"Clive Page" wrote in message
...

There are still lots of things I don't know about the scheme - e.g. does
the Oyster Card discount automatically end when the Railcard expires, or
do I need to visit a TfL station to get a new one re-registered.

Yes of course, otherwise there'd be a perpetual railcard discount for people
not entitled? To renew automatically you'd need an automatic link from
railcard issue on paper stock to Oyster, for that subset of railcard holders
with an Oyster card. Can't see an organisation such as Northern trains
setting that up...

...It would be good if TfL had more information available. Indeed the
whole Oyster Card system is so complicated that it needs a whole book of
rules and explanations before one can make use of it sensibly (though as
far as I know nothing like this is available).

There are both hard copy and internet versions available of a comprehensive
Oyster handbook, which was certainly issued at ticket offices back in the
day when I got my Oyster Card.

A problem is that people with eligible railcards probably never read the
updated instructions that come with them, especially if they have one that
can be renewed online.

However for prospective Oyster cardholders the page he
https://oyster.tfl.gov.uk/oyster/entry.do
has a discounts link in the box marked 'get an Oyster Card'.
Follow that and there is an obvious link to this:
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/18343.aspx

But if you were to buy your first card from a vending machine (or one of the
updated LU ticket machines) and then rely on hearsay or guesswork to make
sense of it...

Paul S