Background information:
This relay house in Den Bosch was built around 1958, when the station was the first in the Netherlands to be equipped with the NX security system. An essential component was the so-called B relay. Developed in the 1930s and used in the Dutch railway system since 1947, they have proven to be very reliable and are therefore suitable for operating switches and signals. There are several examples of relays that have been in use for more than 50 years, are refurbished and then continue to serve for many years. The B relays are also being newly produced and used, for example at Utrecht Central Station in 2016. The last NX security system in Hengelo was replaced in 2002. The shunting terrains are now controlled from Zwolle. But the countless relay houses along the route will continue to serve for several generations.
Architectural details:
This building with an overhanging flat roof covers an area of approximately 7 m2 on one floor. It has a door but no windows. The half-brick masonry, made of sand-yellow bricks in Waal format in a half-brick bond, has several high and narrow facade openings that are finished with brick window sills. However, these facade openings were never equipped with glass. At a good 20cm wide, it would have been too narrow and light was rarely needed indoors, as relays work well in the dark. The facade openings have a purely architectural function, to make the building less anonymous and to better fit into the neighborhood, which mainly contains many apartments and offices.
