Oldest departure screens

DynamicSpirit · 25 Mar 2025

The other day, I was looking that Earls Court platform departure boards, which consist of a fixed list of destinations, with an arrow that lights up to point to the destination of the next train.

This setup that must date from many decades ago, although is still serviceable and useful. (Pic follows).

And that made me wonder - what other examples of completely old, out-of-date, departure screens still exist at stations?

Are there any that are older than the Earls Court ones? (And does anyone know how old the Earls Court ones actually are?)

RailUK Forums

Sun Chariot · 25 Mar 2025

DynamicSpirit said:
The other day, I was looking that Earls Court platform departure boards, which consist of a fixed list of destinations, with an arrow that lights up to point to the destination of the next train. This setup that must date from many decades ago, although is still serviceable and useful. (Pic follows). And that made me wonder - what other examples of completely old, out-of-date, departure screens still exist at stations? Are there any that are older than the Earls Court ones? (And does anyone know how old the Earls Court ones actually are?)

I used to love that departure board. I lived a few minutes' walk from EC, from 2000 to 2005.
At the time, I think Gloucester Road had the same, on its Outer Rail (District Westbound) platform too.

I also remember the "clack-rolodex" style boards at Euston, London Bridge, Kings Cross, Paddington, Victoria, Waterloo. All distant memories; so, if this thread tells of others still in existence, I might need to take the family for a day out!

Sir Felix Pole · 25 Mar 2025

DynamicSpirit said:
The other day, I was looking that Earls Court platform departure boards, which consist of a fixed list of destinations, with an arrow that lights up to point to the destination of the next train. This setup that must date from many decades ago, although is still serviceable and useful. (Pic follows). And that made me wonder - what other examples of completely old, out-of-date, departure screens still exist at stations? Are there any that are older than the Earls Court ones? (And does anyone know how old the Earls Court ones actually are?)

1905 vintage - and they have been wired up to the new signalling system. Nice article about them here.

CharlieSpotted · 25 Mar 2025

DynamicSpirit said:
The other day, I was looking that Earls Court platform departure boards, which consist of a fixed list of destinations, with an arrow that lights up to point to the destination of the next train. This setup that must date from many decades ago, although is still serviceable and useful. (Pic follows). And that made me wonder - what other examples of completely old, out-of-date, departure screens still exist at stations? Are there any that are older than the Earls Court ones? (And does anyone know how old the Earls Court ones actually are?)

Interesting? For sure, especially to those of us here!
Serviceable? OK, they may well still work...

Useful?

I'm not sure. As a non-Londoner who has never seen these before (but has travelled by tube) I'm not sure I would have immediately understood that the arrow indicated the next the departure's destination. It's so very different to every other departure board I've seen, I'm not sure I would immediately understand it. Could do with a little sign above it that says something dead simple like "Arrow indicates next departure".

Perhaps it's just me!

stadler · 25 Mar 2025

Not quite as old but until about six weeks ago Waterloo East had a couple Connex era boards left. These were the final ones. They were made by Data Display (who were purchased by Daktronics about a decade ago) and installed by Connex and used to be at almost every Southeastern station and almost every Southern station but were gradually replaced between 2012 to 2018 until just one station had them. For some reason Waterloo East lasted much longer. Sadly they finally got removed in the first week of February 2025 and replaced with new Infotec boards. These were around twentyfive to thirty years old so must have been some of the oldest on the mainline network. Barry in Wales on P1 still has one of the same model left so i think this one (as long as it has not been recently removed) may now hold the record for the oldest departure board on the mainline network.

Sun Chariot · 25 Mar 2025

DynamicSpirit said:
The other day, I was looking that Earls Court platform departure boards, which consist of a fixed list of destinations, with an arrow that lights up to point to the destination of the next train. This setup that must date from many decades ago, although is still serviceable and useful. (Pic follows). And that made me wonder - what other examples of completely old, out-of-date, departure screens still exist at stations? Are there any that are older than the Earls Court ones? (And does anyone know how old the Earls Court ones actually are?)

