Gatehouse 14

The railway tracks are still clearly visible here—but the gatehouse  that once stood at this spot is long gone. So what happened here, exactly? From this kind of post, track watchmen kept an eye on the level crossings. There were no barriers like we have today, so the job came with serious risks.

In 1902, for instance, the wife of the watchman at Watch Post 13 was killed while inspecting the tracks. Another tragic event involved a foreman who was walking from Schijndel Station to a watch post where his wife worked. He wanted to tell her the sad news that his mother had passed away but failed to notice an oncoming train. He was killed instantly.

Fortunately, our level crossings today are much safer!

This text has been translated using AI.