ABC Timetable for the Great Central Railway - 1907

The ABC guide was the main competitor for Bradshaw, the more famous publisher of railway Timetables. Started in 1853, ABC guides listed services to and from London and also provided fare information, something that the Bradshaws did not. Indeed, in the 1850s for a short while Bradshaw tried to compete and provided the cost of journeys. Yet, this was abandoned when the increasing number of services nationally reduced the space within the guides. Therefore, ABC guides were successful, even if they were unable to tell travellers how to get from Bath to Glasgow.

This ABC Guide for the Great Central Railway in August 1907 is interesting as it contains 'AN ORIGINAL TALE TOLD IN THE TRAIN', which was presumably something for passengers to read while on their journeys. Yet, the story cannot have taken them long to get through as the 'tale' in this timetable, which was entitled 'The Visiting Card', only ran for four pages.