Van Stoom naar Stroom ( book 2016)

Country
Netherlands
Year
2019
Storyteller
jan van leest
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Overview

In 2009 volunteers received permission from the owner (local municipality) to preserve an old electricity plant in the south of the Netherlands to protect this plant (including a 1200 horsepower steam engine ) against molest and theft. During a period of ten years these volunteers managed to rebuild the complete ruined steam engine and got it up and running.

The city of Oisterwijk ( South of Netherlands) became in 2009 owner of a big leather plant. This plant ( about 12 hectares) was build in 1922-25 and had its own power station Volunteers at Oisterwijk ask to protect this old steam engine and after approval they renovated the old machine on a weekly base. The guys worked for more than ten years to rebuild the ruined machine to a running machine ( in 2015 on air pressure). During that time ownership changed from local autority Oisterwijk to the Province Noord Brabant and to a Turkish Company Polimeks. During these periods the door was always open for guided tours, information for primary schools and Open Monumenten dagen. In 2010 the volunteers founded a foundation Stichting Stoommachine Oisterwijk with about 30 members. This S.S.O. is a very close association and has overcome tremendous difficulties during this decenium.

European Dimension

The foundation Stichting Stoommachine Oisterwijk is a member of the Netherlands Stoom Platform ( initiated by Rijksdienst Cultureel Erfgoed RCE) and close to the Belgium organisation Vereniging Voor Industriële Archeologie VVIA mr Adriaan Linters. The foundation recently received the Genius Loci QR code sign.