your passport just in case. 

Rotterdam: a great port city, but the town has never recovered aesthetically from its devastation during World War II. The rebuilt downtown reflects some of the worst trends in postwar European architecture. It's sad to say it, but it's best passed by.

The Hoorn-Medemblik Steam Train operates a cooperative service with a ferry line from Medemblik to Enkhuizen, home of a famous Mystic Seaport style open-air Museum of Dutch seafaring life on the Zuider Zee.  You can by a single ticket for the "Historiche Dreihoek" excursion from any NS station: it includes NS travel to Hoorn, a ride on the Hoorn steam train to Medemblik, a ferry ride on the Ijsselmeer from Medemblik to Enkhuizen, and then a return ticket back to your starting point from the NS station in Enkhuizen. Admission to the open-air Museum is separate. The tour of these three historic and ancient cities makes a lovely excursion, and a nice way to mix in a steam train ride with other attractions for your travel partners.