THE ROMANCE OF THE RAILWAY TICKET

Otago Witness, Issue 3875, 19 June 1928, Page 76

THE ROMANCE OF THE RAILWAY TICKET

INTERESTING FACTS.

A FALSE AMERICAN CLAIM.

By

Byron Bellingham.

(Copyright.—For the Otago Witness.)

The invention of an American whereby railway tickets are printed with the names of the stations at the actual time of issue -las been regarded with considerable seeptism by British railwav experts. Knowing the many difficulties and complications of tbe ticket system as they do, they are inclined to agree that it “ can’t be done.” They further suggest that the promised big saving on the printing bill would be more than balanced by the certain heavy cost of installing an elaborate machine in every booking office. SUCCESS FROM FAILURE.

In some glowing accounts of the device, there has also appeared the surprising assertion that the railway ticket as we have it now was actually an American invention. Indeeed, this is completely wrong. The whole world of railways owes the simple piece of pasteboard which carries a passenger to whatever destination, however remote, that is marked upon it, to the bright brain of a humble British booking office clerk. It is another true life story of success being won from failure.

While the railways in England were T j elr . infanc y- Thomas Edmondson, who had failed in business, managed to obtain work as a junior assistant at a small station. But the work got on his nerves. He grew weary of laboriously writing out railway tickets, while the passengers waited in impatient queues the booking office. This set him thinking how to simplify the process. The inspiration flashed upon him one afternoon while he was enjoying a country walk in Northumberland. JHe went straight home, and drafted his scheme, which provided for printed tickets, numbered and priced, and only requiring a simple dating stamp to mark the time o: issue. A clock-making friend, who was a ndv man at mechanics, helped him to model the necessary machinrs, so that when young Edmondson laid his proposal before the railway companies, it was patented and complete. PAYS OFF OLD DEBTS.

A railway in the north of England was the first concern in the world to use the railway ticket. They gave the inventor a post at Oldnam, and also gave him a royalty of ten shillings a year for each m - u l’ ne - T° Lis honour. Edmondson with the first money he had saved paid with interest, all the creditors of his previous failure. Then he proceeded to make a fortune for himself.

Railway tickets are now printed by the hundreds of thousands; and most companies provide their own. The same machine prints the name of stations and the .fare and the small type summary of conditions which are printed on the back. Fixed to the machine is an intricate little register for numbering, which also provides an effective check on the issues. But from first to last, every appliance in use is a British invention, and although the patents have long since expired, similar British machines are in use on nearly all the big railway lines of the world. LIFE OF THE TICKET.

Unlike tram or bus tickets the railway ticket has a rather strenuous and long life and that is why it is made of such thick paste-board. Even after it comes from the printers it has to pass through a machine test at the head offices of the issuing company. It must survive many firm punchings, for each punch on a lonojourney, when the lines of several raib ways might be involved, must leave a distinct impression of the tiny clue which indicates the several stages.

But it is not cast aside at the journey’s end. The railway tickets, in huge van loads, are consigned to the clearing house, where a highly skilled staff examines all the minute punches and credits each company with the pence or shillings which are due to them.

British scepticism of any invention for simplifying the present method of producing and issuing tickets cannot be attributed, to. our alleged aversion to new ideas. Within the past few years tube and local railways have introduced a wonderful new machine which stamps and issues tickets bv the mere quick turning of a handle. But obviously what is possible cat a tube railway, where) the varieties A cash values for tickets are limited, woirid not be practicable for our big companies.