British Railway Station Totems: The Complete Guide

This is a second and completely revised edition of a book first published in 2002 which has been long out of print and is now much sought after.

There has always been something special about those classic British Railways totem station signs that no other item of railway memorabilia possesses. They recall a railway system that, for better or worse, was far removed from that of today, when life was simpler and less formulaic, when stations were welcoming locations rather than barrier-laden fortresses, and signage was straightforward but still informative.

Totems were deceptively simple in terms of their design and typography but clear, easy to recognise and colour coded for the various BR regions. They were found on stations across the network from Penzance to Wick and from Fishguard to Cromer. They told you what you needed to know and no more, they were standardised throughout the railway system, and have rightly earned their place in the ranks of collectible railwayana, with some examples reaching five-figure sums at auctions.

This volume is as close as it is likely to get to a definitive book on all aspects of BR totems. Across its 350 pages are to be found 2,214 images - including 2,250 totems - 43 maps and a wealth of relevant statistics.

For collectors of railwayana, students of design and for all those with an interest in railway history, this book will be both a visual delight and a reference source to be referred to again and again.

Dr Richard Furness has been interested in railways from his earliest recollections. Living close to the railway lines in the historic and industrial part of East Shropshire, he grew up to the sights, smells and sounds of the steam locomotives. He is better known as a leading international expert on flow measurement. He is currently the only person to hold Fellow Status in both the American and UK professional engineering societies in Measurement and Control. Writing books on railway-related subjects, as he has been doing for the past 15 years, is the evening job! He is the author of the successful and critically-acclaimed Poster to Poster series.