B.R. Passenger Timetable Poser!

[Chrius56000]

. . .Just a Quickie one!

. . .What year did B.R. change from using "Mixed Case Gill Sans" for the Station Names in Passenger Timetables to printing them all in capitals, with Bold Gill Sans Capitals for the first and last stations?

. . .Did this apply across all the Regions at the same year/time?

Chris Williams

 

[izvor]

Interesting question. From a quick look at some TTs of the era (I don't have access to all at present):

The dates overlapped, and I think the change generally coincided with the switch to larger format timetables in June 1965, in line with the new British Rail corporate image.

However the WR went to large format earlier, in (I think) June 1964, with the station sideheads in capitals, but the cover style pre- BR double arrow symbol.

Also BR introduced a "Timetable of Principal Passenger Services in Great Britain" to partly replace the gap left by Bradshaw. The earliest I can find is dated 18 June 1962, in the larger format, and the timetable pages are also with station sideheads in capitals. It even has the griffin-and-wheel icon on the cover, a curious mixture! Can't guarantee that this was the first use though.

 

[Magdalia]

However the WR went to large format earlier, in (I think) June 1964, with the station sideheads in capitals, but the cover style pre- BR double arrow symbol.

I regard the summer 1964 Western Region timetable as the prototype modern timetable, and I have a copy in my collection. It also used the 24 hour clock.

Also BR introduced a "Timetable of Principal Passenger Services in Great Britain" to partly replace the gap left by Bradshaw. The earliest I can find is dated 18 June 1962, in the larger format, and the timetable pages are also with station sideheads in capitals.

Though until now I wasn't aware of this!

 

[izvor]

Also BR introduced a "Timetable of Principal Passenger Services in Great Britain" to partly replace the gap left by Bradshaw. The earliest I can find is dated 18 June 1962, in the larger format, and the timetable pages are also with station sideheads in capitals. It even has the griffin-and-wheel icon on the cover, a curious mixture! Can't guarantee that this was the first use though.

Though until now I wasn't aware of this!

Here's a couple of pages from the June 1962 edition. It ran to 416 pages with 30 tables. The station sideheads are in capitals, later to be adopted by the resized regional timetables. The times are still 12-hour clock. Hope these are of interest.

 

[Magdalia]

Here's a couple of pages from the June 1962 edition.

Thanks.

 

[WesternLancer]

Here's a couple of pages from the June 1962 edition. It ran to 416 pages with 30 tables. The station sideheads are in capitals, later to be adopted by the resized regional timetables. The times are still 12-hour clock. Hope these are of interest.

This is very interesting to see - thanks for posting the images!

 

[Taunton]

. . .Just a Quickie one!

. . .What year did B.R. change from using "Mixed Case Gill Sans" for the Station Names in Passenger Timetables to printing them all in capitals, with Bold Gill Sans Capitals for the first and last stations?

. . .Did this apply across all the Regions at the same year/time?

There were actually a number of fonts and formats in BR times, as when regions had their own timetables (a real nuisance at places like Sheffield) they somewhat did their own thing - especially the Southern - and this to an extent went along with them using different printers, who would use different letterpress fonts. It also applied to the editorial content - the Eastern didn't put the London suburban services in their main book, while the Southern went for gargantuan tables of main line and all the associated branches in one, often having columns spread sideways across two pages, most of the page thus being empty space.

The new Western book in 1964 finally stamped out a table arrangement which dated from pre-nationalisation times of the GWR, where Bristol to Weymouth was in the same table as Paddington to Taunton. I believe it was Gerry Fiennes' idea when he was Chairman of the Western Region 1963-65.

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

The new Western book in 1964 finally stamped out a table arrangement which dated from pre-nationalisation times of the GWR, where Bristol to Weymouth was in the same table as Paddington to Taunton. I believe it was Gerry Fiennes' idea when he was Chairman of the Western Region 1963-65.

I suppose it made sense when there were through trains Paddington to Weymouth (ceased 1960) to show the complete service to Newbury, Westbury etc. There was even one Paddington to Bristol and v.v. service via Devizes!