Southern Railway Publicity

Miscellaneous

Handbills

Hung by pieces of string, hooked over a nail, the humble handbill informed travellers of every sort of journey. Day trips to the seaside, cheap trips to town or holidays on the Continent, these cheap advertisements adorned booking halls for many years. Produced on poor quality paper it is surprising any have survived, some for over 80 years, to appear here. I have deliberately not patched up the images, to remove the tears from the tops of some where they were torn from the string or tried to correct the faded areas. That's part of their character.

Handbill Handbill Handbill Handbill
1 January 1923 1 January 1923 1 January 1923 1 January 1923
Handbill Handbill Handbill Handbill
18 April 1923 25 May 1923 25 May 1923 1 June 1923
Handbill Handbill Handbill Handbill
17 June 1923 19 June 1923 25 June 1923 25 June 1923
Handbill Handbill Handbill Handbill
4 July 1923 7 October 1923 7 April 1924 18 June 1924
Handbill Handbill Handbill Handbill
19 June 1924 19 July 1924 7 June 1928 18 October 1928
Handbill Handbill Handbill Handbill
30 October 1928 18 April 1934 2 May 1935 2 June 1935
Handbill Handbill Handbill Handbill
27 April 1937 25 June 1938 19 May 1939 14 June 1939
Handbill      
4 October 1946      
Handbill  
20 April 1923
Unusually produced in landscape format
 

Timetables

LSWR Timetable SR Timetable SR Timetable SR Timetable
January 1855
LSWR
February 1926 June 1928 July 1930
SR Timetable SR Timetable SR Timetable SR Timetable
July 1938 January 1940 January 1940 June 1947
SR Timetable BR(S) Timetable    
October 1947 June 1950
BR
   

Suburban Timetables

SR Timetable SR Timetable SR Timetable SR Timetable
May 1931 July 1931 September 1931 February 1932
SR Timetable SR Timetable SR Timetable SR Timetable
July 1932 September 1932 January 1933 May 1933
SR Timetable SR Timetable SR Timetable SR Timetable
July 1933 September 1933 January 1934 May 1934
SR Timetable SR Timetable SR Timetable SR Timetable
July 1934 October 1934 January 1935 April 1935
SR Timetable SR Timetable SR Timetable SR Timetable
July 1935 September 1935 July 1937 April 1938

Special Timetables

Often when lines were electrified special timetables were produced to advertise the new services.

SR Timetable SR Timetable SR Timetable SR Timetable
July 1933 October 1934 January 1935 July 1935
SR Timetable SR Timetable SR Timetable SR Timetable
July 1937 September 1937 May 1938 July 1938
SR Timetable SR Timetable SR Timetable SR Timetable
January 1939 May 1939 July 1939 July 1939
SR Timetable      
May 1941      
SR Timetable      
July 1934      

Public Relations

Tales of the Trains The Southern Railway Magazine for November 1925 states.

A booklet on entirely novel lines, Tales of the Trains has been issued by the Publicity Department and dispatched to season-ticket holders, Mayors, and Chairmen of Chambers of Commerce. All who have read it have been struck with the skill and humour which the author, Mr. E. P. Leigh-Bennett, has displayed, and the excellence of the illustrations. It is the first time a railway “behind the scenes” has been described to the public and we are sure it will be invaluable in building up goodwill for the Southern Railway.
On The Up Grade
1925   1929
What the Southern Railway started in 1925 continues to this day with the TOCs producing passenger magazines.

Over the Points

First published in March 1929 Over The Points was sent to First Class ticket holders by the Southern Railway “to keep them informed of the measures it is taking to combat the many problems which confront it”. EP Leigh-Bennett wrote the 35 editions published until October 1937. EP Leigh-Bennett had died on July 2nd 1937 so as well as one article written by him the 35th edition contained his obituary and some of the letters the Southern Railway had received about his work.

Editions 36 to 44 were written by Michael Gifford covering the period January 1938 until April 1940.

The Southern Railway was very conscious of the difficulties it had providing the services its customers expected. The 1925 book Tales of the Trains, also written by EP Leigh-Bennett, had tried to show passengers the difficulties that existed in running a large railway system. Over The Points, as well as explaining the reasons for difficulties, listed the new work that the Southern was undertaking and also included typical statistics to impress passengers with its success. For example, in 1939 733506 passengers were dealt with daily at all the Southern Railway London termini.

The letters published in the 35th edition show that the aim to ‘win over’ the Southern Railway traveller had had some success.


Over the Points Over the Points Over the Points Over the Points Over the Points Over the Points
Issue 1
March 1929
Issue 2
June 1929
Issue 3
September 1929
Issue 4
December 1929
Issue 5
March 1930
Issue 6
June 1930
Over the Points Over the Points Over the Points Over the Points Over the Points Over the Points
Issue 7
September 1930
Issue 8
December 1930
Issue 9
March 1931
Issue 10
June 1931
Issue 11
September 1931
Issue 12
December 1931
Over the Points Over the Points Over the Points Over the Points Over the Points Over the Points
Issue 13
March 1932
Issue 14
June 1932
Issue 15
September 1932
Issue 16
December 1932
Issue 17
March 1933
Issue 18
July 1933
Over the Points Over the Points Over the Points Over the Points Over the Points Over the Points
Issue 19
September 1933
Issue 20
December 1933
Issue 21
March 1934
Issue 22
June 1934
Issue 23
September 1934
Issue 24
December 1934
Over the Points Over the Points Over the Points Over the Points Over the Points Over the Points
Issue 25
March 1935
Issue 26
June 1935
Issue 27
September 1935
Issue 28
December 1935
Issue 29
March 1936
Issue 30
June 1936
Over the Points Over the Points Over the Points Over the Points Over the Points Over the Points
Issue 31
September 1936
Issue 32
December 1936
Issue 33
March 1937
Issue 34
June 1937
Issue 35
October 1937
Issue 36
January 1938
Over the Points Over the Points Over the Points Over the Points Over the Points Over the Points
Issue 37
April 1938
Issue 38
July 1938
Issue 39
October 1938
Issue 40
January 1939
Issue 41
April 1939
Issue 42
July 1939
Over the Points Over the Points        
Issue 43
January 1940
Issue 44
April 1940