Is the old spiral staircase, down to Piccadilly Line, still in use? It was at the Gloucester Road end of the eastbound platform. Always made me smile, being able to stand with my head at rail height.

Frontera2 · 25 Mar 2025

Aside from the non-digital version at Earls Court - I'd love to know what the oldest digital display is on the Underground that's still in use. The ones on the Bakerloo line at Embankment on the Southbound (I think) platform are around 25 years old I think?

8ace · 25 Mar 2025

Sun Chariot said:
I used to love that departure board. I lived a few minutes' walk from EC, from 2000 to 2005.
At the time, I think Gloucester Road had the same, on its Outer Rail (District Westbound) platform too.

I also remember the "clack-rolodex" style boards at Euston, London Bridge, Kings Cross, Paddington, Victoria, Waterloo. All distant memories; so, if this thread tells of others still in existence, I might need to take the family for a day out!

Departures Board | Custom Split Flap Display | Train Station Sign
Dread to think how much one of these would cost!

The exile · 25 Mar 2025

Sun Chariot said:
I also remember the "clack-rolodex" style boards at Euston, London Bridge, Kings Cross, Paddington, Victoria, Waterloo. All distant memories; so, if this thread tells of others still in existence, I might need to take the family for a day out!

The Eastern European version of the split-flap indicator (think generally more primitive and operating in slow-motion) was also great fun.

Sun Chariot · 25 Mar 2025

8ace said:
Departures Board | Custom Split Flap Display | Train Station Sign
Dread to think how much one of these would cost!

I have a wicked thought of installing one outside each of our bathrooms, with destinations:
VACANT
ENGAGED
READING RAILUK, COME BACK LATER
GIVE IT TEN MINUTES

8ace · 25 Mar 2025

Sun Chariot said:
I have a wicked thought of installing one outside each of our bathrooms, with destinations:
VACANT
ENGAGED
READING RAILUK, COME BACK LATER
GIVE IT TEN MINUTES

infobleep · 25 Mar 2025

stadler said:
Not quite as old but until about six weeks ago Waterloo East had a couple Connex era boards left. These were the final ones. They were made by Data Display (who were purchased by Daktronics about a decade ago) and installed by Connex and used to be at almost every Southeastern station and almost every Southern station but were gradually replaced between 2012 to 2018 until just one station had them. For some reason Waterloo East lasted much longer. Sadly they finally got removed in the first week of February 2025 and replaced with new Infotec boards. These were around twentyfive to thirty years old so must have been some of the oldest on the mainline network. Barry in Wales on P1 still has one of the same model left so i think this one (as long as it has not been recently removed) may now hold the record for the oldest departure board on the mainline network.

Given Network South East was being celebrated recently, it's a shame they couldn't remain, along with the replacements.

Frontera2 · 25 Mar 2025

infobleep said:
Given Network South East was being celebrated recently, it's a shame they couldn't remain, along with the replacements.

If you go to Charing Cross and there's a train that's formed of 465908 on the board - you'll see the NSE logo if that counts?

notverydeep · 25 Mar 2025

Sir Felix Pole said:
1905 vintage - and they have been wired up to the new signalling system. Nice article about them here.

One thing the article doesn't explicitly mention is that these light box indicators are listed heritage features, hence their continued use and modification to suit the new signalling - the alternative would have been to leave them in situ, but not functioning, which would have been quite a bit more confusing for passengers.

I wonder whether any Solari type (split flap) indicators remain in use in the UK and if not, where the nearest is in Europe...

edwin_m · 25 Mar 2025

CharlieSpotted said:
Interesting? For sure, especially to those of us here!
Serviceable? OK, they may well still work...

Useful?

I'm not sure. As a non-Londoner who has never seen these before (but has travelled by tube) I'm not sure I would have immediately understood that the arrow indicated the next the departure's destination. It's so very different to every other departure board I've seen, I'm not sure I would immediately understand it. Could do with a little sign above it that says something dead simple like "Arrow indicates next departure".

