Stewardship
Working Timetables
Tony Miller

My interest in ‘operating’ was kindled more years ago than I care to remember by an article in Trains Illustrated that described Control office actions to alter, cancel and divert trains that were converging on Hitchin when main line and Cambridge line trains collided across the junction. From that time I was hooked and delved more deeply into the way trains were scheduled - especially freight when traffic on offer day-to-day could vary considerably.

Photo: Masboro’ District Control Office pre-1926

 

Thus it was that long ago I offered to be Working Timetable Steward, well before the advent of on-line information, listings and catalogues. Its purpose was to put enquirers in touch with owners or sources of working timetables and other railway operating information - such as appendices - so that a query might be answered or information obtained. Nowadays the HMRS has its own splendid Study Centre with its extensive archive, and there are many lists and catalogues elsewhere on-line as well. A lot of the questions I anticipated all those years ago can now be asked in minutes through the Society’s Forum and can reach a lot of members in a very short time. Likewise any answers.

Photo: - Exterior of Masboro’ District Control Office pre-1926

 

All this renders the WTT Stewardship nigh-on redundant, but I shall endeavour to compile a downloadable catalogue of sources holding operating material. However, my principal interest is the railways in Wales, so my knowledge of hidden repositories holding such information for other companies is weak and I shall need your help. If anyone reading this knows of such holdings for your own favourite company, please let me know - other than at TNA, NRM, Clinker Collection at Brunel, HMRS and WRRC, of course. Meanwhile, if you have a query I will do my best to help.

The Society's catalogue of the holding of timetables can be searched via the Archives page.

 

Contact

You may send a query to the steward using the form below.

---