doublearrow.co.uk
@doublearrow64.bsky.social
British Rail Corporate Identity 1965-1994
Pinned
‘Arrows of desire’, a book all about the illustrious British Rail symbol, published by the modernist® is now available for pre-order at…
the-modernist.org/products/arr...
the-modernist.org/products/arr...
Triple arrow, anyone?
In the late '60s/early '70s CIÉ - Córas Iompair Éireann the state transport authority, issued timetables with some stylish graphic designed covers such as this Winter 69/70 #railway timetable. The map shows that the massive closures hadn't quite finished. #graphicdesign #ireland
↘️ flic.kr/p/2rFfBrF
↘️ flic.kr/p/2rFfBrF
November 13, 2025 at 9:14 PM
Triple arrow, anyone?
Some notes on the design of the Inter-City 125 logotype (and the rationale for the dodgy chubby symbol version)
November 11, 2025 at 9:59 PM
Some notes on the design of the Inter-City 125 logotype (and the rationale for the dodgy chubby symbol version)
Reposted by doublearrow.co.uk
This is just a fascinating, knowledgeable, and occasionally withering survey, telling the story a #Ukrailways icon.
So glad I bought it!
So glad I bought it!
November 8, 2025 at 10:32 PM
This is just a fascinating, knowledgeable, and occasionally withering survey, telling the story a #Ukrailways icon.
So glad I bought it!
So glad I bought it!
‘Arrows of desire’ is a rather different animal, 210 x 210mm softback with 96 pages of historical design analysis and cultural commentary, dealing with sectorisation and privatisation (i.e. the 50+ years since the lion’s share of the Manual was published)
the-modernist.org/products/arr...
the-modernist.org/products/arr...
November 8, 2025 at 7:21 PM
‘Arrows of desire’ is a rather different animal, 210 x 210mm softback with 96 pages of historical design analysis and cultural commentary, dealing with sectorisation and privatisation (i.e. the 50+ years since the lion’s share of the Manual was published)
the-modernist.org/products/arr...
the-modernist.org/products/arr...
Rail symbol socks available from the Design Museum Shop…
designmuseumshop.com/collections/...
designmuseumshop.com/collections/...
November 7, 2025 at 7:57 PM
Rail symbol socks available from the Design Museum Shop…
designmuseumshop.com/collections/...
designmuseumshop.com/collections/...
Banner unfurled at Ibrox (Rangers) on Thursday night…
www.bbc.co.uk/sport/footba...
www.bbc.co.uk/sport/footba...
November 7, 2025 at 7:26 PM
Banner unfurled at Ibrox (Rangers) on Thursday night…
www.bbc.co.uk/sport/footba...
www.bbc.co.uk/sport/footba...
November 6, 2025 at 8:12 PM
Some of the biggest symbols from the British Rail era were those attached to the funnels of the shipping fleet
(Currently on eBay www.ebay.co.uk/itm/28691109...)
(Currently on eBay www.ebay.co.uk/itm/28691109...)
November 6, 2025 at 8:03 PM
Some of the biggest symbols from the British Rail era were those attached to the funnels of the shipping fleet
(Currently on eBay www.ebay.co.uk/itm/28691109...)
(Currently on eBay www.ebay.co.uk/itm/28691109...)
