You will, I’m sure, recall that I decided to teach myself how to use Inkscape a bit by bringing the full-colour MetroTrain diagram/map up to date. Had to start somewhere, and straight-ish lines was a good a place as any.
Then earlier this year I came across an old British Rail West Riding poster on eBay (no, I didn’t buy it). And then I wondered: “What would the Metro Train map have looked like it it covered the whole of the West Riding instead of West Yorkshire?” Actually, not too much different.
Okay then, could I back-date the map to, say, 1952? Yes… but it would be awfully cramped, with all sorts of now-closed lines and stations to be added – and line colours to be decided on as well. I’m adapting an existing map, remember?
That’s when I hit upon 1 January 1964, as the first Beeching cuts started one week later. So I drew a few versions, took it to the good denizens of Rail UK Forums for checking (a very good idea I might add) and… well, here it is! What do you think? Drawn with Inkscape, typeset with InDesign. And, a test of embedding a .pdf on my site (with variable results).