Letter spike, Great Northern Railway

Letter spike, Great Northern Railway. Wooden base with GNR burnt in on the base (unused).

Until very recently, the confusing world of ticketing and timetabling belonged to the booking clerk. Passengers would buy a ticket from the clerk before travel.

Rail travel could be a confusing experience for the passenger. Timetables were hard to decipher and tickets were complex, with variations of colour and marks. The booking clerk had to learn all these complexities to issue passengers with the correct ticket.

Stationery and office equipment were the tools of the trade for the booking clerk and helped them efficiently process ticket requests. Speed was important for passengers who needed to catch their train.