Keeping on Track
Derby has a long history of railway manufacturing, with the first production buildings emerging in the 1840s for what was to become the Midlands Railway. The Museum of Making is home to numerous objects from the railway industry, as well as the beloved model railway.
The variety of objects on display, from model trains and carriage doors to signal boxes and safety signage, showcase how the railways are an example of what is known in human factors as a complex system. This system has multiple elements and includes both humans and machines interacting with each other with the overarching goal of moving people and goods around the railway network.
Human factors concerns itself with ensuring the whole railway system, including design and procedures for train driving, signalling, maintenance work on the track, to interface design of railway stations and ticket websites. With numerous moving parts, human factors enables the whole system to be comfortable, easy to use and, most importantly, safe.
Railway models and signal boxes