Perhaps it's just me!

notverydeep said:
One thing the article doesn't explicitly mention is that these light box indicators are listed heritage features, hence their continued use and modification to suit the new signalling - the alternative would have been to leave them in situ, but not functioning, which would have been quite a bit more confusing for passengers.

These are of course totally non-compliant with modern accessibility regulations, but I there is also a modern display easily visible a short way down the platform.

Any of the (generally pretty terrible) cathode ray tubes still in use?

Dstock7080 · 26 Mar 2025

Sun Chariot said:
Is the old spiral staircase, down to Piccadilly Line, still in use? It was at the Gloucester Road end of the eastbound platform. Always made me smile, being able to stand with my head at rail height.

It is still in use.

Frontera2 said:
Aside from the non-digital version at Earls Court - I'd love to know what the oldest digital display is on the Underground that's still in use. The ones on the Bakerloo line at Embankment on the Southbound (I think) platform are around 25 years old I think?

That style of display was installed in the mid-1980s, a few are still around the network, Bakerloo, Piccadilly and District stations have some examples. The non-updated versions only show upper case lettering and are few in number.

starlight73 · 26 Mar 2025

There’s also some more discussion about old London Underground platform displays in the LU announcements thread: https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...announcements-2005.264607/page-3#post-6793399

edwin_m said:
Any of the (generally pretty terrible) cathode ray tubes still in use?

I seem to remember seeing some like that at Baker Street (London Underground stop). But it was several years ago and maybe my memory is wrong!

GW43125 · 26 Mar 2025

notverydeep said:
I wonder whether any Solari type (split flap) indicators remain in use in the UK and if not, where the nearest is in Europe..

I'd imagine there's some closer in Germany or Switzerland, but some places in Czechia still have "Pragotron" ones. Kralupy nad Vltavou station was like stepping back in time to the 70s!

The exile · 26 Mar 2025

GW43125 said:
I'd imagine there's some closer in Germany or Switzerland, but some places in Czechia still have "Pragotron" ones. Kralupy nad Vltavou station was like stepping back in time to the 70s!

Not encountered any in Germany recently (but then my travels there have been less extensive of late)

Msq71423 · 26 Mar 2025

Barnsley station still has a CRT screen in waiting area for platform 2 from 2007. Can't be many of these still around.

DynamicSpirit · 26 Mar 2025

edwin_m said:
These are of course totally non-compliant with modern accessibility regulations, but I there is also a modern display easily visible a short way down the platform.

In what way are the Earls Court boards not compliant with modern accessibility regulations? I find them a lot clearer and easier to read than some more modern displays - mainly because the text on them is large, and because the destination names are printed, there aren't any matrix dots blurring the letters.

Sir Felix Pole said:
1905 vintage - and they have been wired up to the new signalling system. Nice article about them here.

Wow - 1905?!?!?!? I'd bet when they were installed, they must have seemed totally futuristic and revolutionary - the idea of a light that automatically lit to show where the next train was going, without human intervention! (For comparison, I remember the departure boards at places like Woking in the 1980s - a full 80 years later - which consisted of a variety of wooden boards each listing a particular destination and stopping pattern, where after each train had departed, one of the platform staff would manually remove the board and replace it with the one that had the details matching the next train)

Recessio · 26 Mar 2025

Msq71423 said:
Barnsley station still has a CRT screen in waiting area for platform 2 from 2007. Can't be many of these still around.

Definitely a contender!

There used to be some in Greater Anglia metro (now Elizabeth line) stations and some Southeastern stations, but I think they've all been replaced now.
https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...l-use-crts-for-the-information-system.179494/

Rescars · 26 Mar 2025

DynamicSpirit said:
Wow - 1905?!?!?!? I'd bet when they were installed, they must have seemed totally futuristic and revolutionary - the idea of a light that automatically lit to show where the next train was going, without human intervention! (For comparison, I remember the departure boards at places like Woking in the 1980s - a full 80 years later - which consisted of a variety of wooden boards each listing a particular destination and stopping pattern, where after each train had departed, one of the platform staff would manually remove the board and replace it with the one that had the details matching the next train)

As I recall, these departure boards were pretty widespread across the network. They lasted a very long time, but there wasn't much which could go wrong! Some bigger stations (e.g. Sutton) had a slightly more sophisticated device which held the most frequently used boards in a magazine and each board was raised and held in place by a small lever. The electrical element only stretched as far as having a convenient platform light to illuminate the board displayed.