There always used to be a relationship between the parallel tracks of the symbol and the lowercase x-height; this is nonsense (just like making the whole symbol the same as cap-height, which makes the symbol too small)
Suppose it’s Rail Alphabet 2 so could be worse :)
Suppose it’s Rail Alphabet 2 so could be worse :)
November 5, 2025 at 11:10 AM
There always used to be a relationship between the parallel tracks of the symbol and the lowercase x-height; this is nonsense (just like making the whole symbol the same as cap-height, which makes the symbol too small)
Suppose it’s Rail Alphabet 2 so could be worse :)
Suppose it’s Rail Alphabet 2 so could be worse :)
Reposted by doublearrow.co.uk
5 November 1979 & the new winter timetable for British Rail's East Coast Main Line between Scotland, NE England & York & not long fully operated by the HST 125 train sets. #railways #transport @doublearrow64.bsky.social
↘️ flic.kr/p/2kguRbg
↘️ flic.kr/p/2kguRbg
November 5, 2025 at 9:12 AM
5 November 1979 & the new winter timetable for British Rail's East Coast Main Line between Scotland, NE England & York & not long fully operated by the HST 125 train sets. #railways #transport @doublearrow64.bsky.social
↘️ flic.kr/p/2kguRbg
↘️ flic.kr/p/2kguRbg
Lovely Flame Red and Pacific Blue accents #RailAlphabet
Weatherbeaten. The sign at the foot of the track leading up to the remote Ribblehead Station in N. Yorkshire. @doublearrow64.bsky.social #sign #railways
November 3, 2025 at 7:31 PM
Lovely Flame Red and Pacific Blue accents #RailAlphabet
When I’m not thinking about railway-related design, I’m usually immersed in multi-script typeface design; here’s my latest offering—Aeropa PE—available now from Rosetta Type…
NEW WORK🔥: Aeropa PE by Nick Job
rosettatype.com/AeropaPE
Designed for Latin, Greek, and Cyrillic scripts, Aeropa comes in six weights with duplexed italics. Nick, as always, packed it with a ton of extras, over 450 alternate glyphs to play around with.
#typeface #newfonts
rosettatype.com/AeropaPE
Designed for Latin, Greek, and Cyrillic scripts, Aeropa comes in six weights with duplexed italics. Nick, as always, packed it with a ton of extras, over 450 alternate glyphs to play around with.
#typeface #newfonts
October 30, 2025 at 11:55 PM
When I’m not thinking about railway-related design, I’m usually immersed in multi-script typeface design; here’s my latest offering—Aeropa PE—available now from Rosetta Type…
‘Special’ indeed :)
(Note the first generation ‘Danger overhead live wires’ sticker)
(Note the first generation ‘Danger overhead live wires’ sticker)
The clocks go back an hour tonight, but we're turning our clock back 47 years, to 25th October 1978. On this day, 507001 and 507002 were unveiled to the public, carrying a VIP passenger on a special train to Kirkby.
We're proud to have preserved Merseyside's Royal Train for posterity.
We're proud to have preserved Merseyside's Royal Train for posterity.
October 25, 2025 at 6:39 PM
‘Special’ indeed :)
(Note the first generation ‘Danger overhead live wires’ sticker)
(Note the first generation ‘Danger overhead live wires’ sticker)
This sign uses principles from the original Wayfinding Design Manual; cap-height vertical alignment gives an u&lc legend that sinking feeling plus the symbol is rather small relative to the name (the cap-height actually sits below halfway on this particular sign!)
(Photograph: Jason Carthy-Torbitt)
(Photograph: Jason Carthy-Torbitt)
October 25, 2025 at 6:18 PM
This sign uses principles from the original Wayfinding Design Manual; cap-height vertical alignment gives an u&lc legend that sinking feeling plus the symbol is rather small relative to the name (the cap-height actually sits below halfway on this particular sign!)
(Photograph: Jason Carthy-Torbitt)
(Photograph: Jason Carthy-Torbitt)
I could be wrong but I think TfL probably treat these green signs (e.g. ‘Fire exit’ etc) as a different animal from general wayfinding/information; it’s also a bit odd that there is no obvious ‘Way out’ sign (which could be different locations from any fire exits)
Above all else, you must know where the fire exit is...! #Hull @doublearrow64.bsky.social
October 24, 2025 at 10:47 AM
I could be wrong but I think TfL probably treat these green signs (e.g. ‘Fire exit’ etc) as a different animal from general wayfinding/information; it’s also a bit odd that there is no obvious ‘Way out’ sign (which could be different locations from any fire exits)
Style versus substance :)
October 17, 2025 at 7:50 PM
Style versus substance :)
Reposted by doublearrow.co.uk
This is gorgeous and strikingly unlike the SBB clock, which I had as an app back in the day (this should also be an app)
October 16, 2025 at 4:22 PM
This is gorgeous and strikingly unlike the SBB clock, which I had as an app back in the day (this should also be an app)
Reposted by doublearrow.co.uk
Okay, whatever people think about "GBR" this is actually staggeringly good branding work.
