October, 1998 Issue No. 175 (Vol. 15 No. 10)

 Shown above is the front page of a handbill issued by the N.S.W. State Rail Authority in 1988 advertising the diesel hauled electric train services to the 1988 Bicentennial Air Show at Richmond. See page 3 for further details on this timetable and the interesting workings that took place.

From the Editor - Worth reading if you want to be in the know (just like a good timetable!)

Dear members and friends,

1. Smaller print size for The Times: Two issues ago (The Times No. 173, August 1998 p 3) I advised that as an experiment I would begin using a smaller type size in the Letters to the Editor section and for readers to provide me with some feedback about this change. All of the feedback I have received has been that the smaller 11 pitch type size is satisfactory. As a result, this issue of The Times has been produced in the smaller 11 pitch type size as it will enable me to fit more in the same number of pages.

2. Traders' Items: Towards the bottom of page 15 in this issue you will see that the Traders Items section has made an appearance. This is not a new section but one that isn't used very often by members. It has been an irregular feature of The Times since its inception and is available for members to use free of charge to advertise timetables (and related paraphernalia) that you may want to buy, swap, sell or give away. As long as you contact me by the 5th of the month it will appear in the next month's issue eg. 5th November for the December issue.

3. Request for articles about bus and ferry timetables: To date I have not received very many articles about bus and ferry timetables for publication in The Times and invite readers who have an interest in them to send me some articles.

4. Books about collecting timetables: Last month (September 98) I was in the Queensland State Library in Brisbane and saw a book sitting on one of their shelves titled Railroad Timetables, Travel Brochures and Posters - A History and Guide for Collectors by Brad S. Lomazzi. It was published in 1995 by Golden Hill Press Inc., Spencertown, New York, U.S.A. I picked up the book and had a browse through it and was surprised to actually find a book about collecting timetables. In all my years of collecting timetables this is the first time I have seen a book about our hobby. This has now aroused my curiosity and I am wondering if readers may know of any other books that have been published that deal with timetable collecting? If you do know of any other books could you please let me know (by post, email, phone or in person) as I would like to publish a list of them in The Times. I've been collecting timetables for 40 years and it is exciting to find out that books are now being published about our hobby.
 
 

Yours in the cause of happy timetable collecting,

Graham Duffin.

Editor, The Times.

by Robert Henderson

The rather bland appearance of the timetable pamphlet issued by the State Rail Authority of N.S.W. depicted on the front page and pages 5 & 6 of this month's issue of The Times hides the uniqueness of the event to which it refers. One weekend ten years ago this month a service of suburban electric multiple unit trains ran over the line between Riverstone and Richmond in Sydney's outer western suburbs, almost three years before it was electrified.

The occasion was the holding of the Bicentennial Air Show over the weekend of 15/16 October 1988. The air show, at the Richmond RAAF Air Base, located almost adjacent to the Richmond railway line between Clarendon and East Richmond, was one of many special events conducted during the year to mark 200 years of white settlement in Australia.

At the time of the air show, work on the electrification of the Riverstone-Richmond section, which started in January 1987, had been suspended since June 1988 due to a lack of funding. At that stage, the only sign of pending electrification was the series of upright masts beside the line. Work eventually resumed in early 1990 and electric trains finally started operation to Richmond on 17 August 1991. In 1988, however, electric trains normally ran only as far as Riverstone, where passengers had to change into two-car diesel sets for the remainder of the journey to Richmond.

It should be remembered that the Blacktown-Richmond line was then (and still is) entirely single track with crossing loops at Quakers Hill, Riverstone and Mulgrave, and sidings which could also be used for crossing trains at Windsor and Clarendon.

To cope with the large crowds expected to arrive at the show by both road traffic and public transport, special arrangements were put in place. The mainstay of the public transport service was the operation of electric train sets direct from the city to Clarendon, the nearest station to the air base. From both Clarendon station and special car parks set up for the occasion, buses conveyed passengers to the base itself or to nearby vantage points. Arrangements were identical for the Saturday and the Sunday, even though separate timetables then applied to regular suburban train services on each of these two days.

