
Friday, August 1st and Saturday, August 2nd, 2025 Members of the Old Tractors & Engines Association (OTMV) will bring a unique machine to life in the forecourt of the Waelstee Heritage Museum. They will demonstrate an original Thomassen crude oil engine, a rare piece of working industrial heritage that can be admired up close. The Waal en Burg polder on Texel was drained in 1654 and drained for centuries by a windmill. In 1931, it was replaced by a pumping station powered by two powerful Thomassen engines of 53 hp each. This pumping station was in use until approximately 1982, after which it made way for the modern Krassekeet pumping station. After decommissioning, the engines came into the possession of the OTMV. Since then, the association has been dedicated to the preservation and operation of these impressive machines.
De Waal
Museums and Cultural
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In the smallest village on Texel, De Waal, you'll find Museum Waelstee. The museum about the cultural history of Texel. Texel History Imagine yourself in the Texel farming life of 100 years ago and experience how people lived back then. Museum Waelstee exhibits carriages, utensils, and old agricultural machinery. You'll learn all about sheep and cattle farming on Texel. There's an authentic farmhouse you can visit, and the role of women on the farm is also given considerable attention. Demonstrations Curious about the trades of that era? Then attend one of the demonstrations regularly given at the museum. The forge is in operation two days a week. Here you can see how forging is done. The ladies of the Texel Heritage Museum are happy to explain various craft techniques that were so important to farmers in the past, who mastered this work to perfection.
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