“The curtain falls for the Dutch Transport Museum. Over the past two years, the Dutch Transport Museum in Nieuw-Vennep has been busy [trying to] finding a new location for its activities. But unfortunately; all attempts to make a fresh start have proven fruitless. The collection is being dismantled, loans are being returned to the owners and the contents are being put up for sale. The museum is looking for a home for some of the collection items, the archive and a workspace for its volunteers.” The museum closed to the public on March 6, 2023.
“Over the past 2 years, the museum has investigated no fewer than 30 potential (construction) locations throughout the Netherlands. Each time, the same problems arose; the location was too expensive, it took too long for space to become available, or there were other administrative, political, or legal barriers that were too great. ‘We regret the situation’, says chairman Arno van der Hoist, ‘but we have no other choice. Now that construction is going to start here on the Bols site, we have to make way for the construction of houses, which are so much needed.’
“The collection, consisting of some 150 large and 500 small objects, thousands of books and tens of thousands of photos (and more), is falling apart; loans are returned to the owners, a ‘garage sale’ of all surplus and saleable material is taking place in mid-March/April, and other items are being thrown away. These processes have now been initiated and will be completed in the coming months. The museum is now urgently looking for a workspace of 200 to 400 square meters in the region for its volunteers.”
The museum’s collection, as well as including a large array of other vehicles, has a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina 16-212, Cessna AT-17 Bobcat, a very rare Douglas DC-2 and a replica (full scale model) Fokker FVIIb-3M, Fokker-Noorduyn NA-27, converted from a Harvard, Fouga Magister CM170, and a C64a Noorduyn Norseman.
The DC-2 was transferred to the Netherlands Transport Museum in 2018 from the Aviodrome collection. and has been externally restored for static display as KNILM DC-2 PK-AFK. One of several survivors that is ex-Eastern Air Lines and saw wartime service in Australia with the RAAF.
The PBY-5A was Bu48317 and went to the Royal Netherlands Navy as P-212, later 16-212 between 1951 and 57. Latterly stored with the Nationaal Militair Museum, Soesterberg, it was transferred to the Netherlands Transport Museum in August 28, 2020.
“The loyal group of enthusiasts, many of whom live in the region, are still working on projects every week. ‘It would be great if this social function could be continued in Oar and Haarlemmermeer under the most favourable conditions possible’, says Van der Hoist. The museum owes a great deal of gratitude to the owner of the building, real estate agent Paul Brandjes of De Raad Vastgoed in Katwijk. Thanks to his support and patience, the museum has been given all the space it needs to look forward to something new. However, it has been to no avail. Surplus material will also soon be offered on the museum’s website. Tables, chairs, tools, racks and even real objects will be put up for sale.”
Speaking in 2024, Van der Hoist said: “It would be a shame if historical vehicles, such as the Douglas DC-2 PH-AJU, which connected the Netherlands with the Dutch East Indies in the 1930s, were to disappear from the public eye due to such a regulation.”
Currently the museum is (still) located at Lucas Bolsstraat 7, 2152 CZ Nieuw-Vennep. More information about the museum can be found at www.facebook.com/NederlandsTransportMuseum and www.nederlandstransportmuseum.nl. For further information, please contact Arno van der Hoist of the Stichting Nederlands Transport Museum, direct through the links above. Please do NOT try to contact the museum by commenting here. Thank you!