The timetable for the 15 special electric trains for the outward journey, each of six or eight double deck cars, are shown on the front page of the State Rail pamphlet (our page one). They ran either from North Sydney or (where a time is shown against Circular Quay) from the City Circle and were timed to depart Blacktown at regular 15 minute intervals. On arrival at Riverstone, 13 minutes were allowed for the pantographs of the train to be lowered and a 48 class diesel electric loco to be attached to haul the train the 11.3 km from there to Clarendon. These 48 class locos had been brought to Riverstone prior to the arrival of the first special electric train.

After passengers had alighted at Clarendon, each train drew forward, to be stowed for the duration of the show, head-to-tail along the main line, separated from each other by only a few metres along the 3.4 km of "main line" between Clarendon and Richmond. Each loco was detached from its train and was attached to the train ahead of it, ready to haul the latter train back towards the city at the conclusion of the air show in the late afternoon. A total of 16 locos (plus a spare) was required for this purpose, even though there were only 15 trains, the last loco being required to attach to the last outward train for the return journey. The loco attached to the first outward train returned light engine after passage of the last return train at the end of the afternoon. The spare loco, a 422 class, was on hand at Riverstone in case of breakdown or other emergency.

Between the times of the forward and return traffic of special trains, services between Riverstone and Clarendon were maintained by a six-car combination of two-car (600 class) diesel trains and an eight-car air conditioned diesel (DEB) set. These trains connected at Riverstone with a shuttle service of electric trains between there and Blacktown, where in turn there were connections with city trains. (The additional trains during this time period are shown on pages 3 and 4 of the pamphlet - our pages 5 & 6). During this period, electric trains from the city which would normally have proceeded to Riverstone, went instead to Penrith (as per page 5 of the pamphlet, our page 6).

While the electric train sets were stowed along the line between Clarendon and Richmond, passengers were conveyed over this section by bus. Buses also replaced Up trains from Richmond to Blacktown between 7.42 am and 10.42 am, and similarly replaced Down trains between 5.00 pm and 7.00 pm, to avoid the need to conduct crossing movements with the special electric trains. A further bus service ran between Penrith and Richmond. Over 400 private buses were reported to have been used each day on these various services, as well as the service between Clarendon and the air base. An overnight storage yard was established for buses in the Richmond/Londonderry area.

The special electric train sets were tabled to return to the city at 10-minute intervals after the show, from 4.40 pm to 7.00 pm (as shown on the pamphlet's page 2 - our page 5), with the diesel loco hauling the train back to Riverstone. There the electric train's pantographs were raised, but each loco continued with its electric train to and was detached at Blacktown, a move which simplified and speeded up the safe working. It can be seen that five minutes was allowed at Blacktown to detach the loco.

The author travelled to Clarendon by train on the Saturday, stopping to watch the activities at Riverstone, and was fascinated by the arrangements, which all seemed to work well and with little delay. Luckily the weather was fine on each day. Trains were all well loaded, although not overcrowded, and many people took a special interest in the attaching of locos at Riverstone for the last leg of the journey to Clarendon.

The events of that weekend are not likely to be repeated there or elsewhere in the foreseeable future. It was a memorable two days.

THE INTRODUCTION OF SUNDAY MORNING TRAM SERVICES

IN MELBOURNE by Graeme Cleak.
 
 

Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board services on Sunday mornings in Melbourne was inaugurated on the 4th October 1936. Prior to that date, the M&MTB Electric and Cable Trams did not start services until just on 1pm.

There was one private bus service, Route 72A, which was a Sunday morning only service, running from Glenhuntly Station to Point Ormond. A limited number of private bus services ran on Sunday mornings, although there was still only 11 such services running in April 1946. Electric train services ran on each line, but at very irregular headways.

So on that day in 1936, Sunday morning services began on the following routes and headways, (with the first journey being the 7.50am in from Camberwell).

25 minute headway 30 minute headways continued...

Route Route

1 East Coburg - City - South Melbourne & St.Kilda Beach. 27 Spencer St. - Hawthorn.

15 St. Kilda Beach - City - Moreland. 40 Spencer St. - Kew.

19 City - North Coburg. 42 City - Mont Albert.

City - Collingwood (Cable). 66 Darling Rd - Point Ormond.

69 Kew Cotham Rd - St. Kilda Beach.

26 minute headway 70 City - Wattle Park.

Route 74 City - Burwood.

