Interesting and inspiring photos from Flickr....

[montyburns56]

1 minute ago, 33C said:

That gantry is a piece of art in itself. 

 

That was the main reason why I posted the pictures.

[H2O]

On 23/10/2022 at 18:46, montyburns56 said:

Associated Octel Ltd, Amlwch 1991 by Adrian Nicholls

 

 

Looks all the world like the engine driver is driving the shunting loco home after a days work at the factory :-)

[montyburns56]

19 hours ago, H2O said:

Looks all the world like the engine driver is driving the shunting loco home after a days work at the factory :-)

 

Well he forgot to put out the bins.....

 

 

[33C]

38 minutes ago, montyburns56 said:

 

Well he forgot to put out the bins.....

 

 

"Abandoned rails in the road"!

[montyburns56]

Cock O The North 2001 Kings Cross by John Law

 

 

[Fat Controller]

On 23/10/2022 at 19:42, TheEngineShed said:

I was questioning the need for a bridge, either railway or road.  What would be wrong with lights and a crossing gate?  Seems far cheaper than a bridge, and it is hard to believe the road traffic would be disrupted with a couple of closures an hour, if there would even by that much rail traffic.  Heritage Railways don't operate much in the winter anyway...

There have been three crossing keepers in S.E Kent and East Sussex suffer 'life-changing injuries' in the past couple of years, where car drivers have tried to get through a closing gate, without regard to the person closing them.

[TheEngineShed]

4 hours ago, Fat Controller said:

There have been three crossing keepers in S.E Kent and East Sussex suffer 'life-changing injuries' in the past couple of years, where car drivers have tried to get through a closing gate, without regard to the person closing them.

That is unfortunate, my sympathies for the three keepers.  In this day and age, I wonder why we still have individuals pushing gates against traffic?

 

Whats wrong with automatic gates?  Train approaches, sensors go off, lights go on, gates then come down.  By the time the heritage train arrives, traffic is already stopped.  Granted it is more expensive then the traditional approach, but compared to the cost of a bridge?   Or the poor soul trying to stop traffic?

[MartinRS]

1 hour ago, TheEngineShed said:

Whats wrong with automatic gates?

 

In the 1970's when in the S&T department I can remember having to attend an incident on a a little used line near Barnsley which had the old (wood) full width barriers fitted. A vehicle had crashed straight through them. I was told it was a frequent occurrence. The thread Level Crossing Stupidity is full of such incidents.

[montyburns56]

45574 Doncaster 1965 by John Law

 

 

[Pandora]

On 26/10/2022 at 18:56, montyburns56 said:

45574 Doncaster 1965 by John Law

 

 

45574 may be working the famous (to St James Bridge spotters) the 6 pm or 7pm) jubilee  turn,  Leeds to Doncaster and return requiring some very smart light engine movements for  a quick turnaround. the Jubilee would uncouple and head(race) to Balby Bridge, reversing round the South Yorkshire loop to become London to Country then forward to Doncaster Station to regain position on the stock to work back to Leeds. Sturdee and Hardy were two regulars on the working, They were  the final steam passenger workings in Doncaster

This  working was  a favourite, one day it produced 24005, the former D5000

Edited November 13, 2022 by Pandora

[montyburns56]

Shilbottle 1953 

 

 

[40152]

On 23/10/2022 at 18:46, montyburns56 said:

Associated Octel Ltd, Amlwch 1991 by Adrian Nicholls

 

 

Minor thread hijack: can anyone tell me the name of the font used on “Octel” in this picture, please? Signage using this font, which I’m guessing is a late 60s / early 70s creation, was still kicking around in some increasingly forgotten corners, as well as on the name boards of blocks of local council flats IIRC, in the early 80s (my chosen modelling period).

The wise collective of RM usually comes up trumps, so here’s hoping…

Thanks and apologies for the diversion

’152

[Kylestrome]

1 hour ago, 40152 said:

can anyone tell me the name of the font used on “Octel” in this picture, please?

