"Footplate and Signals" by L F E Coombs

[John Ashworth]

Footplate and Signals: The Evolution of the Relationship Between Footplate Design and Operation and Railway Safety and Signalling by L F E Coombs, Silver Link Publishing Ltd (2009), Paperback, 128 pages, ISBN 9781857943198, is an excellent idea which ought to be an important contribution to the literature on steam locomotive and signalling design.

In the words of the back cover blurb, it "examines the vital yet seldom-considered railway 'control interface' between the driver on his footplate and the signalling systems". It does indeed look at this interface, and also the interface between the human beings on the footplate and the controls and instruments. It looks at ergonomics and health and safety in the days before those concepts became embedded in engineering design. It is full of interesting facts and anecdotes, and makes interesting reading for the enthusiast.

But... it doesn't quite make the grade. It really is nothing but a superficial collection of facts and anecdotes. It doesn't hang together as a coherent whole, and doesn't really go anywhere with its "examination" of the topic in hand. It could have benefited from some robust editing, not only for typos, mistakes and repetitions, but also for coherence. It jumps from topic to topic, railway company to railway company, country to country, and any combination thereof, with no clear purpose. Odd facts are inserted here and there for no apparent reason, and without leading anywhere. What little analysis there is quickly tails off.

All in all, a lost opportunity.

[Luca Lategan]

So sad that there's just too much of those "lost opportunities" in the railway world...