CLANG, CLANG ... BANG!
 


With the arrival of the Dockumer Lokaeltsje the municipality was confronted with a new phenomenon: the safety of its citizens in connection with this example of upcoming modern times, especially with regard to the railway crossings.
The correspondence with the railway company, the Hollandsche IJzeren Spoorwegmaatschappij, indicates that this was not an easy matter to deal with.

It started off well, though: with a letter dated January 17, 1919 the railway company gave notice that they were going to place barriers at the railway crossing on the Doniaweg in Hallum "lowering of which will be announced by a loud clanging bell". Although the municipality responded early February that they were very pleased with this, it didn’t go far enough for them. They asked the company to take very seriously into consideration to place barriers near the station of Ferwerd too because at this crossing there is "considerable traffic of horse and buggy whereas the location is such that the approach of a train does not immediately catch the eye". Apparently the railway company was not impressed because on July 21, 1919 the Mayor sent a reminder, once again stipulating the dangerous situation and illustrating this by
stating that "it was only last week when a motorbicyclist had a narrow escape while passing the railway crossing and was almost ran over by a train". That did it. On January 21, 1920 the Hollandsche IJzeren
Spoorwegmaatschappij sent the good news to Ferwerderadeel that they "will place barriers at both sides of the crossing near the station of Ferwerd on the road from Ferwerd to Hoogebeintum in such a way that the barriers will be operated from a distance. The lowering of the barriers will be announced by means of a loud clanging bell".
That seemed to be the end of that. Seemed …..

Because on December 6, 1920 the Mayor of Ferwerderadeel sent an emergency letter to the board of the railway company:
 

6 December 1920.
181.3

        Barriers.
 

                                       Already several times calamities occurred
                     due to the barriers that were placed in connection 
                     with the railroad here.

                               Again this time..

                               This morning milkman Klaas Paulusma was
                     with two hooked milkwagons on his way from
                      Hogebeintum to the diary factory in Marrum.

                               While the horse had already crossed the track
                      the barrier drops down and ends up in between the
                      cans of the first wagon causing damage to the cans,
                      broken bottles and a loss of milk

                               More misfortune has occurred: another man
                      is at home sick in his bed because, as he says, he 
                      was hit on the head by a lowered barrier. 

                               I think, the cause is this: the signal is given
                      and almost at the same time the barrier comes down
                      while there should be some more time in between.

                              Also the illumination of the barriers is not
                       what it should be in the evening, so I have been
                       informed.

                              I feel free to draw your attention to this 
                       malfunctioning in order to avoid further and
                       possibly even worse calamities.

                            A prompt solution will be most welcome.

                            I kindly request you to investigate this matter.
 

                                                          The Mayor of Ferwerderadeel

The Board of the
Hollandsche Yzeren Spoorweg
       Maatschappij
              in
      A m s t e r d a m.

We have not found a response from the railway company. However, we did find more misfortune. In a letter dated November 30, 1922 the Minister of Transport announces that he "has been given the authority to grant discharge of the obligation of barriers for public railway crossings". As a comfort he added that instead signs will be placed "on black and white painted poles about 2,75 meters high, at the top of which will be two crossed signs, 1,30 meters long and 0,15 meters wide mentioning "Unguarded crossing" and "Watch for the train".
By means of a letter dated November 12, 1923 the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Transport "has the honor to inform the Commisioner of the Queen in Friesland that the barriers on the attached list of railway crossings will be removed". You’ve guessed it: the overview includes "the crossing at the road of Ferwerd to Hoogebeintum and the crossing at the Doniaweg in Hallum". The Secretary-General also added a special request: "To remove some bushes along the track to relief the Inspector of the State Railway ".

Obviously the Mayor & Aldermen of Ferwerdweradeel were not amused, to say the least, and in no time they sent a letter of protest in which they expressed their deep concern with regard to accidents that now may occur. It was all in vain. According to the Ministry additioanal research had proved that there's no reason to reconsider the previous decision.

Apart from safety the now unguarded railway crossings caused another problem: vandalism. On request of the Ministry of Transport the municipality sent a memo to the heads of the schools in Ferwerderadeel inviting them to point out to the schoolboys- and girls not to damage or destroy signs, etc. at the same time threatening with severe punishment.

Source:
Municipal archives of Ferwerderadeel