From the dawn of Electrification...

Hopefully this won't get deleted by my ineptitude, but for those who may be interested, herewith the following bits/bobs/WTT codes from 2 1906 Metropolitan Working Timetables - thought it better here than risking admin wrath through excessive thread drift/convergence. I'll repeat the bits in toto (this ain't Kansas) for the benefit of any that may stumble upon this post. Spurious typographia victioriana archaeum [1] have been removed for modern sensibilities - excessive initial capitals for a start:

Met No 1 Section, 1/11/1906:

A 3 coach old stock trains
B 5 coach old stock trains
C 5 coach bogie stock trains
D 6 coach bogie stock trains
E Electric Trains 6 coaches
F Electric Trains 3 coaches
G Met goods train calls when required for Goods
HC Horses and Carriages not conveyed by trains marked thus
HX Horses and Carriages not coneyed by trains thus except marked for Leicester and beyond
K Milk van attached
ME Mondays excepted
MO Mondays only
MTE Mondays and Tuesdays excepted
MTO Mondays and Tuesdays only
Q Great Central Tariff Van [3] detached or attached
R where required
SE Saturdays excepted
SO Saturdays Only
T Met Goods Train calls for Tariff {see [3]}
TO Tuesdays Only
TE Tuesdays Excepted
ThO ThE (as Tuesday, but for Thursday)
ThSE ThSO (Saturday too)
V Brake Van attached

Met No 2 Section 3/12/1906 (initial capitalization retained for this one) - reversed galley job.

M Metropolitan Electric Circle Trains
ML Metropolitan Electric Local Circle Trains
D District Electric Circle Trains
H Metropolitan Hamersmith Trains (Steam)
HE Hammersmith Electric Trains
R Metropolitan Richmond Trains (Steam)
RL Richmond and Hammersmith Locals (Steam)
K G.W. Addison Road Trains (Steam)
KE Addison Road Electric Trains
KL G.W. Addison Road Local Trains (Steam)
KLE Addison Road Local Electric Trains
GWH G.W. Hammersmith Trains (Steam)
GWR G.W. Richmond Trains (Steam)
GWP G.W. Main Line Trains (Steam)
GWPL G.W. Main Line Trains (Steam) to Bishop's Road only
GWG G.W. Goods Trains
GWGE G.W. Empty Wagon Trains
SEC South Eastern and Chatham Trains between Whitechapel (East London) and New Cross (SE&C)
SE Saturdays excepted
SO Saturdays only


I offer this information for historical interest, apologies for the 'dryness' of the post, but it gives a flavour of the workings a century ago - and a historical background to some of the ELL abbreviations that got me into timetables years ago.

My apologies for being so boring. ;D

[1] my abused classical edukashun [2] wants to type 'typographia georgic archaeum' but we are neither bucolic or wishing to be guided through the UndergrounD inferno by the spirit of Virgil

[2] 'Hem, Hem Peason - off to get Fotherington-Thomas, who is a wet and a weed and a gurl' *Suddenly realises eMolesworthspeke may be inappropriate, wrong list.* I resume normal service at 'D' Whoops - but I daren't delete anything after last night's three sequential deletionary fiascos.

[3] Wot's one of them then? I've got 2 <heavier timetable [4] geeks than me> other people confused by this phrase - is it a 'per van' tariff paid to the Met. by other companies (for allowing their vans travel over Met metals - a railway version of 'corkage' if you like? There is a comment in one of the WTTs that they are 'demurrage' exempt (I know the meaning of demurrage too).

[4] they've been collecting timetables since before I was born.....

EDIT: after a successful posting (at last!), I forgot BB 6 coach old stock train. ;D ;D