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The Beauty of Transport @thebeautyoftransport.com · 6d

Think this double arrow looks pretty good; opening plaque at Montrose station.
(cc @watfordgap.bsky.social @doublearrow64.bsky.social )

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Reposted by The Beauty of Transport

lawrence jones @lawrentian.bsky.social · 9d

2 years ago I worked on a project to restore a 1920s WHS railway station bookstall. It was in pieces & in a bad state. A colleague & I found old photos of it in the WHS archive at @themerl.bsky.social which helped the restoration work. Look at it now👇 Full story www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

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The Beauty of Transport @thebeautyoftransport.com · 16d

I have (trepidatiously) accepted an invite from the nice people at the Sign Design Society to give a talk about the last 60 years of signage on the national rail network, and where we might go next. It’s on Oct 2nd online, non-SDS members can watch for a modest fee (£10 I think). bit.ly/SDS_Oct25

The Great British Railways signing challenge: 60 years of learning and unlearning – Sign Design Society

bit.ly

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The Beauty of Transport @thebeautyoftransport.com · 22d

If you have not seen the latest on the restoration of James Robb Scott’s Richmond station, watch this and swoon at the inter-war glamour. A great SWR - Network Rail - @railwayheritage.bsky.social project.
www.linkedin.com/posts/south-...

Richmond station restored to its Art Deco glory | South Western Railway

We've completed the restoration of Richmond's Art Deco station — bringing the 1937 gem back to life for today's customers to enjoy and providing a fitting gateway to the local area. From its stunning...

www.linkedin.com

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The Beauty of Transport @thebeautyoftransport.com · 22d

Off the top of my head I can think of...

Southern - Stroudley
Wagn / c2c / Stansted Express - Interstate
Stagecoach SWT - retained Rail Alphabet at first
SWT - Brunel for signs, Century Gothic for train numbers

...as some examples. Is there a complete(ish) list somewhere that I've missed?

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The Beauty of Transport @thebeautyoftransport.com · 22d

Hello @doublearrow64.bsky.social (or indeed other railway typeface-interested types), I know it's not really your preferred area of study, but do you know if there is a single source of info on the typefaces used by post-1994 train operating franchises esp for signage? I can't readily find one. 1/2

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The Beauty of Transport @thebeautyoftransport.com · 26d

Two new transport books for my wishlist from @artdecomagpie.bsky.social and Christopher Herwig. www.wallpaper.com/transportati...

On the road again with two new monographs focusing on the art and architecture of transit

Fuel Publishing has released Trucks and Tuks and 226 Garages and Service Stations, two monographs charting intriguingly different aspects of automotive culture

www.wallpaper.com

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The Beauty of Transport @thebeautyoftransport.com · Sep 8

Love this - makes the spaghetti so much more comprehensible. Great work!

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The Beauty of Transport @thebeautyoftransport.com · Sep 8

The inside track on the creation of the ever-so-pretty (and substantially more useful) new Northern network map. Fascinating stuff. Designers are so clever.

Transport Designed @transportdesigned.com · Sep 8

👋 Introducing Northern’s new network map...

🗺️ Find out how we redesigned Northern's network map with clarity, consistency and connections in mind 👇

transportdesigned.com/introducing-...

Introducing Northern's new network map - Transport Designed

Find out how we redesigned Northern's network map with clarity, consistency and connections in mind

transportdesigned.com

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Reposted by The Beauty of Transport

Scott @merseytart.bsky.social · Aug 30

New blog: The Lantern Bearer - www.merseytart.com/2025/08/the-... - an ode to the magnificence of Helsinki Central station and its muscular beauty.

The Lantern Bearer

There were, for many years, various different suggestions for how to get passengers from Helsinki Airport into the city. Metros, a dedicate...

www.merseytart.com

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The Beauty of Transport @thebeautyoftransport.com · Aug 25

Architectural photographer Philip Butler's new book "226 Garages and Service Stations" is out imminently, and Britain's garages have never looked so good. #TheBeautyOfTransport talks to Philip about the book, car-related roadside architecture, and his approach to architectural photography.

