fogman

English

Etymology

From fog +‎ man.

Noun

fogman (plural fogmen)

1. (rail transport, historical) A railwayman who placed fog signals (detonators) on the track at distant signals during thick fogs (and falling snow) to warn train drivers.
   • 1959 April, P. Ransome-Wallis, “The Southern in Trouble on the Kent Coast”, in Trains Illustrated, London: Ian Allan Publishing, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 216:

     As against this, really bad fogs have been experienced and on one occasion the 7.35 p.m. from Victoria crawled into Herne Bay 95 min. late, having halted at every stop signal between Gillingham and Whitstable. The explanation? Not a single fogman had turned out for duty between Gillingham and Ramsgate.

References

• “fogman”, in Collins English Dictionary.
• “fog man”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• "fogman" in the Glossary for the LNWR Society.