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Beautiful Graphic Symbols That Represent UK’s Major Metro Stations

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Tibbs

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Back in 1999, Railtrack commissioned UK-based design consultancy Lloyd Northover to create graphic badges that represent 14 major stations in the UK.

In the ‘National Rail Identity’ project, each circular badge had its own symbol that represent either the station architecture, the vicinity, or historical associations—for wandering wayfarers to more easily identify their location.

According to Creative Review, Lloyd Northover co-founder John Lloyd said that the symbols were to “enhance and communicate the distinct personality of each of the major stations”.

From Edinburgh Castle and Gatwick Airport, to Paddington Station and King’s Cross Station, check out the beautiful, condensed graphic symbols:

http://designtaxi.com/news/357722/B...ols-That-Represent-UK-s-Major-Metro-Stations/

What do people think? I rather like them, especially Euston, Edinburgh Waverley and Manchester.

Were they widely used, and are these still in use anywhere? I must confess I haven't noticed any at Euston.
 
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Cherry_Picker

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They used to be in quite common usage, especially on things like station signs and on luggage trolleys. I've not seen one in the wild in probably five years.
 

LexyBoy

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The Paddington one, or something very similar, is definitely still in place there though I think it may be gone from most signs.

And what does "Metro station" mean? More to the point, why no Reading? Some work rather better than others, in particular Edinburgh and King's Cross look a bit forced and ill-suited to the circlular motif used.
 

Cherry_Picker

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The website is American, it's aimed at an American audience so I think "Metro Station" is an acceptable vernacular.

Why no Reading? Because it wasn't a Network Rail managed station when this art was commissioned.
 

LexyBoy

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Why no Reading? Because it wasn't a Network Rail managed station when this art was commissioned.

You can't expect people to go and read the article! (Though it was a tongue-in-cheek comment). And Reading still isn't NR managed, although the list has changed somewhat since it was commissioned.

"Metro station" sounds too much like it's referring to an underground station to me, though maybe it doesn't have that connotation in American. And Gatwick isn't exactly in a metropolitan area...
 

Jonfun

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The ones up North can certainly still be found at Lime Street, Manchester Picc and Leeds. Have to say I assumed all NR managed stations would still use them although I suppose thinking about it, I don't recall seeing them when I visited London not so long back.
 

Eagle

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Still loads at Waterloo. And New Street used to have a lot before the works started.


Also for some reason the article thinks there were only 14, when it was actually 17 (it's missing Cannon Street, Fenchurch Street and Lime Street. St Pancras never had one for some reason.)
 

GatwickDepress

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I do wonder about Gatwick Airport's stylised icon whenever I passed through. They're still in use on station signage there, some of which look pretty damn new. I've never stopped to see if they can be found elsewhere, such as on luggage trolleys.
Thanks for sharing Tibbs, lovely to know where they came from.
 

MidnightFlyer

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Still loads at Waterloo. And New Street used to have a lot before the works started.


Also for some reason the article thinks there were only 14, when it was actually 17 (it's missing Cannon Street, Fenchurch Street and Lime Street. St Pancras never had one for some reason.)

IIRC Liverpool Lime St didn't actually become an NR-managed station until the early 2000s, which may explain its omission. Are Cannon St and Fenchurch St similar?

 

Eagle

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I thought Leeds station was City rather than Central?

That's correct. (That sign could possibly date fro during the reconstruction, when Leeds Whitehall was also in operation.) Leeds Central was a different station, now closed of course, although unlike many other northern stations with 'Central' in the name it was nothing to do with the GCR.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
For those who are wondering what the symbols not mentioned in the article looked like:
nrstationsymbols.jpeg


(Also I've got a hunch that St Pancras not having one is to do with the fact that it's never actually been owned by Railtrack/NR, just operated by them.)
 

TheEdge

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I must say they look very good (I've not seen/spotted/heard of them before) but the Glasgow one looks like it could be contentions. No doubt I am about to sound very silly but it does look a little too much like it has a St George's Cross on it!
 

142056

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Isn't the little M thing still at Piccadilly on the sign above the door, that you can just make out in that picture?
 

Yew

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Its a shame colours didnt correspond to lines in some way (for example KGX, Leeds and Edinburgh in one colour, and Euston, Brum and Manchester in another colour)
 

High Dyke

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Whilst they look graphically interesting, would people have difficulty in relating some of the symbols to particular stations?

As an aside i found this item of reference material, from a more corporate time.
http://www.doublearrow.co.uk/manual.htm

Of course pre-1964 each individual region had its own colour, harking back to the time of the 'Big Four'.
 

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jopsuk

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As an aside i found this item of reference material, from a more corporate time.
http://www.doublearrow.co.uk/manual.htm

Going off on the "aside"- interesting bit with the flag. It is usual to depict a flag on the obverse side- that is, with the flagpole on the left. Quite odd, given that, that they went with the logo reversed on that side, and "correct" on the reverse. The only reason I can conceive this was done is that, with a flag flown on a ship (sea link) in steam in little wind or a headwind, the flag would trail backwards. With the logo this way round, the flag would match the funnel, where the logo was displayed, both sides, with the upper arrow pointing to the bow- the port side of the ship being the only other place the "reverse" logo was permitted.
 

Eagle

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It's simpler than that—they wanted it to resemble an S for Sealink.

Also it was a bit to do with the fact that the logo represents train tracks in a country where trains pass on the left, whereas ships usually pass on the right.



I guess the land flag was just given the same orientation for simplicity, so they didn't need to make two different designs.
 

jopsuk

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It's simpler than that—they wanted it to resemble an S for Sealink.

Not convinced- as in the document, you'd usually depict a ship with the bow on the right of the page- and if you got a museum with models of ships, you'll find the models are generally pointing in that direction too. So this means on the side displayed, the logo is displayed in the same way as on land- the "s" version is on the non-depicted port side.
I guess the land flag was just given the same orientation for simplicity, so they didn't need to make two different designs.
Agreed- though the maritime flag was a different colour.
 

plastictaffy

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I would imagine a more apt one for New Street would be a dirty sign with a picture of ear defenders on it. Coz that's what New Street is, a dank, dirty, noisy hole. They're doing all this work up there at the moment - but no-one seems to remember that old saying, you know, the one that goes "You can't polish a turd"...........
Seriously though, I've certainly seen at least one or two of those signs knocking about on the network.
 

Gareth

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nrstationsymbols.jpeg


They're very nice-looking symbols. It's weird that the colour scheme appears to be random rather than denote anything in particular. The way they're lined up on that picture seems to suggest a very deliberate grouping. How odd.

Notice that the liverbird on the Liverpool Lime Street one is facing right when liverbirds are supposed to face left. Also, it looks suspiciously like a Liverpool FC liverbird rather than a civic one.
 

markem41

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I think the Manchester Piccadilly one would remind people more of Stockport than Manchester City Centre. Seeing them all reminds me of an episode of Catchphrase - 'Say what you see'
 
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