City - Nicholson St. (Cable) 77 City - Prahran.

City - Northcote (Cable) 78 North Richmond - Prahran.
 
 

30 minute headway 35 minute headway

Route Route

4 City - Carnegie. 51 City - Essendon Birdwood St.

5 City - East Malvern. 54 City - Maribyrnong River.

6 City - Glen Iris. 55 City - West Coburg.

7 City - Camberwell. 64 St. Kilda Beach - Brighton Cemetery.

8 City - Toorak. City - Port Melbourne (Cable)

9 City - East Preston. City - South Melbourne (Cable)

10 City - West Preston.

The services utilised nine (9) cable car sets and sixty six (66) electric cars.

Illustrated below is the March 1942 Sunday morning timetable which is the earliest one I have that is suitable for publication. The times are almost identical to the 1936 service except for the electric tram/bus replacements of the cable trams.

A fascinating point is that the departure times from three termini (Kew-Cotham Rd, Toorak and Camberwell) have not varied over the ensuing 60 or so years and still apply to today's Sunday services!

The departure times are:

Kew-Cotham Rd. (Route 69) 7.57 then at 27 & 57 past the hour

Toorak (Route 8) 8.10 then at 10 & 40 past the hour

Camberwell (Route 7 now 72) 7.50 then at 20 & 50 past the hour

Can any reader match this seemingly unbeatable record for a "memory timetable" unchanged for so long? Little did those roster compilers in the M&MTB in 1936 realise how permanent some of their work would become!

A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIMETABLE COLLECTING

(from a USA perspective) By Charles Anderson.

(Charles Anderson is one of our overseas members who lives in Philadelphia, U.S.A. We welcome his first article for The Times as he writes about the development of Timetable Collecting in U.S.A.)

Collecting "things" has been a habit with most of us. It starts at a very early age with a variety of "objects" - for curious boys it's rocks, toads or perhaps toys hidden in the "bowels" of a cereal box; girls tend to be fascinated with dolls, cosmetics or sparkling jewels. As time goes on our "tastes" tend to become much more sophisticated and focused. Yet much of what we collect as adults harks back to those early childhood days. So it is with Timetable Collecting. How many AATTC members recall your first days of collecting? Perhaps it was the sight of a timetable rack at the ferry wharves in Sydney or the booking clerk's window at a railway station. They were colourful, attractive to young eyes, somewhat elusive if tucked away behind the booking clerk's window, but often free for the asking. They were the connection with vehicles that could take us to unimagined distant points and the fuel for dreams beyond the horizon. They were the tangible link to our future plans.

Timetables have been part of a developed nation's life for over a century. In the USA timetables were initially posted in local newspapers and magazines or on large posters affixed to buildings, street lamps and, of course, the local railway station or boat dock. By 1860 a number of "specialised" documents were published in both Europe and America which compiled an assortment of schedules for railways, maritime companies and some local bus/tram lines. Often lavishly illustrated with advertisements, these documents became Cook's and The Official Guides which are now prized collectibles.

Significant public access and distribution of "schedules" was not evident until the last quarter of the 19th Century, again only in Europe and North America. This fascinating and complex period was historically full of social paradoxes, economic growth and tremendous industrial activity. Daily life quickly became quite complex for those residing on either side of the Atlantic. Schedules and timetables mimicked these complexities, becoming unique in form and content for specific purposes - the system, line and point to point schedules. For the first time they were available to the public in quantity. It was likely the time when young boys and fascinated adults, unwittingly drawn by the elaborate, colourful covers, started collecting them.

Systematic identification, organisation and discussion of schedules by collectors did not occur until sometime after 1920. In America, the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society was founded and their published bulletins often included topics related to timetables. By the time of the Second World War several other groups had been established including the National Railroad and Steamship Historical Societies. Similar organisations, some older and well established, sprang up throughout the world. Increasingly, specialised organisations were formed by individuals focused upon the "details", much in the same manner as specialisation of today's physicians. In North America, The National Association of Timetable Collectors (NAOTC) was founded in 1962 as an integral part of an evolving need to fill gaps not addressed by other organisations. Its primary focus was "sharing" information and documents with those individuals interested in timetables regardless of the source, be it railway, bus, ship or airline.

