In message , Graham Harrison
wrote:
Somewhere I have a 1900-ish working timetable for the District Line
that uses Up and Down (from memory, Up was towards Whitechapel).

Found it. Came into effect 1st May 1901. The page headings a

DOWN TRAINS WEST to EAST and on INNER RAIL of CIRCLE
UP TRAINS EAST to WEST and on OUTER RAIL of CIRCLE

It's also Up from Gloucester Road to HSK via the Cromwell Curve.

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On 28/09/2010 08:59, Chris Tolley wrote:
peter wrote:

I've never understood why the Piccadilly line from Kings Cross to
Cockfosters is described as 'Eastbound', when it patently isn't.
Have you also wondered why the whole system is called "Underground",
when it patently isn't.

The same could be said for the Transport for London franchised part of
the Network Rail system, which is called "London Overground", although a
greater proportion of the "Underground" system is overground than the
"Overground" system is underground.

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In message , David Hansen
wrote:
Did the Midland definitions of up/down remain after grouping,

They remain to this day. Changing designation would be a fraught
task, I can see why it would be put off even if it was thought to be
a good idea.

Changes have been made elsewhere. The GCR into Marylebone is an example.

The South Leicestershire was clearly down from Nuneaton, since the
milepost zero is there, yet it is now down *to* Nuneaton.

Lines presumably change designation somewhere in Derby Midland
station. Perhaps there is some sort of object which marks the spot.

The only line that appears to be Up to Derby is that from Birmingham.
Everything else is Down northwards.

Even the Trent East Curve is Down towards Derby and Up towards
Nottingham.

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In message
,
sidmouth wrote:
I was told that 'up' direction was defined as being the direction
towards the HQ of the founding railway company. Many happened to be in
London, but hence the example of Derby etc.

Each company had its own definition of Up and Down. Often it was Down
from the biggest city, or Down from the headquarters city (see the GCR),
but there was no specific rule or law about it.

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In message , Yokel
wrote:
Anywhere on the railway network that you have a triangle of lines, this
issue has to be overcome.

Or loops, and they can be big ones.

It is Down from both St.Pancras and King's Cross heading north, so if
you go between them via Grantham and Nottingham you have to change
direction; in this case it's at Netherfield Junction, just east of the
latter.

Or sometimes there's no obvious reason. The erstwhile Oxford to
Cambridge line is currently Down both ways from Bletchley (presumably
because of its LNWR heritage). That means a train from Oxford to Bedford
(if the gaps were repaired) is Down for the first mile or so, then Up to
the middle of Bletchley flyover, then Down again. (It's also Down from
Aylesbury to Claydon L&NE Junction.)

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In message
,
Railsigns.co.uk wrote:
The designations Inner Circle and Outer Circle on the Cathcart Circle
are in addition to the usual Up and Down, not instead of.

This one is unusual in that it's Down on the Inner all the way round.
All lines are Down to Glasgow Central except for the two lines to
Paisley and the west side of the Cathcart Circle.

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In message , Graeme
wrote:
The main line use of up/down is not applicable to the UndergrounD

Why not?

so the
geographic system is more appropriate. I believe such useage predates Yerkes
involvement.

I have no evidence to this effect.

In 1901 the District used Up and Down (Up was generally westwards), the
Metropolitan used Up and Down (Up was generally eastwards/southwards),
and the C&SLR used Up and Down (Up was generally northwards).

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On 30/09/10 21:56, Clive D. W. Feather wrote:

The South Leicestershire was clearly down from Nuneaton, since the
milepost zero is there, yet it is now down *to* Nuneaton.

Does that mean that mileage now increases in the up direction rather
than in the down direction?

In message , Roy Badami
wrote:
The South Leicestershire was clearly down from Nuneaton, since the
milepost zero is there, yet it is now down *to* Nuneaton.
Does that mean that mileage now increases in the up direction rather
than in the down direction?

Yes. It's hardly unique - the same is true of part of the ECML.

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On Wed, 29 Sep 2010 00:26:24 +0100, Roy Badami
wrote:

In some
places, roads merge then separate but keep their numbering before and
after.

That happens here, too.

The difference is what happens during. In the UK, the common section
has the number of the most major road (only), leading the minor road(s)
to be discontinuous. In the US (and I think in many parts of Europe?)
the common section bears multiple designations.

Yes, but the point being made is that combined roads in the US also
keep their N/S or E/W designations regardless of true compass bearing.

We don't append the direction to our road numbers, just provide
generic 'The NORTH' or 'The SOUTH', etc. directions at certain
junctions.