doublearrow.co.uk @doublearrow64.bsky.social · 06/10/2026Which I’ve now trumped with this 1943-44 war map 210
doublearrow.co.uk @doublearrow64.bsky.social · 06/10/2026The earliest map on which I can find this north curve is this OS one inch map from 1946 (a 1930 map with corrections) 100
doublearrow.co.uk @doublearrow64.bsky.social · 05/10/2026Was this north curve (between ECM1 and BCA) at Sandy real? If so, can’t have lasted long; seems to start appearing on maps c1967 (Map: OS 1:25,000 from the fabulous NLS Maps website maps.nls.uk) 420
doublearrow.co.uk @doublearrow64.bsky.social · 05/10/2026Nice graphite-based click bait! (Ahem, Staedtler Mars Lumograph 100 6H, surely?j 030
doublearrow.co.uk @doublearrow64.bsky.social · 04/10/2026Just look at that chubby symbol (and here’s the reason why) 1161
doublearrow.co.uk @doublearrow64.bsky.social · 23/09/2026Lovely running-in board at Warrington Bank Quay, complete with Rail Alphabet 2 and Rail Symbol 2 4313
doublearrow.co.uk @doublearrow64.bsky.social · 23/09/2026New signage on facia outside Macclesfield (obvs); much better than the old monstrosity but shame about the red symbol on dark background, no good for colour blindness, need to make these white 0110
doublearrow.co.uk @doublearrow64.bsky.social · 16/09/2026Plenty of scope for that in Wayfinding 3.0 but, for a simple National Rail, sign I think I remain a purist :) (FWIW I don‘t agree with a red symbol on dark backgrounds, which is unhelpful for various types of colour blindness, especially red-green) 020
doublearrow.co.uk @doublearrow64.bsky.social · 13/09/2026On a positive note, that at least looks like Rail Symbol 2 030
doublearrow.co.uk @doublearrow64.bsky.social · 13/09/2026Crummy signage here in Macclesfield which should really just say ‘Platforms 2 and 3’ with the stairs pictogram (and the symbol according to Wayfinding 3.0); the trouble with dozens of TOCs implementing signage is that it’s all pretty rubbish with no incentive to do it in a joined up way 5130
doublearrow.co.uk @doublearrow64.bsky.social · 12/09/2026. . . flic.kr/p/2sAe6H3 (Callum Radford) 10100
doublearrow.co.uk @doublearrow64.bsky.social · 03/09/2026Although I wouldn’t put it past someone at GBR deciding that Rail Symbol 2 needs ‘improving’ Btw, it’s actually a ‘vest’ 120
doublearrow.co.uk @doublearrow64.bsky.social · 03/09/2026Managed to get a close-up of a GBR/NR tabard today and it’s not good news on the symbol front; might be RS3 looks like they’ve given it an outline/contour which makes it a bit thick, not unlike…etc 290
doublearrow.co.uk @doublearrow64.bsky.social · 13/08/2026Looked fine though (Images: www.apt-p.com) 190
doublearrow.co.uk @doublearrow64.bsky.social · 09/08/2026There were also some corresponding promotional posters, also designed by Roundel, who were responsible for the triple grey Railfreight livery flic.kr/p/e8hmJN (Steve Collins) 120
doublearrow.co.uk @doublearrow64.bsky.social · 09/08/2026Hey Phil, these illustrations are from the British Rail Livery Handbook, which uses some rather inaccurate elevation diagrams, but also uses generic numbering to indicate colour and positioning etc Photograph: Unit Editions 110
doublearrow.co.uk @doublearrow64.bsky.social · 07/08/2026Not a million miles from Pacific Blue (BS 2660 0-012 or BS 381C 107), the colour of British Rail directional arrows, which is apparently what British Steel used for their famous David Gentleman identity… Photograph: Eye Magazine 150
doublearrow.co.uk @doublearrow64.bsky.social · 06/08/2026That website has some real treasures, including this beauty replete with very tightly tracked Helvetica Medium header 2141
doublearrow.co.uk @doublearrow64.bsky.social · 02/08/2026Looks like it might be the optically correct negative version 010
doublearrow.co.uk @doublearrow64.bsky.social · 31/07/2026And of course the clock was decent too (not that I dislike the recent competition winner) 010
doublearrow.co.uk @doublearrow64.bsky.social · 28/07/2026Complete array of AC traction at Crewe this morning: 90002, 87002, 86101, 89001, 90001 with lots of dodgy Falcon Grey 1170
doublearrow.co.uk @doublearrow64.bsky.social · 28/07/2026Hard to believe that the Up Fast at Crewe still has wooden sleepers in 2026 5365
doublearrow.co.uk @doublearrow64.bsky.social · 27/07/2026Common sense has begun to prevail, in that the GBR 720s on the Anglia region appear to have a plain middle coach; how much longer before GBR realise that the ‘glitch‘ is also redundant on coaches 2 and 4? If only the red had extended down the length of the train 3273
doublearrow.co.uk @doublearrow64.bsky.social · 22/07/2026Never really thought that running-in boards needed a symbol, doesn’t add anything to the message whatsoever #LessIsMore 2151
doublearrow.co.uk @doublearrow64.bsky.social · 17/07/2026Not sure the Railway200 logo was a ‘good thing‘, even if they did use Rail Symbol 2 (and ignored the basic design guidance at the same time 🙄)… 280