The AATTC and other groups were formed worldwide for identical reasons. Initially, these groups were "loose confederations" which exchanged correspondence, traded or sold documents and often met either ad hoc or infrequently due to logistics constraints. This was particularly true of the NAOTC which had its membership widely dispersed. I can't imagine the magnitude of the situation "down under". With time and growth, coupled with the "drive" of dedicated members, "newsletters" were distributed on a "scheduled" basis. These publications "highlighted" a variety of topics encompassing every aspect of timetable collecting. Organisation business was reviewed; articles discussing detailed timetable history, format, content and use were presented; upcoming events and gatherings were announced and, usually at the back of each issue, a selection of items listed for sale or trade were identified.

The dawn of the 1970's, tempered by dramatic social upheaval throughout the world and facilitated by increased personal mobility, saw the next stage in the history of Timetable Collecting. In the USA regional "meets" of interest to the collecting community began. Slowly at first, but, with great momentum, collectors of primarily "railroadiana" gathered to barter, sell or trade extra items accumulated. These "shows" have become one of the primary means for enhancing timetable collections and "sharing" discussions amongst those with similar interests in the USA. Lasting personal friendships have been achieved. The "grab box", one of the primary vehicles used by AATTC, is not often seen these days in North America. Alas, much has been displaced by the "big business" concepts of Capitalism. For those AATTC members not familiar with these American "Railroadiana Meets or Shows" a bit more of how business is conducted is in order.

The "Railroadiana Meet" started back in the late 1960's as a result of ancillary functions associated with larger organisations' annual conventions. As an example the National Railway Historical Society had, by that time, a well established routine of conducting an annual convention hosted by a regional Chapter of the Organisation. This afforded an opportunity for members to gather at different locations in the USA and to circulate throughout various sections of the country. Activities focused upon trips within the locale, often conducted with vintage equipment, and social gatherings that culminated in a dinner with an eminent guest speaker presenting a "key note" address. The pace was relaxed and often afforded ample idle time to chat or ramble. Succeeding conventions have filled in this idle time. As an adjunct, to fill in this time, tables of an informational or promotional nature were displayed for those attending so they could examine and collect.

Being American someone came up with a "great idea". This was an opportunity to "market". It could provide much needed funds for a variety of worthy preservation projects or to supplement the income of both local NRHS Chapters or individuals. A vast assortment of items were available, some old, some new; some modestly priced, others quite expensive. It was a haphazard affair seemingly based on nothing logical. One could procure "T" shirts, hats and other apparel; books, brochures and maps, everything from "soup to nuts", even timetables. The outcome of these small operations was the introduction of the highly organised, skilfully marketed "Railroadiana Meet". These "Meets" are held frequently in various locations, some so elaborate that they have full time staff which schedule, market and conduct them throughout the nation. Greenburg's comes to mind and those that subscribe to Trains or Model Railroader magazines published in the US may be familiar with their advertised shows. It's "Big Business"!

Today there exists a vast assortment of "vehicles" available to the Timetable Collector in the USA to gather new items, purge excess from their collection or to just gather information or chat with friends. Auctions became a prominent "tool" during the 1980's, but never "outpaced" the "Railroadiana Meet". The explosive public acceptance of the Personal Computer in the 1990's, with its capability to provide instant communication and internet access worldwide, has had a significant impact on collector's activities. My membership and interest in the AATTC is an example. Its overall benefits are apparent, yet its impact on changing familiar behaviour patterns has not been assessed. The story will continue.

The "tools of our trade" have changed, access to a wider assortment of resources has improved and potential for success enhanced, but the principles and methods of yesteryear remain unchanged. For those of us still focused on Timetable Collecting, it will remain an activity requiring patience, vigilance, careful study and constant, thoughtful communications with our colleagues.

Shown below is the cover of the August 1979 timetable for the Brisbane City Council bus routes 65, 65A and 65B that used to operate from the City to Cribb Island on an hourly service headway. Today these services no longer operate as the present Brisbane Airport was built over the top of most of Cribb Island. (Timetable from the collection of Col Levett).

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR - Where we welcome your feedback, views and comments on The Times and timetabling issues.

1) David Whiteford - Obtaining timetables in Perth.

