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THE MIDLAND RAILWAY ASSEMBLAGE TRAILS
"The Family Trail"
Stop Twelve: The Lookout's Horn

We're looking at the drawers in the corner now...

A small brass horn

Stop 12

Where: A1 (lower drawer)

What: Lookout’s horn

Material: Brass

Why: Working on the railway has always been an incredibly dangerous job, especially working on the track when trains are running. To protect track workers, from the earliest days “look outs” were posted. When the Look Out saw a train coming, they would blow a (very loud) horn and wave a flag to attract the attention of the workers on the line so they could stand clear. (Until very recently, exactly the same system applied on the modern railway!). We would love to let you blow this horn to show how loud it is, but the bloke behind you is pleased that’s not going to happen ☹️.

Ref: RFB11821

Another viewe of the small brass horn from a different angle