Julia · 26 Mar 2025

Dstock7080 said:
It is still in use.

That style of display was installed in the mid-1980s, a few are still around the network, Bakerloo, Piccadilly and District stations have some examples. The non-updated versions only show upper case lettering and are few in number.

Moorgate (Met) has two very elderly displays that must be 1980s-ish... they stand out against the rest of the north side of the Circle which have more modern ones.

Billy Hicks · 26 Mar 2025

The Earls Court signs I believe are late 2000s replicas of the originals, I remember before they had a thinner/squashed font which was changed to one closer to the standard LU font. In 2022 (when they updated the signalling) they were changed again to the bolder type seen in the opening post.

edwin_m · 26 Mar 2025

DynamicSpirit said:
In what way are the Earls Court boards not compliant with modern accessibility regulations? I find them a lot clearer and easier to read than some more modern displays - mainly because the text on them is large, and because the destination names are printed, there aren't any matrix dots blurring the letters.

There are some very specific requirements relating to departure indicators but one that is definitely non-compliant is specifying mixed case text.

Billy Hicks said:
The Earls Court signs I believe are late 2000s replicas of the originals, I remember before they had a thinner/squashed font which was changed to one closer to the standard LU font. In 2022 (when they updated the signalling) they were changed again to the bolder type seen in the opening post.

Here are some photos claiming to be from 2004 showing the narrower typeface: https://dewi.ca/trains/2004/earls_ct/index.html

Several District Line stations used to have train describers of the sort shown here: that is, a big panel with enamelled signs showing the various destinations and types of train (such as "Non-Stop") and arrows which would light up to point to the signs that applied to the next train. I wanted to photograph these before they were replaced by modern electronic signs.

I wonder if these panels are still around somewhere and could be reinstated.

JBuchananGB · 26 Mar 2025

Similar to the modernised old style Earls Court boards, other locations had boards where the illuminated arrow also showed a number such as <-1, or <-2 or <-3 to indicated the sequence of the next three trains. Probably none of those left anywhere. I remember them well everywhere along the District & Circle between Earls Court and Tower Hill.

Dstock7080 · 26 Mar 2025

JBuchananGB said:
Similar to the modernised old style Earls Court boards, other locations had boards where the illuminated arrow also showed a number such as <-1, or <-2 or <-3 to indicated the sequence of the next three trains. Probably none of those left anywhere. I remember them well everywhere along the District & Circle between Earls Court and Tower Hill.

Sadly none remain, Gloucester Road westbound District has a disused arrowhead one as Earl’s Court.
The last operational 1,2,3 indicator was at Cannon Street, although of the 1970s black-face variety.

Gloucester Road Underground station

1900s District Railway "light box" train describer

flic.kr

Cannon Street Underground station

1970s "light box" train describer

flic.kr

infobleep · 26 Mar 2025

Frontera2 said:
If you go to Charing Cross and there's a train that's formed of 465908 on the board - you'll see the NSE logo if that counts?

No it doesn't as that is a modern board.

Modern naprds are great but given these had survived this long, I still think they could have been kept.

sjoh · 27 Mar 2025

There's one very annoyingly small crt type monitor on the eastbound electrics platform at Maryland station that must date back to the 90's. Frankly I'm surprised it wasn't gotten rid of when the liz line started. As far a I know, it's still there. What's more, it is the ONLY departure board on the platform and is barely visible from most of it! Unless it's been replaced in the last 6 months, pretty sure it's still there!

Oldest departure screens

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