Following the request (The Times No 170, May 1998 p15) for timetable supply points, herewith is a list of Perth sites known to me and current as at July 1998. Unless specifically mentioned, sites listed are for Transperth bus, train and ferry services only. The privatisation of bus services has not made an impact on timetable distribution as this is still controlled by Transperth, the Government's overseeing body.

2) Len Regan - Obtaining timetables in Adelaide.

On the broader question of timetable availability (The Times No. 174, September 1998 p3), The Passenger Transport Board in Adelaide has what I would regard as the best source of public information at its InfoCentre at the corner of King William St and Currie St in the heart of Adelaide.

The InfoCentre is in a conspicuous ground floor location, with timetables and information brochures for all Adelaide services (TransAdelaide, Hills Transit and Serco) in attractive self-serve racks. There are ample copies of all material, so you get the impression that they actually want you to take a copy. There is no-one watching you and telling you that you shouldn't be taking so many timetables (as happens at the State Transit self-service display at Wynyard in Sydney). There are also large scale illuminated route maps.

If you do want to make inquiries, there is an enquiry counter at the rear of the InfoCentre with friendly, knowledgeable staff who also sell train and bus tickets.

The photo below shows the interior of part of the InfoCentre, and illustrates its main features.

Len Regan, Kotara, N.S.W.

The above photo was taken by Len Regan on 20 Feb 1998 and shows some of the self-serve timetable racks at the Passenger Transport Board InfoCentre, cnr Currie and King William Street, Adelaide. Notice how full the racks are! Truly a timetable collector's paradise.

3) Alan Gray - Obtaining timetables in Adelaide and Perth.

Following the request for timetable supply points (The Times No. 174, September 1998 p3), after a recent holiday in South Australia and Western Australia I am able to advise the following information.

In Adelaide there is the Trans Adelaide shop in King William Street which has a number of racks around the shop, each containing full sets of timetables. The Adelaide Railway Station also has a self help dispenser which has a high percentage of timetables. The ones not on display can be asked for.

In and around Perth there are a number of self help dispensers, these being at:

Barrack Street Ferry Wharf (Self help)

Bus Port (Self help and at Counter)

Wellington Street Bus Station (Self help and at Counter)

Perth Railway Station (Self help at two locations)

Transperth office, Plaza Arcade (Self help and at Counter)

Midland Railway Station (Self help)

Fremantle Railway Station (Self help)

As you can see, both these cities are a timetable collector's dream. A full set can be obtained in a matter of minutes.

Alan Gray, Spit Junction, N.S.W.

(Ed: Alan is right about Adelaide and Perth being a timetable collector's dream. After reading his letter and the ones from David Whiteford and Len Regan, I feel like boarding the next train to Adelaide and Perth and going on a timetable crawl. From the above letters and my own visits, it appears to me that Adelaide has the best self serve and comprehensive public timetable supply point in Australia. In Perth, with so many self serve dispensers available, it makes me wonder whether any other capital city in Australia can exceed the number of city-wide self serve timetable outlets they have. By contrast, based on the lists published to date in The Times and from my own visits, I wonder whether it is reasonable to conclude that Melbourne currently has the least number of city-wide self serve timetable dispensers of any Australian capital city with Sydney and Brisbane not far behind. If you disagree with these conclusions please write or email me as I am happy to publish in The Times any alternative viewpoint.)

4) Jim Fergusson - Timetable Checklist No. 1 for N.S.W. Railways.

Congratulations on the excellent work you are doing on The Times. A few comments on the N.S.W. Timetable Checklist (The Times No. 173, August 1998 pp. 6 & 7) from my own collection.

ALL-SYSTEM COUNTRY

Add 31-10-1920 Amend 25-10-1958 to read 26-10-1958

SUBURBAN

I suggest noting when the Newcastle services were dropped from the Suburban Timetable and transferred to the Country Timetable and then back again to the Suburban!

Add 22-10-1939

Amend 6?-5-1968 to read 5-5-1968.

Jim Fergusson, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England.

5) Colin Taylor - Timetable Checklist No. 1 for N.S.W. Railways.
Reference the interesting list of N.S.W. public railway timetables (The Times No. 173, August 1998 pp. 6 & 7), I have a set of three regional SRANSW Country & Interstate Timetables all of 1^st June 1986. Also there is a Countrylink Train Timetable (not including coaches) of 1 November 1992. These perhaps should be included in the list.
 

