Nfm64

[maniacmartin]

This isn't strictly about fares, but I guessed the people who might know the answer hang out here...

Does anyone who about the printing and binding of NFM64, specifically:

• how many volumes is it split into?
• roughly how many pages is it in total?
• whether it's hardback or paperback?
• roughly how big are the pages (A4, A5 etc)?
• what size typeface is has inside?

Thanks,

Martin

 

[soil]

Three volumes:
* South - South of England
* East - Scotland, North East and Eastern England, the East Midlands, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire east of, and including the Midland Main Line
* West - South West Scotland, North West and West England, the Midlands, Wales and the Thames Valley

Looks like hardback:

 

[maniacmartin]

The picture you attached looks like a paperback though.

 

[soil]

yeah that.

 

[theblackwatch]

As far as I'm aware, they were always paperback. I've copies of NFM71 which was paperback and all other versions I've seen have been too.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

I'm sure post '98 NFM manuals (which I think is NFM68 and onwards) were seven volumes (an eighth volume was used later for bus and shipping links but I can't recall from which number or what year) and about as thick as the one in the picture Soil posted, so I'd hate to think how big the other two volumes of NFM64 are if Soil is correct!

They were definitely paperback and the pages I recall being just over A4 in size.

 

[maniacmartin]

I'm told that there were less fares back then, so the to total number of pages may well be less than in more recent editions

 

[barrykas]

The paper National Fares Manuals comprised seven volumes:

• East
• London
• Midland
• North West
• Scotland
• South
• West

There was a separate manual for the Strathclyde PTE area and one containing details of "Rail Links" (Bus and shipping links and leisure attractions where through fares were available).

Each Manual was about as thick as an old Yellow Pages and they all contained fares to/from London, ticket validities, "Market-Priced" season ticket rates and various other bits of "common" information as well as the region specific fares and easements.

 

[John @ home]

NFM 64 has over 1,000 pages of fares data in each of the 3 volumes, printed double sided. The pages are thin and the printing is heavy with the printing on the reverse side clearly visible on each page, making automatic capture of the data very difficult.

Unlike the later 7-volume editions, it omits many local fares.

 

[barrykas]

Found it on the National Archives site. Seems there's also an "All fares from London" volume, a "London International" one, as well as the one (or more) for each TOU. Relevant references for that fares round are AN 130/414 to 416 for the main volumes, 417 for London International, 418 for the fares from London and 419-432 for the local manuals.

 

[theblackwatch]

Anyone interested in studying old manuals might be interested to know the NRM has copies of various manuals which can be looked at if you visit the Search Engine there. See http://www.nrm.org.uk/ResearchAndArchive/archiveandlibrarycollections/Timetables.aspx for a full list of what they've got (which will also explain the differing volumes).