 

It's either some long forgotten (by me, at least) typeface or it was hand-drawn.

 

Using "What The Font?"

https://www.myfonts.com/pages/whatthefont

The nearest modern equivalent I can find is this (3rd one down):

 

Edited October 28, 2022 by Kylestrome

[Nearholmer]

As 40152 says, it was very common in ‘separate letter’ signage on factories, public buildings, shops etc, possibly from as early as the 1950s, through until all the signs fell down or the firms went bust or rebranded in the 1980s. Maybe it was a catalogue item from some firm that sold signage letters.

 

I wonder if it might have originated at/around The Festival of Britain, a lot of design stuff that became common through the next c25 years did.

 

 

Edited October 28, 2022 by Nearholmer

[keefer]

Might be 'Profil':

https://fontsinuse.com/typefaces/7262/profil

Lists other related/similar fonts.

Under the 'Info' section, click on the link to a Twitter feed of someone who has been researching UK signage.

EDIT: 'Decorated 035' mentioned by Kylestrome is derived from 'Profil'

http://luc.devroye.org/fonts-34374.html

Edited October 28, 2022 by keefer

[Andy Kirkham]

Perhaps Stymie Bold Italic , which has its own Flickr group 

 

[keefer]

I have heard of 'Stymie' in the context of old shop signs etc. but didn't think it matched when I looked it up - however 'Bold Italic' makes all the difference!

[Andy Kirkham]

I'd be hard pressed to tell the dfference between Stymie and Profil in their respective bold, italic forms. I wouldn't be surprised if a fair number of the examples shown in the Stymie Bold Italic group aren't actually Profil.

 

Whichever it is, in the sixties it seemed a signifier of modernty and optimism, whereas if I see it now it seems to connote loss and decay

Edited October 28, 2022 by Andy Kirkham

[keefer]

Like a lot of things in the '60s, it seemed bright & modern at the time but now seems dated.

As you say, it signifies loss and decay probably due to a lot of the architecture it was attached to - municipal and retail concrete boxes of dubious quality and rather brutal design.

[Kylestrome]

1 hour ago, Andy Kirkham said:

Perhaps Stymie Bold Italic , which has its own Flickr group 

 

Good find! It certainly looks like Octel used Stymie Black Italic, which looks slightly 'taller' than Profil.

 

Note that black is heavier than bold, so the Flickr group is possibly wrongly named.

Edited October 28, 2022 by Kylestrome

[Nearholmer]

Blow me, a font Facebook group!

 

And, my guess is supported by their learned fontologist:

 

The Royal Festival Hall as the centrepiece of the 1951 Festival of Britain may well have been the main source of its huge popularity of the next couple of decades.

 

BTW, things weren’t called ‘fonts’ in 1951 were they? Typeface or ‘letter-form’ I think.

[keefer]

The typeface is the overall 'shape' e.g. Stymie, Profil

The fonts consist of the various forms e.g. bold, italic, different point sizes

Edited October 28, 2022 by keefer

[40152]

Well I went to work, came home and all of this excellent information, plus an interesting discussion, have emerged. Many thanks indeed Kylestrome, Keefer, Andy K and and Nearholmer for the information and leads. Not being in any way knowledgeable in this field and graphics not being my thing, the endless lists of fonts available via the web had me staring and glazing over without much luck.

 

As Andy notes, the faded glory of a once-fashionable font from 20+ years earlier says loss and decay to me too, in that slightly hauntological / lost futures manner which, in the rather careworn atmosphere I’m working on for my layout is exactly what’s required.

 

Many thanks again,

 

’152

Edited October 28, 2022 by 40152

[montyburns56]

On 21/10/2022 at 18:53, montyburns56 said:

26500 & 26501, Gosforth West Junction, 29 Sept 1963 by Ray Viney

 

 

 

From now on I'd like you all to refer to me as Nostradamus.

 

[KeithMacdonald]

22 hours ago, montyburns56 said:

From now on I'd like you all to refer to me as Nostradamus.

 

Can we have some more predictions please?