The Other Stations (226 Garages and Service Stations, by Philip Butler)

Railway stations, bus stations and... filling stations? The first two have made frequent appearances on the pages of this website, the third far less often. Filling stations, and their close cousins garages and car showrooms, only occasionally attract significant architectural attention. Although it can happen from time to time (there's a list of filling stations that have featured here at the end of this article) most of them were built quickly and without particular thought to their appearance; certainly in more recent decades.

thebeautyoftransport.com

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The Beauty of Transport @thebeautyoftransport.com · Aug 20

At least it's a little one?

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The Beauty of Transport @thebeautyoftransport.com · Aug 15

They are indeed very good books.

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The Beauty of Transport @thebeautyoftransport.com · Aug 15

Bless them. I remain unconvinced that they (and other similar users) actually understand what the symbol *is*, and therefore don’t understand that the symbol has a correct original presentation.

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The Beauty of Transport @thebeautyoftransport.com · Aug 15

Dear @doublearrow64.bsky.social I have found you another one - on the pages of the Sunday Times magazine.

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The Beauty of Transport @thebeautyoftransport.com · Aug 15

Thank you! I have been writing *a lot* though - and neglecting the website as a result. At some point I hope to be able to explain what I’ve been doing in the meantime!

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The Beauty of Transport @thebeautyoftransport.com · Aug 13

Yes I think most of them were, but the Branch Line Society says they were "often" on request which suggests not all of them were. And they seem like the sort of people who would know. branchline.uk/rail_chronol...

Rail Chronology: Halts and Platforms

branchline.uk

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The Beauty of Transport @thebeautyoftransport.com · Aug 13

Wilfully contrarian to the end, #TheBeautyOfTransport explains why Thanet Parkway (yes, the 'ugly' one) isn't nearly so bad as most people seem to think. It's the plucky little station that could, built while endless consultations took place, costs rose and a pandemic raged.

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Thanet Parkway (Thanet Parkway, Kent, UK)

Thanet Parkway station opened on 31 July 2023, and promptly broke quite a few people's brains. I can remember my Twitter feed (as was) being awash with commentators deriding its appearance. Even now, a simple web search will quickly turn up adjectives like "ugly", "hideous", "bloody ugly" and "incredibly dull-looking". ↑ Thanet Parkway. Photo by Daniel Wright [CC BY-NC-ND 4.0…

thebeautyoftransport.com

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The Beauty of Transport @thebeautyoftransport.com · Aug 8

Although I am fascinated by NHS Alphabet (I come from a medical family and remember the signage very well) I do not know the exact answer to this. However, all-but-official historian of Rail Alphabet / BR corporate identity @doublearrow64.bsky.social might possibly have some thoughts.

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The Beauty of Transport @thebeautyoftransport.com · Aug 7

I have been waiting for this book to be published for quite some time and I can promise you it is worth the wait. It is interesting and it is gorgeous.

Philip Butler @artdecomagpie.bsky.social · Aug 7

Six years since I started to photograph old garages across Britain, I’m delighted to announce publication of a book collecting together the best examples.

226 Garages and Service Stations is out in FUEL in September. Available from wherever you buy your books.

fuel-design.com/publishing/2...

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The Beauty of Transport @thebeautyoftransport.com · Aug 1

Oh, that’s ghastly for you. I know how much work will have gone into it. Best of luck finding a new home for it. Meantime I (and I am sure many others) will be happy to pay for it again when you do.

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The Beauty of Transport @thebeautyoftransport.com · Jul 31

Loved Strasbourg's greenhouse extension. Thought the platforms needed a bit more TLC though?

The Beauty of Transport @thebeautyoftransport.com · Jul 30

I am unspeakably jealous of your Grand Tour of European Railway highlights but I am so glad you've been having a nice time! Rotterdam Centraal for me. Milan a little impersonal; Antwerp bonkers, do you want Hogwarts as a railway station?; Gare du Nord Neo-classical not really my cup of tea.

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The Beauty of Transport @thebeautyoftransport.com · Jul 24

A petition to save the old Possil station in Glasgow should be worth a few moments of your time if you enjoy railway heritage.
www.change.org/p/save-the-f...

Sign the Petition

Save the Former Possil Railway Station – A Historic Landmark at Risk

www.change.org

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The Beauty of Transport @thebeautyoftransport.com · Jul 24

ICYMI - new article on the website about the latest revisions to Network Rail's "Wayfinding" design manual, with input from @doublearrow64.bsky.social. And watch a video of the lovely new wayfinding signs being installed at Clapham Junction here: vimeo.com/1095076736?m...

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