| Swindon Railworks - Hooter to sound to mark 40 year rail anniversary Posted by matth1j at 13:52, 26th March 2026 |     |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce9m0zl4ryzo
The man who sounded the hooter for the final time at a closing railway works is to sound it again exactly 40 years on to mark the anniversary of the closure.
Foundryman Ron Johnson sounded shift finish hooter at the Swindon Railworks for the final time on 26 March 1986, as hundreds lost their jobs when the site closed.
Johnson, 75, will sound the hooter again at 16:30 GMT following a day of events, including the opening of a new exhibition, at the Steam Museum in the town to mark the day.
Johnson said that sounding the hooter was "not just a job" and that the closure had been a "really sad day".
Foundryman Ron Johnson sounded shift finish hooter at the Swindon Railworks for the final time on 26 March 1986, as hundreds lost their jobs when the site closed.
Johnson, 75, will sound the hooter again at 16:30 GMT following a day of events, including the opening of a new exhibition, at the Steam Museum in the town to mark the day.
Johnson said that sounding the hooter was "not just a job" and that the closure had been a "really sad day".
