I think there is a bit of confusion here. A running board and a duty card are the same thing. They are both a sheet of paper showing arrival/departure times for each portion of the duty. Different people/companies call it what they like. A RUNNING BOARD NUMBER is the number of the running board or duty card (whichever you call it). A RUNNING NUMBER is the metal plate attached to buses, mostly in London. The running number does not show the arrival and departure times for each stop.
I think the more you try to explain, the more confusing you make it. Let’s try a different tack...
In order for a timetable to function properly it effectively needs two elements - a bus, and a driver.
When the commercial team are planning the timetable they will determine which bus is scheduled to operate each journey, and how many buses they will require - often referred to as the Peak Vehicle Requirement (PVR).
They will use some form of ‘code’ (usually a simple number) to identify each individual bus, and which journeys it is scheduled to work. These ‘numbers’ have a variety of names used by operators e.g. Bus Working, Car Line, Running Number, Bus Board etc etc.
There will be a working timetable that shows which ‘number’ operates every journey on the route.
Some operators have a method of identifying this ‘number’ on the allocated bus, which may take the form of a simple metal plate on the outside of the bus, or a laminated sheet of A4 in or around the cab.
Some operators also choose to have all the journeys operated by each bus ‘number’ printed and carried on the allocated bus.
The second element is the driver, and in most cases they will work differently to how the buses do.
This means they are likely to drive more than one bus within each duty.
Therefore the drivers duty will identify which bus they should be driving on each portion of their duty by using the ‘number’ of the bus, as discussed above.
It is quite common for each driver duty to be printed out and issued to the driver at the start of each day. This will show all the individual journeys being operated, along with any other relevant instructions.
There are a wide variety of methods used by operators across the country, and probably a wider variety of terminology, but each of them has a means of readily identifying which bus and driver is scheduled to operate every journey.
In the two photos you used to illustrate some of these systems, the bus for the first one would have a ‘1’ plate attached, whilst the ‘running board’ for the second would likely be X96/06.
I hope that has helped.