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Working timetables

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Andy873

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Hi,

I have purchased a working timetable (BR London Midland region) 1956 which for various reasons I will get in a few weeks time.

Now I understand what one of these is, and I can read timetables but I am wondering if any of you have one what are the common abbreviations etc that were used around that time I could expect to see?

This one is for freight only movements.

Any help, tips, hints would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Andy.
 
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jfollows

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The working timetable will start with an explanation of its abbreviations which will be a good place to start, such as the one attached from 1964 (London Midland Region Section B Euxton Junction and Gretna Junction).
Then, if the one you're reading doesn't make sense to you, you can always post here and ask. I've been reading working timetables since the 1970s and there are plenty of other contributors who have similar experience. I'm sure we'll all be glad to help you.
 

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Andy873

Member
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23 Mar 2017
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The working timetable will start with an explanation of its abbreviations which will be a good place to start, such as the one attached from 1964 (London Midland Region Section B Euxton Junction and Gretna Junction).
Then, if the one you're reading doesn't make sense to you, you can always post here and ask. I've been reading working timetables since the 1970s and there are plenty of other contributors who have similar experience. I'm sure we'll all be glad to help you.
Thanks,

That's very nice to know You and everyone will help out on this. thanks again.

Andy.
 

6Gman

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The working timetable will start with an explanation of its abbreviations which will be a good place to start, such as the one attached from 1964 (London Midland Region Section B Euxton Junction and Gretna Junction).
Then, if the one you're reading doesn't make sense to you, you can always post here and ask. I've been reading working timetables since the 1970s and there are plenty of other contributors who have similar experience. I'm sure we'll all be glad to help you.
Isn't that an Australian Railways example?

:D

Seriously, most symbols will be explained in the WTT and I'm sure the collective wisdom on here will be able to help.
 

jfollows

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Isn't that an Australian Railways example?

:D
Yup, it was easiest to scan it upside-down, and I told the scanner at the time, so some software recognises this and flips it back again ..... just not the software on this forum which displays the thumbnail summary small picture obviously.
 
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Gloster

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WTTs normally used to arrive with, or soon be followed by, an amendment leaflet that contained late changes, and corrections to compilation and printing errors. If you don’t have the amendment leaflet, and many old WTTs have parted from theirs, you will occasionally find things that don’t tally up. These can include slightly different times for the same train in two different columns, origins or destinations that differ for what is clearly the same train, trains that disappear or inexplicably appear (the train was probably cancelled, but part of the entry wasn’t removed). There shouldn’t be many of these, but now and again you will find yourself scratching your head over something that doesn’t tie up. I find working out what should have been printed to be part of the fun.
 

Andy873

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Thanks all,

The image posted is very helpful already.

I have an image of one of the pages of the WTT and it mentions GL & SL, so already I now know what they mean.

This is really helpful to me.

Many thanks to all of you!

Hi,

Sorry, another question...

Just looking at the few pages I have, on one of the pages it shows the following examples listed in the timetable:

6P48
7X56

I presume the first number relates to the type of train, and the letter is the destination of that train.

Will / should the WTT tell me these destinations, or is there a list of BR Western region destination codes available somewhere?

Thanks again,
Andy.
 
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jfollows

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Thanks all,

The image posted is very helpful already.

I have an image of one of the pages of the WTT and it mentions GL & SL, so already I now know what they mean.

This is really helpful to me.

Many thanks to all of you!

Hi,

Sorry, another question...

Just looking at the few pages I have, on one of the pages it shows the following examples listed in the timetable:

6P48
7X56

I presume the first number relates to the type of train, and the letter is the destination of that train.

Will / should the WTT tell me these destinations, or is there a list of BR Western region destination codes available somewhere?

Thanks again,
Andy.
See, for example, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Train_reporting_number for more information about train reporting numbers, then come back here if you need more information.

The WTT will contain a section "Destination Indications" such as the one attached to guide you, basically wait until you get the complete WTT and read the stuff at the front. My example here isn't applicable to yours, it's from a different timetable, but the principle stands.

1626081877403.png
 

Andy873

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See, for example, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Train_reporting_number for more information about train reporting numbers, then come back here if you need more information.

The WTT will contain a section "Destination Indications" such as the one attached to guide you, basically wait until you get the complete WTT and read the stuff at the front. My example here isn't applicable to yours, it's from a different timetable, but the principle stands.

View attachment 99562
Thanks,

That's helpful!

Guess I will just have to be patient and wait until I get it, but many thanks again.

Andy.
 

Gloster

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The four digit number-letter-number-number system (1A23, 5V67, etc.) did not come into use until the early 1960s. In 1956 the LMR used, I think, a system using three numbers and a letter, although the most important trains may have used fewer digits. I think that the first number gave some indication of the destination area, but there was no indication of the class of train, (Be warned: the pre-1960s systems are not an area I am familiar with, even on the SR and WR, and I can’t get at my books or CRA Journals at the moment.)
 
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