Zuid-Limburgse Stoomtrein Maatschappij, Heritage railway company in Simpelveld, Netherlands.
The Zuid-Limburgse Stoomtrein Maatschappij operates steam trains on a 29-kilometer track connecting Valkenburg, Simpelveld, and Kerkrade through Limburg's hilly landscape. The company runs both historic steam locomotives and rail buses on the same route, using older rolling stock and locomotives to move passengers through the region.
The company was founded in 1988 and maintains historic locomotives and rolling stock, including the SJ E2 1040 steam engine built in 1910. The route itself follows one of the oldest international railway connections between the Netherlands and Germany.
The railway station in Simpelveld displays traditional signal boxes and hand-operated semaphores, showing how railway workers once managed trains. This hands-on method of directing traffic remains rare today and brings that working style to life for visitors.
Trains run regularly from March through December, with special themed journeys during holidays and seasonal events. Visitors can easily board at stations along the route and plan day trips across the nearby border into Germany.
The railway crosses one of the world's oldest international rail borders between the Netherlands and Germany. Passengers experience the border crossing during a single journey and see how the landscape and railway infrastructure differ on each side.
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