Schijndel Station On the trail of The Duits Lijntje

Trains don’t run over the Duits Lijntje anymore, but the white station building (built in 1872 and nowadays a private house) is still there. At this spot, railway officials sold train tickets and they worked the signposts and switches. The steam whistle blew when the train left and porters lifted the goods from the carriages to the opposite shed. The presence of Schijndel station was good for the local trade. In the early years linen, wooden shoes, calves, pigs and other items were transported out by train. Coal, lime and wood were brought in. Later on hundreds of boxes filled with stockings and socks from the Jansen de Wit factory were loaded into the railway carriages every day. The station was used until 1950.

Train attack

Not far from Schijndel station watch post 10 was situated. Close by, a train attack that was talked about a lot, took place. it is Sunday evening, October 21 st 1894. A heavy tree-trunk is tied onto the rails with iron wire. The derailing of a passing fast train is barely prevented. Footprints of the suspects were found: worn-out wooden shoes and striking shoes with a pointed noise and heels covered with iron. The police offer a reward for information and two young men get arrested: Frans (22) and Hannus (21).

Revenge on the watch woman

it seems that the two acted out of revenge because of a girl. The watch woman of watch post 10 had forbidden Hannus to see her granddaughter, she declares  in court. And in this confession Frans mentions that they wanted to hinder the railway track so the watch woman would lose her job. Both suspects were sentenced to twelve years imprisonment. Frans dies after four years in jail. Hannus serves his full sentence, but was put in a mental home after his release.

Imperial toilet

For a long time tales were told that the train attack in Schijndel was a robbery that failed. It doesn’t seem to be more than a rumour. Another much told story is about the imperial toilet at Schijndel Station. The toilet building that has been completely overgrown by now appeals to the imagination a lot. It’s very unlikely that the German emperor actually went to the toilet here on one of his train journeys.