NS 8500

Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS)
Industry	Railway transport
Predecessor	Maatschappij tot Exploitatie van Staatsspoorwegen (SS)
Headquarters	Netherlands

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article NS 8500, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 29 November 2025

Template:Infobox locomotive

The NS 8500 class consisted of tank locomotives featuring a C (0-6-0) wheel arrangement, utilized by the Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) and its forerunner, the Maatschappij tot Exploitatie van Staatsspoorwegen (SS). These units were produced by both Hohenzollern Locomotive Works and Henschel & Sohn.

History

These locomotives were developed in response to the need for more powerful engines to handle increasingly heavy passenger trains operating on the Amsterdam W.P. to Amsterdam C.S. connection. The previously employed shunting engines proved inadequate due to their lighter construction. To address this, the design incorporated relatively large driving wheels measuring 1,400 mm (4 ft 7⅛ in) in diameter. Additionally, the wheelbase—the distance between the centers of the driving wheels—was extended, which contributed to exceptionally smooth operation, even when running at the maximum authorized speed of 60 km/h (37.2 mph).

Although often associated with shunting duties, these locomotives were not typical for such tasks; their large wheels made them unsuitable for conventional shunting operations. Instead, they were equipped with specialized couplers for train sets and primarily operated shuttle services between various stations in Amsterdam.

SS numbers	NS numbers	Build year	Manufacturer	Notes
221	8501	1915	Hohenzollern
222	8502	1915	Hohenzollern
223	8503	1915	Hohenzollern
224	8504	1915	Hohenzollern
225	8505	1915	Hohenzollern	Transferred to Spain, CFL 51
226	8506	1915	Hohenzollern	Transferred to Spain, CFL 52
227	8507	1915	Hohenzollern
228	8508	1915	Hohenzollern
229	8509	1915	Hohenzollern	Transferred to Spain, CFL 53
230	8510	1920	Henschel & Sohn
231	8511	1920	Henschel & Sohn
232	8512	1920	Henschel & Sohn	Transferred to Spain, CFL 54
233	8513	1920	Henschel & Sohn
234	8514	1920	Henschel & Sohn	Transferred to Spain, CFL 55
235	8515	1920	Henschel & Sohn

Withdrawal and Decommissioning

In 1947, six locomotives were removed from operation as a result of damage sustained during the war. The locomotive numbered 8515 was retired in 1948, followed by locomotive 8510 in 1950.

By 1951, an additional two units from the 8500 series were taken out of service. The final five locomotives—numbers 8505, 8506, 8509, 8512, and 8514—were sold in 1952 to Ferrocarril de Langreo, Spain's sole standard gauge railway. These locomotives underwent partial modifications and subsequently operated for several years on a mining route between Gijon and Langreo in Asturias. Eventually, they were dismantled.

Gallery

NS 8502 at Amsterdam Weesperpoort.
NS 8507 captured at Amsterdam Weesperpoort (1919).
Steam locomotive No. 231 from series 221-235 of the S.S., later renumbered as NS 8511 (1920).
NS 8514 being hoisted out of the water (1935).