The Rail Crossing
This story took place in a country far away from here, in Europe. It was prior to the 2nd world war. It was winter time, in fact it was the Friday before Christmas, and most people were starting their Christmas holiday.
The family consisted of Juan - 18 months old, Maria his mother, and Franse his father who worked for the railway as a signalman. They lived in a small house attached to the signal box which was a complicated mass of levers and dials and flashing lights and cables and wires. The signal box was on the northern side of a rail bridge across a river. Juan loved to watch the trains go rumbling by, the glowing embers of the fire, smoke belching out of the funnel, and tooting to them as they waved. Juan's favourite pastime was to watch his father Franse working in the signal box.
... he realised that by so doing he would jeopardise the safety of the passengers on the train ...
On the northern side of the river the rails forked in two directions, the right heading to the seaside resorts along the coast, the left to the hills where the mining villages and skiing slopes were. On the southern end of the bridge the rail came from the big industrial towns, and a single line headed along the river to a large mining works.
It was late afternoon, this Friday before Christmas and Franse was getting worried, a big trainload of empty coal wagons was overdue, he had diverted the rails to the mining works, but it was getting uncomfortably close for the next train to come from the southern industrial towns and that would be packed with holiday makers. Finaly the signals indicated the freight train was approaching, and he heaved a sigh of relief. He had visualised having to hold up a whole series of trains whilst he maneuvered the rail crossings as two other trains crossed the river from the north soon after the one from the south.
Franse called out to Maria to take Juan back into the house. The freight train passed through the junction on the other side of the river and Franse operated the levers to bring the rails straight over the river, the red warning light started flashing, this indicated the rails had not made the connection. It was now dusk, Dusk changed to night very quickly this time of the year. Franse operated the levers to divert the rails again, and then tried again to bring the rails across the bridge, the red light started flashing. Franse realised he had to keep cool, the first thing was to set all the junction warning lights to red. He then Opened the door to the house and called out that he was heading across the river to clear the blockage. It had happened a long time ago a piece of coal wedged between the rails. This time he knew to take a crowbar with him. He put on his boots, grabbed his coat and a hurricane lamp and rushed out slamming the door behind him, to make matters worse there was a fine misty rain starting, it wasn't quite dark but that would only be a matter of minutes away. Franse hurried towards the Bridge.
By the time he had crossed to the other side it was pitch dark, Franse lit his lantern then carried on to the rail junctions a bit further on. He soon found the cause of the blockage, a rock jammed under the moving rail. Franse levered and hacked at the rock until it was clear of the rails, he could hear a faint humming in the rails, the train was coming.
But the rails still wouldn't meet completely, he ran over to the manual lever and hauled the rails further apart then hauled them back again to close and heard the clang as they met, he ran back again to inspect the junction and satisfied himself that all was well. Franse looked down the rail track he could see the light of the train approaching, he had worked up quite a sweat despite the cold night air. There was still one thing left to do, he ran up the track to the warning light unlocked the control box and changed the light to green. Then feeling an impulse he ran back to the junction and bent down to inspect the rails and as he was doing so he thought he heard a faint sound, he froze listening, once again he thought he heard a faint cry "Daddy" That must be Juan, Juan must have followed him. The train was bearing down fast even though it had slowed somewhat for the bridge, it was almost up to the warning light which was now on green.
Franse was desperate, he may have imagined that cry, but he did not think so, there was one thing he could do he ran to the hand lever, he could pull the rails across to the mining track, he realised that by so doing he would jeopardise the safety of the passengers on the train, it was doubtful that the train would make it through the junction and bend at the speed it was going, Franse was already waving the lantern, but the train rumbled on past. With fear in his heart Franse trudged back along the single track across the bridge and found the lifeless body of his son lying between the tracks.