Overzicht van locomotiefnummers en -types van de Nederlandsche Spoorwegen in 1930 after 1930

Curator: This tabular print is titled "Overzicht van locomotiefnummers en -types van de Nederlandsche Spoorwegen in 1930," which translates to "Overview of locomotive numbers and types of the Dutch Railways in 1930." It’s from after that year and resides in the Rijksmuseum's collection. Editor: It's… a lot of numbers. Seriously, my eyes are bouncing all over the place trying to find a foothold. Gives me a sort of administrative, industrial revolution vibe though. Cold, calculated efficiency, right? Curator: Indeed. Its aesthetic derives from function. Each entry catalogues locomotive specifications—numbers, types, cylinder measurements, even illustration page numbers, presumably referring to a related publication. We might view the typography as possessing its own rigid, structured beauty. Editor: Okay, rigid is definitely the word. It’s like a spreadsheet before spreadsheets, or maybe a very intense trainspotter’s dream journal. I wonder, was this meant for the public, or just internal use within the railway? Curator: Probably the latter. The level of detail suggests an audience already familiar with railway engineering terminology. Note the use of abbreviations and numeric codes; efficiency in communication was paramount. Editor: So, a beautiful artifact of railway bureaucracy then! Still, it gives you this strange, almost hypnotic feeling if you stare long enough. All those precise measurements hinting at these massive machines hurtling across the Dutch landscape… Curator: An evocative interpretation. What I find compelling is how this seemingly dry inventory unintentionally reveals a network of human endeavor—engineering expertise, organizational skill, and perhaps, even a touch of industrial poetry. Editor: Huh, industrial poetry, I like that! It's the ghosts of steam engines and the people who ran them hidden in plain sight in a bunch of numbers and letters. I am grateful for your insight. Curator: My pleasure, in unpacking this seemingly mundane document, one gains an interesting glimpse into a bygone era.