Colin Taylor, Karalee, Qld.

(Ed: I appreciate Jim and Colin providing further information as this is one of the main reasons it was published - to invite readers to update it so it will be as correct as possible. I will wait a couple more issues of The Times before reprinting it in case there are some further updates still to be received from readers.)

6) Derek Cheng - Does timetable collecting have a future?

In response to Albert's letter (The Times No. 173, August 1998 p.11), I think there is a future for timetable collecting. I will use the following example to illustrate why I believe there is a future.

In Hong Kong where I came from, there are numerous bus enthusiasts (like myself) who either collect models, take pictures, catch buses around Hong Kong, and here's the exciting part, many actually keep data on Hong Kong's bus timetables!! Although bus timetables are not published in Hong Kong, it is possible to look up a timetable from the information board at bus stops and listen to the automated infolines that all the franchised bus companies provide.

Many of the bus enthusiasts keep records of the frequencies (such as first and last buses) and on the Hong Kong buses Discussion Board on the internet http://w3.to/hkbdb they sometimes even suggest route and timetable improvements. They discuss just about everything on the board and contributions from anywhere in the world are welcome. The problem for us is that most of them are in Chinese, although there are some exceptions. I type in English because I don't have the Chinese software myself, and even if I did, I wouldn't use Chinese because it is really troublesome.

Because many of these bus enthusiasts are also interested in the timetabling aspects of buses, I believe AATTC could make some efforts to attract these people to join our association. Most of these enthusiasts are teenagers or in their early twenties with only some older people. If we can attract them it will mean more members and AATTC will certainly have a better future with an increase in younger members.

On the matter of attracting local young members, I think the point Albert made about the teen and twenty generations seeing many enthusiast organisations as fuddy duddies is quite true. The world keeps on changing and if we don't keep pace with the rest of the world we will gradually become more irrelevant. I mean, if you tell many younger enthusiasts, or even me, about the steam train timetable in 19xx, then when we look at it we can become discouraged as we cannot relate our life experiences to that way of life (so slow???). In many cases we don't know what is being talked about as many haven't see the steam train themselves. So many just forget it as they don't know what are you talking about and don't know its relevance to today.

Therefore I think the older members of associations such as AATTC should educate, or tell young people like me why you like it, what makes it relevant to you and why it has some relevance for us today. Above all please say it concisely (not in long articles or passages), as most people today don't read as much so like to get straight to the point quickly.

Derek Cheng, Beecroft, N.S.W.

(Ed: It is certainly good to read the views of a younger member [Derek is 18 years of age.] My thinking on the issue is that our primary focus must be on current and general timetabling matters that both young and old can relate to. While there is a place within our association [and kindred organisations as well] to reminisce and record the history of old timetables, that will only succeed while there are sufficient people who actually want to do it. If most of the younger generation and new members want to relate to current timetabling then I believe that is the way we need to go if we want to attract them and maintain their interest. In fact this is one of the reasons why as editor of The Times I have tried to balance the historical articles with topical and general ones so there will be something of interest for everyone.)

GRAPHIC INSIGHT

Two more 'firsts' for Graphic Insight this month - we look at a working timetable rather than a public timetable, and we look at freight rather than passenger schedules.

The diagram below represents the freight train services operated by the State Rail Authority of New South Wales in the West and North West of New South Wales. The times are as documented in the SRA Standard Working Timetable - Freight Services, Book 5 North and North-West from 29 March 1998 and Book 7 from 19 October 1997.

The diagram illustrates the services scheduled to run over the lines to the West of Lithgow and to the North-West of Muswellbrook. Adjacent to each route is shown the scheduled weekly number of trains. On those routes where two numbers are shown (eg 5,10), the first number is the number of mandatory services and the second number is the number of conditional services. Where only one number is shown, only conditional services are scheduled. Different train types are distinguished by lines of differing patterns.

The predominance of the Hunter Valley is very noticeable here - particularly in comparison with the once mighty Western main line. Note also the predominance of conditional services over mandatory services.

Finally, the routing of trains between Muswellbrook and Merrygoen over the two alternative routes is interesting; why, for example do the Elura ore trains travel via Ulan whilst the Goonumbla ore trains travel via Werris Creek?
 

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