The LNER Encyclopedia

Hi All,

Just wondering if anyone can help me. Does anyone have a LNER alphabet. That is the letters that were placed onto the coaches such as 'RESTAURANT CAR', 'SLEEPING CAR', 'BUFFET CAR' etc.. I have looked all over the internet but cannot find what I am looking for in good enough quality.

Thanks for any help.

Regards

Karl

Is this the same as the Gill Sans font used for their other signage? (and the classic London Underground signage)

If so, recent versions of Microsoft Word ship with Gill Sans.
2003 definitely has it. Possibly 2000 as well.


Richard

Richard,

I don't think this font is the same as Gill Sans. Gill Sans is curved with no 'flicks' at the bottom of letters like 'R'. The closest font that I can find on a PC is 'Bodoni MT Black.

Regards

Karl

the HMRS loco and coach numbering and lettering packs include all the ones you have mentioned plus the royal mail lettering.

if this is what you are looking for, the pre war version certainly does a grand job although the guard lettering is a little on the lenghty side when applied to kirk's coaches.

regards
Simon

Simon,

I was hoping for an online source or a scanned source. I don't wish to waste any money as I don't think I will get round to using them.

Regards

Karl

Hi Gill Sans is what you want
Tony

Karl,

I have WORD 2010 on my PC which comes with Microsoft Home and Student. This has the capability of producing more Font effects, and I have been able to produce the following LNER style script.

The Font is "Wide Latin" with black shadowing to the lower right and a pink glow. There are plenty of variations to try.

With this script and Crafty Computer Paper, it should be possible to produce your own decals.

Colombo

I suggest that some clarity is required here as to whether the OP means the pre- or post- change to Gill Sans period - there will be subtle differences to the answer.

I'm rather impressed by Colombo's effort for the earlier period, while for pedants and perfectionists the 'font' that Microsoft provides is Gills Sans MT (MT = Monotype) which has subtle differences from Gill Sans as used by the LNER. In all there were a dozen or more variations of that particular typeface.

See here for a means of checking which MS products include Gill Sans MT and derivatives (or any other 'font'): http://www.microsoft.com/typography/fonts/

richard wrote:Is this the same as the Gill Sans font used for their other signage? (and the classic London Underground signage)

If so, recent versions of Microsoft Word ship with Gill Sans.
2003 definitely has it. Possibly 2000 as well.


Richard

Care is probably needed here. The professional version of Word 2007 has Gill Sans in several varieties (I checked it at the office today). Home and student 2007 (or at least my version of it anyway) don't seem to have Gill Sans in any form at all though.

About four years ago the LT Museum's online shop was offering a CD which would load Gill Sans into Word for you, but that seems to have disappeared from the market for some reason.

richard wrote:Is this the same as the Gill Sans font used for their other signage? (and the classic London Underground signage)

If so, recent versions of Microsoft Word ship with Gill Sans.
2003 definitely has it. Possibly 2000 as well.


Richard

Richard,

The 'classic' LT typeface - Underground - commissioned by Frank Pick was designed by Edward Johnston, who was assisted by Eric Gill who later developed the eponymous Gill Sans. 'Underground' evolved over a few years before its first appearance in 1916 and, after a few tweekings, was sympathetically reworked in 1979 into 'New Johnston'. Eric Gill started what became Gill Sans on shop signs c1925 and it appeared as a typeface in basic form (upper case only) in 1928. The LNER drove development of this typeface to include lower case, symbols and so on from 1929 because a complete typeface, having different weights, was necessary to meet all of the printing and advertising requirements.

Apart from the streamlined sets, how widely was Gill Sans used for external lettering of carriages?

I have checked in a couple of books and also both the LNERCA & Severn Valley LNER coach websites and have found no Gill Sans in evidence.

e.g. http://www.lnerca.org/photoalbums/641/641-08.html

Apart from coach destination boards, and the special streamline sets, the standard shaded alphabet was used on all coaching stock up until about Summer 1948. There was also a special elongated typeface used on the tourist stock.

The only other vehicles which did use Gill Sans were Camping coaches and Departmental coaching stock, although even here, some departmental stock which remained in teak carried normal transfers.

Can anyone help out with the style of lettering and sizes in the photo extract attached.
Lettering will be in the NER style but to continue with this I need detail on the smaller letters in particular.
Any help welcomed.