doublearrow.co.uk @doublearrow64.bsky.social · 17/07/2026“The BBC have obviously taken note of your observation,” remarked Job (rhymes with ’robe’, not ‘rob’). 030
doublearrow.co.uk @doublearrow64.bsky.social · 16/07/2026Genuinely thought this was AI; bewildering decision to put the crummiest version of all the Great British Railways logos on the front of the train 😩 Looks super messy, fighting with the set number 4202
doublearrow.co.uk @doublearrow64.bsky.social · 14/07/2026@gawuffy.co.uk just seen your Electrababy at Donny (looking slightly the worse for wear if I’m honest) 070
doublearrow.co.uk @doublearrow64.bsky.social · 14/07/2026Complete with Highland Stag, blue Scottish Region ‘Thurso’ totem and small locomotive numbers to ‘add interest’! flic.kr/p/2jMQDPM (Gavin B, August 1988) 1101
doublearrow.co.uk @doublearrow64.bsky.social · 07/07/2026I maintain that the ‘glitch’ remains the wrong visual identifier/metaphor for the railway, because its essence (a) reinforces division (because sadly that’s what our flag currently does), and (b) evokes indiscriminate fracture and disorder (because it looks a lot like broken glass) 1100
doublearrow.co.uk @doublearrow64.bsky.social · 02/07/2026For what it’s worth, Regional Railways (which I think this 2020 sign probably is) specified BS 4800 14 E 53 (Irish Green(!)/Avarice/Verona) for the colour of the green text for the Welsh component of bilingual signs) So it’s probably sun-bleached ☀️☀️☀️ 120
doublearrow.co.uk @doublearrow64.bsky.social · 02/07/2026@wemadethis.co.uk do you know what the typeface is here? 490
doublearrow.co.uk @doublearrow64.bsky.social · 02/07/2026Come on TfW, that symbol is far too thick (and has rubbishy parallel arms) (I know this makes me look like ‘Terrible TfW Signs’ but it’s purely coincidental, I just happened to be in North Wales today) 170
doublearrow.co.uk @doublearrow64.bsky.social · 28/06/2026Or on the station identifier outside, where the symbol is rendered feeble (although the red is not helping here) (Photograph: Fen Line Users Association) 2101
doublearrow.co.uk @doublearrow64.bsky.social · 28/06/2026The running-in boards do still have the symbol, although the alignment is sadly on cap-height which (a) makes the symbol too small relative to the station name, and (b) means the symbol is too high up on the sign, all very avoidable 2313
doublearrow.co.uk @doublearrow64.bsky.social · 28/06/2026Not sure of the spacing rationale on the ‘Way out’ patches, doesn’t seem to be working, the black being wider at one end Appreciate the word ‘to‘ rather than a dash (or, even worse, a hyphen, which so often don’t align properly with digits) Not sure when ‘via stairs’ is relevant and when it’s not 1100
doublearrow.co.uk @doublearrow64.bsky.social · 28/06/2026The directional signs at Cambridge South appear to be a regression with the potential for lots of identical arrows stacked above each other; also the pictograms are no longer lined up but appear somewhat scattergun 7282
doublearrow.co.uk @doublearrow64.bsky.social · 23/06/2026Note the correct position of the symbol relative to the lowercase x-height of the ‘British Rail’ legend (especially if you are GBR) 180
doublearrow.co.uk @doublearrow64.bsky.social · 14/06/2026I thought I had found the earliest record of 87006 in Executive Dark Grey with large logo livery on 12 May 1984… flic.kr/p/2oefNf1 (Geoff Dowling) 2371
doublearrow.co.uk @doublearrow64.bsky.social · 13/06/2026Also, exactly how chonky did Hornby want to make the symbol? 160
doublearrow.co.uk @doublearrow64.bsky.social · 13/06/2026Was there ever a nicer looking locomotive than 87006? flic.kr/p/2r8rSUN (c/o David Hills, original photographer unknown) 5241
doublearrow.co.uk @doublearrow64.bsky.social · 13/06/2026Also such a weird choice to put red on the buffer pylons/stalks (or whatever they are called) 130
doublearrow.co.uk @doublearrow64.bsky.social · 13/06/2026…this probably isn’t Nanking Blue flic.kr/p/2s9DEYs (Paul Braybrook) 380
doublearrow.co.uk @doublearrow64.bsky.social · 13/06/2026This is Nanking Blue (BS 5252/4800 18 E 53, which is now called Tartan Blue)… 190
doublearrow.co.uk @doublearrow64.bsky.social · 13/06/2026This image is making me think that it’s not original as the parallel fourfoots (fourfeet?) look a little too heavy compared with the sixfoot 110
doublearrow.co.uk @doublearrow64.bsky.social · 13/06/2026It’s actually really hard to take even a half decent photo of a flag, probably easier to film it and then take a still at the best possible moment 110
doublearrow.co.uk @doublearrow64.bsky.social · 13/06/2026The flag itself looks to be Flame Red (so possibly British Rail era?) but is flying as per the Network Rail 2022 spec with top arrow pointing away from the staff; also a bit tatty in the fly 110
