Most of the time, bridges were kept in a position to let ships pbum freely in the water but at certain times of day, trains also had to travel and cross the river, using the drawbridge. The switchman’s job was to make sure to extend the bridge for the train at certain times, then get the drawbridge back out of the way again so that water vehicles could travel as normal.

One day, a switchman noted the approach of the train and began to operate the appropriate controls to lock the drawbridge into place. He watched the train headlights get closer, and double-checked the drawbridge, only to notice that the locking mechanisms weren’t actually locking like they should! If these were not locked properly when the train began to cross the river, it would jump the track and crash far down below, into the river.

He noted that, according to his schedule, the particular train in question happened to be a pbumenger train, and this further heightened his dilemma.

Luckily, the drawbridge keeper had been trained for emergency situations, so he knew he could simply dash from the control room and to a control box nearby, to hold a specific lever into place and lock the drawbridge manually. He’d noticed the flawed lock in time, so he dashed outside to manually lock the drawbridge, relieved that he’d been taught this safety tactic.

With the level held firm, the train neared and the rumbling of engine and wheels on the track grew, and the switchman knew he should brace himself soon for the train.

Just then, he heard a sound which made his blood run cold!

“Daddy…Daddy where are you?”

It was his 5 year old son, crossing part of the tracks to come find him.

“Run, son – RUN!!!” the father shouted

But the train was fast approaching and the father’s words were caught up in the thunder of the train’s noise.

He released the lever for a moment, in order to run and grab his son – but realized that the train was approaching with much greater speed than he had anticipated. He’d never be fast enough to run to grab his son, then make it back in time to hold the drawbridge lever in place again before the train reached the river crossing! If he didn’t hold the lever, all the pbumengers on the oncoming train would crash into the river, most likely, all would die from a plunge of that distance overhead to the river below.

With an agonizing cry, he grasped the lever as the train sped forward.

Nobody aboard the train ever noticed the tiny, broken body flung violently and mercilessly into the river by the train. Nobody ever hear the dreaded splash of the young body plunging into the river. Nobody was ever aware of the sobbing man, still hanging on to the lever long minutes after the train was gone and out of sight.