GWR Services Book

Greetings all,

While at Bristol Parkway this morning I noticed that a book was for sale at the ticket desk. It is a guide to services and has been issued by GWR. The book, which is - I think - a one-off and is dedicated to the memory of former GWR train planner Roger Watkins who died in October 2017, comprises information of use to travellers as well as enthusiasts.

The book is made up as follows:

- Introduction section (3 pages, numbered i to iii)
Forewords from Mark Hopwood (GWR M.D) and Matthew Golton (deputy M.D)

- Opening section (69 pages, numbered iv to lxxiii)
Contains a wealth of information including, but not limited to, station facilities (such as ticket office opening hours where applicable), transport (bus, air & ferry) links to / from stations, IET and DMU layout plans. Also contains information on heritage railways in GWR's territory, community rail partnerships and rail user groups.

- Timetables and timetable notes (335 pages, numbered 1 to 335)
Timetables for each route and headcodes for each train.

So a total of 407 pages, not including the GWR network and London Underground maps inside the back cover.

A good and useful publication IMO which can be had, albeit at certain ticket offices only, for £8. I am not sure how many copies of this book have been issued: mine is numbered 0043 on the back cover.

HTIOI,
Dave

It’s been available for some time now (reissued at each timetable change) can be purchased online at https://www.gwrsouvenirs.co.uk/index.php/shop.html/

It is an excellent guide, although it doesn't come with the (freely available) GWR network map when you buy it online

Deafdoggie said:

It’s been available for some time now (reissued at each timetable change) can be purchased online at https://www.gwrsouvenirs.co.uk/index.php/shop.html/

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First time I have ever seen GWR issue timetables in one big publication.

Megafuss said:

It is an excellent guide, although it doesn't come with the (freely available) GWR network map when you buy it online

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Surprising: I wonder why?

Dave

DaveHarries said:

First time I have ever seen GWR issue timetables in one big publication

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I’ m not sure when they started, but its been at least 6 years

I had bought a few in the past but when the price suddenly shot up from £5 to £8 I didn't bother anymore especially since most of the info was repeated, except for timetables but then they're available online and free.

Deafdoggie said:

I’ m not sure when they started, but its been at least 6 years

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It's longer than that, I have a 2012 copy here.

It first appeared in 2009 - when FGW stopped producing five separate regional timetable booklets.

This is an example of one of these:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/First-Gr...483519?hash=item288e8fd83f:g:-dcAAOSwZ15eKcFl

My understanding is that the GWR timetable book is produced principally for internal use - in a staff-only version - and a small number of copies of the passenger version are printed with the information pages included.

Is £8 that much to ask for what is a fairly chunky paperback book, with several hundred pages, and produced in small numbers? It was priced £2.50 or £3 when it first appeared, which was probably didn't cover FGW's bill from the printers.