On my way back north after attending the unveiling of the new rail clock at London Bridge; the timepiece is all at once disarmingly simple and delightfully ingenious…
October 16, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Okay, whatever people think about "GBR" this is actually staggeringly good branding work.
On my way back north after attending the unveiling of the new rail clock at London Bridge; the timepiece is all at once disarmingly simple and delightfully ingenious…
October 16, 2025 at 12:44 PM
On my way back north after attending the unveiling of the new rail clock at London Bridge; the timepiece is all at once disarmingly simple and delightfully ingenious…
Love this pillar (totem) signage treatment at London Euston, very clean and clear
October 16, 2025 at 9:14 AM
Love this pillar (totem) signage treatment at London Euston, very clean and clear
This is fascinating; presumably not a North Wales service so not sure why an electric locomotive would be detached on Platform 5 unless it’s going further north via Manchester and Bolton
(Also of interest is the large symbol on the new signal box on the left)
(Also of interest is the large symbol on the new signal box on the left)
Seeing we're on a Class 87 theme, here's one of my favourite photos: 87006 'City of Glasgow' heading north from platform 5 at Crewe after being detached from its' train on a Sunday around 36 years ago. @doublearrow64.bsky.social
October 15, 2025 at 7:09 PM
This is fascinating; presumably not a North Wales service so not sure why an electric locomotive would be detached on Platform 5 unless it’s going further north via Manchester and Bolton
(Also of interest is the large symbol on the new signal box on the left)
(Also of interest is the large symbol on the new signal box on the left)
Reposted by doublearrow.co.uk
Salford Central has recently been resigned to this spec...
October 14, 2025 at 6:05 PM
Salford Central has recently been resigned to this spec...
My favourite British Rail traction by a country mile (and the most powerful and fastest* locomotive of its day)
*I‘m not counting Class 43 (HST) which came in pairs or the Class 90 (effectively a restyled Class 87)
*I‘m not counting Class 43 (HST) which came in pairs or the Class 90 (effectively a restyled Class 87)
The undisputed king of the west coast main line, in my opinion anyway, the class 87.
Captured at Liverpool Lime Street, 87020 ‘North Briton’ takes a breather between workings. Very happy days.
#Class87 #WCML #InterCity #LiverpoolLimeStreet #BritishRail
Captured at Liverpool Lime Street, 87020 ‘North Briton’ takes a breather between workings. Very happy days.
#Class87 #WCML #InterCity #LiverpoolLimeStreet #BritishRail
October 14, 2025 at 5:44 PM
My favourite British Rail traction by a country mile (and the most powerful and fastest* locomotive of its day)
*I‘m not counting Class 43 (HST) which came in pairs or the Class 90 (effectively a restyled Class 87)
*I‘m not counting Class 43 (HST) which came in pairs or the Class 90 (effectively a restyled Class 87)
Lastly on the Doncaster signs: This sign’s dividing line is so thin it may as well not be there and probably won’t be there for users with even slightly impaired vision; it’s meant to be 0.125x (one eighth of the legend x-height), not really sure how these things are so easily missed/ignored…
October 14, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Lastly on the Doncaster signs: This sign’s dividing line is so thin it may as well not be there and probably won’t be there for users with even slightly impaired vision; it’s meant to be 0.125x (one eighth of the legend x-height), not really sure how these things are so easily missed/ignored…
Look what just pulled in; the Class 91 is surely still one of the best looking bits of kit on our railways :)
October 14, 2025 at 8:57 AM
Look what just pulled in; the Class 91 is surely still one of the best looking bits of kit on our railways :)