Present Tube Map.

Okay... move the Met line where it crosses the Central down a tad, possibly tweak the angle of the Met so that it points SW... Then move RUG - West Rui so that it points NW... by doing this, should allow more space for the Chesham, WFD and Ammy bits to be spaced out a bit more...

Well at least, however cramped, the map still shows most stations with their full names.

In contrast, of late on this forum, with all of it's relatively vast open spaces to write things in, we see the ever growing habit of referring to stations with their abbreviated codes.

I work on the combine and even I have to think where exactly someone is referring to. Is this new trend simply text speak by the back door?

I could recite the signal prefixes for the Central Line if I wished! But I won't!

CFS, RLN, OWD, UXB, GGR, EDG, MOR, HBT, MHE, QPK

Thats just a selection of others!

I guess that the National Rail website has a complete list of their station's short-hand codes?

If the Map is redesigned, perhaps the acronyms could be included next to the name and grid reference, thus:- Amersham, D, A1, AMS...

I'm not certain, but I'm fairly sure there's one on Wikipedia somewhere - I know that all of the articles on stations have the three-letter code in the infobox.

I know I've seen one list (can't remember where) that included all the LU stations. Those that weren't also mainline stations had a code starting with X; some of those stations that do have mainline codes also have X codes.

I just want to see those blue wheelchairs go as quickly as I can. There are special maps for all sorts of purposes, make this a specialist map as well and don't clutter the beautiful original design with it.

I also wonder if anything could be done about the way the Jubilee looks around Waterloo.

+1

The problem is the bottom edge of the circle is shown as straight, when it reality it makes a major dive south between Embankment and Sloane Square. If it was shown correctly, the Jubilee could cross it west-to-east, eliminating the sharp turn at Waterloo.

If you move Elephant & Castle north you'll also have to move the Z1/Z2 boundary and Vauxhall north.

Beck's original was brilliant and only had right angles. Once more lines came in (Vic and Jub), the next major decision was to have lines at 45^o.

As I see it, the next major decision is to get rid of the 45s altogether and replace them with lines at 30 and/or 60^o. That would enable all sorts of creative things to be done while still keeping to Beck's concepts. Who knows, the Circle could even become more sensible......

The trouble today is that the Diagram has almost doubled in complexity from Beck's original diagram and, presumably set out on a computer, doesn't get the loving care he gave to it.
After a couple of years refining his diagram he finally got it accepted and in a year or two had to accomodate the Eastern, Western and Northern proposed extensions. Hopefully he looked on that as a new challenge! The present day map has had three further lines imposed upon it.

No, it was only Beck's later maps (like this one) where he tried to get rid of all the diagonals, which I put down to too much time spent playing with the lines in his head rather than any practical need. The recent tube issue of Time Out claimed this one (NB Met is poorly printed) was his favourite, which is similarly beautiful-but-perverse.

the '95 map (link to '96 which is smaller and pretty much the same) should be the base for the current tube map, though I prefer the '86 handling of Chesham

In addition to the wheelchair symbols causing problems, there are too many curves on lines, eg the Jubilee on the South Bank, or the DLR Woolwich branch (especially the unfinished bit). The Jubilee can be partially rectified by removing the wheelchairs, though the 90s layout would be better. The DLR branch could just be a vertical from the curve east of London City Airport onwards. It seems silly to add the curve before King George V, and sillier still to have 3 curves (a 135degrees turn) between KGV and Woolwich Arsenal.
Max Roberts, in his book "Underground Maps after Beck" has one of his own creations, which has flexible angles, to create a map that has as few corners as possible. It's really rather horrible when you first see it - headache inducing in fact - but it does grow on you.
The Paris Metro map is sadly subject to the problems that the lines are crazy and keep crossing each other, making a map hard. The colour scheme doesn't help, nor does the huge emphasis of the RER. There's only horizontal, vertical and 45deg lines on it, though.