The Midland Railway Study Centre Assemblage Trails

THE MIDLAND RAILWAY ASSEMBLAGE TRAILS
"The Family Trail"
Stop Eight: The Eyesight Tester

Look in the drawers on the left, 'F', side at the far end....

Looking inside a drawer with the eyesight teser described below in view

Stop 8

Where: F1 lower drawer

What: Eyesight tester

Material: Wood

Why: Good eyesight is crucial for railway workers, especially for drivers and signalmen, so it has always been tested on a regular basis. So regularly, in fact, that a canny employee might memorise a simple list of letters. Being able to accurately describe the sequences of three panels with up to 20 dots, at an appropriate range, ensured an accurate test.

Ref: RFB10513

What looks like a large four sided domino with a handle. Each face is marked with three panels of up to 20 dots.

There were also tests for colour vision and these used multicoloured strands of wool. We hold an example of such a device in our collection but it is currently on loan to the Museum of North Craven Life at The Folly at Settle, North Yorkshire.

Eyesight tester formed of a frame from which multiple weighted strands of coloured wool are suspended, along with eye covers and a block with multiple dots for eyesight testing. All contained within a case marked ‘Engineers Dept. Skipton’. 20in high when erected.