Pointsman

Quick meaning: Pointsman is a noun meaning (rail transport, chiefly British) A man in charge of railroad points (switches).

Meaning

(rail transport, chiefly British) A man in charge of railroad points (switches).

Example Sentences

At their point of origin, constructing these boxes presented railway companies with an attractive proposition: to remove the need for pointsmen and flagmen operating at several ground-level locations around a railway site by housing one or two men in a signal structure.

The signalman, as such, was unknown at first. At junctions, or for shunting, the pointsman was responsible both for setting the points and working the appropriate signals, the two being independent. As a result, accidents were comparatively frequent, and the pointsman's job was, at best, a hazardous one.

Word Forms

• pointsmen

Synonyms for pointsman

Depending on context, synonyms include switchman.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include pointsperson, signalman, switchtender, switchman, trackman, towerman.

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