State Rail "arrows logo"

Started by smitho, March 25, 2012, 10:45:19 PM

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smitho

The long lasting arrows logo originally developed for the State Rail Authority of NSW was retained by CityRail when State Rail was split up into sectors in the 1980s.

It was obviously inspired by the British Rail logo developed in the 1960s and incorporated into the successful "This is The Age of the Train" marketing push of later years.

However, the NSW rail logo appears to be being consigned to history with the floral emblem of NSW, the waratah, replacing it. This logo is similar to the former Grace Bros department store logo (now Myers).

lukeo25


here is the logo in question for SRA NSW


here is the famous BR double arrow logo

the two look differernt but the SRA NSW one is unique in being a varation on the BR double arrows. I believe the BR double arrows where introduced in the late 50s or early sixties as seen here in my 1965/66 London Midland Region timetable (my oldest train timetable in my collection!!

Sir Pompously

The PTC of NSW started off with the L7, it being navy blue and light blue but in a thin form. It was adopted for StateRail in Orange and Red thick form, and then for CityRail in Blue and Yellow. I believe the arrows represent coming and going. A shame that the thicker L7 was not used over all modes, with each mode receiving a different colour combination.

BTW, it is not "now Myers" it is "now Myer". Just a pet hate with the addition of the s for places like Dendy, Myer and Westfield (Some people say "I am going to Dendys/Myers/Westfields" with an added s for no reason)!  :P

smitho

The British Rail 'arrows' logo came out in the mid 1960s following the so called Beeching era cuts to the former "British Railways" network and its re-launching as a moderrnised, 'hip' organisation titled British Rail ....with the emphasis on fast intercity services, liner trains and rail freight consolidation.

I stand to be corrected on this, but my recollection is that the NSW arrows logo dates back to the mid 1970s, when all NSW public transport operations were integrated into a single agency known as the Public Transport Commission of NSW.

For a time, NSW urban passenger carriages (including some fluted stainless steel carriages), Sydney buses and Sydney ferries were painted in the standardised PTC NSW livery of blue and white, with the arrows logo prominent on all vehicle types, including the ferries. The NSW country carriages were NOT painted blue and white although the blue and white arrows logo was applied to many of these cars, taking the place of the NSW coat of arms in some cases.

This era was known as the Shirley-era after the name of the nsw Railways Commissioner of the time. He was unpopular because of the large cuts to country passenger and freight services (especially Mail Trains) which he presided over.

Prior to the NSW arrows logoi, there was another short-lived arrows-type logo used by NSW Railways...fortunately it didn't last long...very amateurish and clumsy design.

smitho

Apart from the NSW Railways arrows logo, the Countrylink logo has been also replaced by the standardised Transport NSW corporate logo on the Countrylink web site, featuring an abstract waratah (as used for CityRail also)...