National Bus Manual

Out now: @modernistmag 44 with a piece on graphic designer Norman Wilson. His pioneering Manchester practice brought striking modernist graphics to industial Britain, famously the once-ubiquitous corporate identity for the National Bus Company. More here: nationalbusmanual.com/2022/09/17/a-m…

Fantastic to meet Helen Clifford this evening a the @WminBusandCoach reception at the @ltmuseum at the unveiling of her blue plaque by @TfL chief operating officer Claire Mann. Helen was the first woman to qualify as a London Transport bus mechanic in 1984.

Read more on the blog - ‘Imposters in poppy red and leaf green’—> nationalbusmanual.com/2021/02/05/197…

It seems the website and blog went down earlier but is now back up and running again. We’re planning to publish the book in the coming months, so we’ll be less dependent on digital technology! These photos are from NBC’s 1975 advert for Norwich Union, filmed at Norwich Airport.

@swlines @SwanRailway What a brilliant idea. We should adopt this in the National railway! Though I’m not sure it would be quite as interesting…

An innovation in this year’s @SwanRailway diesel gala was an improvement to the “loco departures” at Swanage. This year we’ve added a full working list in case the loco you want is further up the line 👍 (ideal when allocations change and the printed versions out of date!)

@transportgovuk Says Department of Transports

Great Western Railways services will transfer into public ownership from 13 December 2026. This is another significant moment as the government continues to bring services back into public ownership and put passengers, not shareholders, at the heart of our railways.

@AnthonyTeasdale 🤣

@BusManual This is very exciting! Happily your honeymoon wasn't at Space House.

On my honeymoon to the Amalfi coast in 2009, I took this photo…

@AnthonyTeasdale I loved Umbrella. And - since you show those two particular covers - by coincidence that’s approximately where we had our honeymoon; and Space House was my old office!

The early iPad issues were so well received, we decided to do a "proper" print version. This was the cover of the first one (Issue 11) – it's the old Civil Aviation Authority building in in Covent Garden.

@Captain_Deltic Oh sure, sure.

According to the Rail Minister, GBR "will not become "a bloody great bureaucratic organisation run from some place like 222 Marylebone Road where the British Railways Board was". BR HQ had left 'the Kremlin' by 1986, just as Bob Reid's reforms were starting to deliver.

@Captain_Deltic @JeSuisUnDan Kate Mingay took then to court. I’m not sure whether the legal process concluded in her favour (or at all), but it was instrumental in forcing DfT to back down, along with the internal civil service review, which slated them.

@BusManual @JeSuisUnDan The court case was new to me. Must look it up.

The Mandelson vetting affaire has slight echoes of the 2012 Intercity West Coast franchise replacement scandal. Following Virgin's protest, the DfT Permanent Secretary inititially told the Cabinet Secretary that the bid evaluation financial model was broken.

@Captain_Deltic @JeSuisUnDan One of them after taking the DfT to court for unfair dismissal. The others were then reinstated too. What a disgrace.

@JeSuisUnDan Indeed. Three officials were suspended, but subsequently reinstated.

@railLKB @MePeterNicholls Really interesting. Long experience suggests it’s counterproductive to put the symbol everywhere. Overuse breeds meaninglessness. The ‘boring & anodyne’ closely resembles what we regarded as ‘efficient, legible &elegant’ in the 70s. Attitudes change, but don’t overuse the symbol.

@MePeterNicholls So; yes and no; too much double arrow and we dilute the strength of the brand. Platform length: 1-4 cars; 1xRS2 centrally placed. 5-7; 2xRS2 end of each platform. 8+ 3xRS2 each of platform, with one, centrally (prominently) placed. Then just text smaller textual signs. :)

It's quite sad, actually - This signage just makes our stations look boring, anodyn, and sterile. Even in the need for better accessibility, it's execution is debatabily worse as well. Anyway, potential solutions in the next tweet; [ 1 / 2 ]

@railLKB @LNER @john_grainger Brilliant!

Real talk; these mobile epanel totems at York are very good. Looks like @LNER / @john_grainger are onto something! Just needs a little more contrast (backlit, maybe?) and Rail Alphabet 2.

It is shameful that a major world capital city like London that has a pretty comprehensive bus network doesn’t have (even online) a map of that system!

@Captain_Deltic @BMLBod It was DfT that did that.

@BMLBod You can't blame them for being suspicious. But it's hypocritical because they broke the railway in the first place.

I spend a depressing amount of time criticising state oversight of rail for someone who nominally favours public ownership and operation of railways. I should begin to caveat it with *if HMT were not quite so suspicious and controlling of the entire thing.

@ojngill @GarethDennis Not good enough.

The incompetence of those now in charge of transport in this country is staggering. This HS2 article is basically fact-free. All of its sourced assertions are bollocks - yet this rubbish is currently further wrecking HS2. thetimes.com/business/compa…

@JaneFallon Outstanding! I think of Warren’s return every time I pass through Warren Street tube, which is of course named after him. Sharing a bag of chips with Amita Dhiri remains one of the highlights of my life.

30 years ago today our little show first went out …

You’ll have spotted that there’s less on the blog while I focus on the book, which will include the re-issued manual, and a few surprises. Thanks to everyone who’s helped. Looking forward to sharing progress with you all soon.

@CatHobbs Why, Cat? Seriously? That may just not make sense. It frees up government capital for other investments in public services.

Huge missed opportunity that these new trains will not be owned by ScotRail They are being leased by Beacon Rail which is owned by JP Morgan Asset Management Rolling stock is the most profitable bit of the railway Scotland should own its own trains! bbc.co.uk/news/articles/…

Another fab issue of this gorgeous, informative, entertaining, beautiful, engaging, lovingly designed and produced, top quality, stunningly illustrated, can’t-live-without magazine. Out now classicbusmag.co.uk

1977 convertible open-top ECW-bodied Bristol VRT VDV 138S 'Warspite' is seen at the Strand in Torquay in 1981. From 1987, under Devon General Ltd. ownership, it ran with the name 'Illustrious'. 938 is preserved, and its current owner is renovating it. Picture credit: Paul Jenkins