Objects, plans and other

[Harrogateprjct]

Hello,

This is my first post here, I can’t say I’ve chimed in on a conversation before but I’ve been around here for some time.
Many of you, like me I suspect, have researched various railways and their histories and wondered what has survived from them. Aside from the objects and papers in museums, we railway historians and enthusiasts tend to amass collections of all kinds of railwayana, from the smallest of tickets to station plans, name boards and signals, but we keep them as private collections. With that in mind, until we sell them or unless we bring them up in conversation, most of those things stay buried, and so many sadly loose their provenance.
So, given how often I’ve wondered this for the routes I study, I thought I should maybe start a thread to see what kinds of things get brought up. How often do we get to show our private collections, and how valuable could that object’s survival or information be to other historians? I for one know the generosity of other enthusiasts sharing information has been vital to my work.
So, if you have a document or object you wish to show for anyone to see, feel free to share it. We as railway historians probably have the answers to more questions than we realise! I will eventually add some of my own personal objects and documents as pictures when I scan them, so people can benefit from what I have.

Thank you.

 

[Andy873]

Hello,

This is my first post here, I can’t say I’ve chimed in on a conversation before but I’ve been around here for some time.
Many of you, like me I suspect, have researched various railways and their histories and wondered what has survived from them. Aside from the objects and papers in museums, we railway historians and enthusiasts tend to amass collections of all kinds of railwayana, from the smallest of tickets to station plans, name boards and signals, but we keep them as private collections. With that in mind, until we sell them or unless we bring them up in conversation, most of those things stay buried, and so many sadly loose their provenance.
So, given how often I’ve wondered this for the routes I study, I thought I should maybe start a thread to see what kinds of things get brought up. How often do we get to show our private collections, and how valuable could that object’s survival or information be to other historians? I for one know the generosity of other enthusiasts sharing information has been vital to my work.
So, if you have a document or object you wish to show for anyone to see, feel free to share it. We as railway historians probably have the answers to more questions than we realise! I will eventually add some of my own personal objects and documents as pictures when I scan them, so people can benefit from what I have.

Thank you.

Hi and welcome,

When I started researching my old branch line I was disappointed with just how little information there was available, and what there was looked at best vague.

I decided that whatever I could share I would for free as I believe history is for all of us. I bought four working timetables ranging from 1956 to 1963 which I carefully scanned and then uploaded them to the timetableworld.com site, they are now available to all for free.

Not content with just that, I wrote the history of the branch line and its three stations which has been published on the Disused Station's website. Nick there did some fantastic work searching for old and new photos of the locations which were added. Now, as with the timetables it's all there for anyone for free.

Thanks,
Andy.

 

[Intercity110]

I’m going to request seating plans for MK3 and MK4 coaches, as they aren’t available anywhere online that i‘ve looked at.

 

[Andy873]

I’m going to request seating plans for MK3 and MK4 coaches, as they aren’t available anywhere online that i‘ve looked at.

Found something for MK4's, hope these are the right ones?

https://www.lner.co.uk/globalassets/lner-rebrand/pdfs/electric-seating-map-updated-may-2021.pdf

 

[Ken H]

As @Andy873 mentions above there is timetable world which i put bus stuff on.
But its timetables and maps only. There is much more stuff to save digitally.

So I put images on Wayback Machine. They created a 'collection' to which stuff can be added and easily browsed. You can log in with your google account.
The intetface is a bit more clunky than timetable world but i look on it as a backup.

UK historical bus and train documents : Free Image : Free Download, Borrow and Streaming : Internet Archive

Hope helps

Note to mods. May be worth saving this forum on there from time to time. Simple matter of a few clicks

 

[alf]

The world’s oldest season ticket.

Hanwell to Paddington, 8 Guineas 2nd class, 1856 when the GWR was broad gauge & double track not quad.

I was offered a huge amount of money for this by Alan Pegler but
he then hit financial trouble (from buying railway history big & small?) & saved me the anxiety of deciding whether or not to part with it.

It is about 5 inches by 3 inches & I am still torn whether to sell it & give the proceeds to the two railways I am a life member of.

It has a nice dark blue cover. It is worth reading the terms & conditions.
I was told by an expert that it is the oldest season ticket in the world by 30 years.

 

[32475]

Hello,

This is my first post here, I can’t say I’ve chimed in on a conversation before but I’ve been around here for some time.
Many of you, like me I suspect, have researched various railways and their histories and wondered what has survived from them. Aside from the objects and papers in museums, we railway historians and enthusiasts tend to amass collections of all kinds of railwayana, from the smallest of tickets to station plans, name boards and signals, but we keep them as private collections. With that in mind, until we sell them or unless we bring them up in conversation, most of those things stay buried, and so many sadly loose their provenance.
So, given how often I’ve wondered this for the routes I study, I thought I should maybe start a thread to see what kinds of things get brought up. How often do we get to show our private collections, and how valuable could that object’s survival or information be to other historians? I for one know the generosity of other enthusiasts sharing information has been vital to my work.
So, if you have a document or object you wish to show for anyone to see, feel free to share it. We as railway historians probably have the answers to more questions than we realise! I will eventually add some of my own personal objects and documents as pictures when I scan them, so people can benefit from what I have.

Thank you.

This an admirable idea and amongst the thousands of railwayana collectors there must be a multiplication factor of hundreds of items. The ideal would be a central database where collectors can submit photos and scans of their items and this can be done in a secure way whereby the physical location of those items remains guarded.
I guess the best way to order a database would be by company from pre-grouping to grouping, BR and post-privatisation and then sections for everything from signs to posters, lamps, station furniture, loco items, handbills etc etc.
It just needs someone with a lot of spare time to organise it!

 

[Intercity110]

I think a smugmug site would be the best way to host it, and you could open it up to everyone to orgainse it. I know i’d help with that.