Spot the line, compare the service to today's

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Can you place these timetables ... one each, please - how do they look compared to today?

1.


2.


3.


4.


5.


6.


7.

[Lee]

I think 1. is London Paddington to Reading, Newbury, Bedwyn, Pewsey and Westbury

[RichardB]

Is no 5 Looe?

[grahame]

I think 1. is London Paddington to Reading, Newbury, Bedwyn, Pewsey and Westbury

Is no 5 Looe?

Those are both correct.  And both of those show services which have massively increased since 1967 which is when my timetables date from.   There seem to be, overall, two patterns - a massive increase in service since that day, or closure hence zero service today.

[stuving]

3. Kingswear, Newton Abbot, and Exeter.   Obviously!

[Lee]

I think 1. is London Paddington to Reading, Newbury, Bedwyn, Pewsey and Westbury

Is no 5 Looe?

Those are both correct.  And both of those show services which have massively increased since 1967 which is when my timetables date from.   There seem to be, overall, two patterns - a massive increase in service since that day, or closure hence zero service today.

I definitely have 4. and I reckon I might have 3. as well, but I will give everyone else a chance first 

As a side issue, what criteria/percentage etc should we look for to determine whether services have "massively increased" ?

EDIT - stuving nipped in with 3. just as I posted!

[grahame]

As a side issue, what criteria/percentage etc should we look for to determine whether services have "massively increased" ?

Quantitative answer - a doubling of the number of services or something close to it

Qualitative answer - extra service to address major passenger flows that were not addressed by the previous service

Colloquial answer - "Good grief - was it THAT infrequent" when shown the old timetable

[Lee]

As a side issue, what criteria/percentage etc should we look for to determine whether services have "massively increased" ?

Quantitative answer - a doubling of the number of services or something close to it

Qualitative answer - extra service to address major passenger flows that were not addressed by the previous service

Colloquial answer - "Good grief - was it THAT infrequent" when shown the old timetable

Well that certainly clears that one up 

As an update, I now feel like the second contestant from Pointless who is about to be asked "Do you want to take us through the board?"

I definitely now have 4 and 6, and I am ready to make an educated guess on 2 as well, given that the longer validity of timetables from that era might just stretch grahame's "1967" far enough to bring my prospective answer into play.

It's 7 that is really taxing me, as there are a number of possibilities in my view.

Excellent quiz though, grahame - Really kept me enjoyably engaged.

[grahame]

... given that the longer validity of timetables from that era might just stretch grahame's "1967" far enough to bring my prospective answer into play. ...

Glad you're enjoying it. 

All are pages from the following document.   These were times of change, though, so it's possible that there may be services in there which didn't see it through to the given end date.

[Lee]

Oooh Breaking News - Rethink needed on 2...

[Kempis]

4. Taunton to Minehead?

[grahame]

As an update, I now feel like the second contestant from Pointless who is about to be asked "Do you want to take us through the board?"

As the 24 hours is up ... you can now.  So far we have
1. Reading to Westbury (Lee)
3. Kingswear (Stuving)
4. Taunton to Minehead (Kempis)
5. Looe branch (RichardB)

[Lee]

6 is definitely Reading-Guildford-Redhill. The service through to Gatwick Airport wasn't launched until 12 May 1980.

I did originally think 2 might be Yeovil Town-Pen Mill-Junction, but Yeovil Town station closed to passengers on 3 October 1966, putting us the wrong side of 1967 for grahame's timetable. My back up of it possibly being Bodmin-related falls by the wayside for the same reasons - North and General stations both closed to passengers on 30 January 1967.

Really not sure on 7 - Gut says either Plymouth-Bere Alston-Tavistock-Okehampton (closure 6 May 1968 which would be bang on with grahame's timetable) or Ilfracombe (closure 5 October 1970) but I cant definitively plump for either with the required confidence.

[grahame]

You have identified Reading to Redhill correctly (after it was cut back from Tonbridge, but before it was extended to Gatwick). However, you are correct to be hedging your bets on no.s 2 and 7 - not Devon, not Somerset, not even Cornwall.

[RichardB]

You have identified Reading to Redhill correctly (after it was cut back from Tonbridge, but before it was extended to Gatwick). However, you are correct to be hedging your bets on no.s 2 and 7 - not Devon, not Somerset, not even Cornwall.

I've just dug out my copy of the WR 67-68 timetable and have found 7 - let's see if anyone gets it.  Further clue - it's a long way from the far South West.