Iron Man

The Iron Man, named after the steam dredger that dug it, is a recreational lake in the forests near Vught in the Dutch province of North Brabant. Sand was extracted at this location for the urban elevation of the Het Zand district between the station and the city center of 's-Hertogenbosch around 1890. Previously, around 1868, sand had also been excavated that was used in the construction of the Kuilenburg railway bridge, which at that time was the longest railway bridge in Europe at 150 meters. The sand was used to create the high railway embankments necessary to cross the Lek River with this bridge, which consisted of a single arch. The excavation initially took place manually. Shovels were used to fill wheelbarrows, which transported the sand to a sand train that carried it away. Later, a steam dredger was built that was also suitable for excavating dry sand. This steam dredger ended up in Vught. The workers then went on strike, fearing that this dredger, which they had since nicknamed "The Iron Man," would take over their jobs and they would lose their employment. The then-contractor of railway bridges, Nicolaas van Haaren, managed to reassure the workers, and the strike came to an end.

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