!["Fares Please!" : brochure issued by Setright Registers Ltd, London, nd [c1951] : ticket roll registers | by mikeyashworth](http://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51791620942_5f6daec75b.jpg)
"Fares Please!" : brochure issued by Setright Registers Ltd, London, nd [c1951] : ticket roll registers
Some of you may recall the Setright register most possibly from a bus journey as for many operators this machine, either for conductor or one person operated services, was in use for many years. For me I certainly remember them as, for several years, I was a bus conductor for Eastern Scottish in Edinburgh and these machines were standard issue. At that time, the late 1970s, we had two 'ranges' of machines - a short distance version that we conductors had and that went to a certain maximum value and an 'OPO range' one that had higher value for longer distance travel. The problems started when on routes such as Edinburgh - Glasgow that we conducted we sold 5-day return tickets on Monday morning and as fares went relentlessly up so did the value of these tickets. Attempting to divide the total value by something like four to so insert the card ticket into the machine 'four times and four ways' and then sort the waybill out was trying to say the least.
The registers were part of a component system in that the waybill allowed for the number of tickets issued, the amount of cash for which the tickets were issued for and the number of return tickets cancelled - these matched the various registers seen on the machine. The tickets were printed from a 'blank' roll and you set the machine via the dia to show the date, the stage issued from, the value in pounds and pence and the type of ticket - single, return, etc. You soon gained, or had to gain, an amount of manual dexterity to set the dial and turn the handle so as not to disturb the dial! Some of us smarty-pants and old-timers could managing this routine single handledly - if you had a rough driver and you were hanging on you had to!
Although this brochure isn't dated it has an sales article dated 1951 tipped in and that feels about right. It gives the company as Setright Registers Ltd who were based at Eastway in Hackney Wick, London. Oddly it does not mention that they were a wholly owned subsidiary of a little known company of some importance - Chambon Ltd of London. Chambon, of French origins, owed their fame to their founder Louis Chambonwho between 1896 and 1900 developed and perfected machines to pre-print tickets and similar products, so enhancing the developing field of rotary multi-colour printing presses. Chambon opened in London in 1913 and they became market leaders in the highly specialised field of packing and package printing as well as security printing.
I had always thought that Setright was as in 'set right' - but amazingly the ticket machine was a development of an Australian, Mr H R Setright, who approached Chambon in 1928 to help him develop and exploit his first love - totaliser machines. The mechanics of such machines led to the Setright Register developed before Mr Setright passed away in 1942. Interestingly Chambon also owned the Oller Company that produced pre-printed tickets for machines such as the Bell Punch. This latter company were probably Setright's biggest competitor in the transport fares field.
As well as describing the fitting and operation of the blank paper roll upon which the ticket was printed this also shows the card multi-journey ticket that could be issued by use of the slot on the machine to validate it and then cancelled by use of the punch to denote journeys taken.
"Fares Please!" : brochure issued by Setright Registers Ltd, London, nd [c1951] : ticket roll registers
Some of you may recall the Setright register most possibly from a bus journey as for many operators this machine, either for conductor or one person operated services, was in use for many years. For me I certainly remember them as, for several years, I was a bus conductor for Eastern Scottish in Edinburgh and these machines were standard issue. At that time, the late 1970s, we had two 'ranges' of machines - a short distance version that we conductors had and that went to a certain maximum value and an 'OPO range' one that had higher value for longer distance travel. The problems started when on routes such as Edinburgh - Glasgow that we conducted we sold 5-day return tickets on Monday morning and as fares went relentlessly up so did the value of these tickets. Attempting to divide the total value by something like four to so insert the card ticket into the machine 'four times and four ways' and then sort the waybill out was trying to say the least.
The registers were part of a component system in that the waybill allowed for the number of tickets issued, the amount of cash for which the tickets were issued for and the number of return tickets cancelled - these matched the various registers seen on the machine. The tickets were printed from a 'blank' roll and you set the machine via the dia to show the date, the stage issued from, the value in pounds and pence and the type of ticket - single, return, etc. You soon gained, or had to gain, an amount of manual dexterity to set the dial and turn the handle so as not to disturb the dial! Some of us smarty-pants and old-timers could managing this routine single handledly - if you had a rough driver and you were hanging on you had to!
Although this brochure isn't dated it has an sales article dated 1951 tipped in and that feels about right. It gives the company as Setright Registers Ltd who were based at Eastway in Hackney Wick, London. Oddly it does not mention that they were a wholly owned subsidiary of a little known company of some importance - Chambon Ltd of London. Chambon, of French origins, owed their fame to their founder Louis Chambonwho between 1896 and 1900 developed and perfected machines to pre-print tickets and similar products, so enhancing the developing field of rotary multi-colour printing presses. Chambon opened in London in 1913 and they became market leaders in the highly specialised field of packing and package printing as well as security printing.
I had always thought that Setright was as in 'set right' - but amazingly the ticket machine was a development of an Australian, Mr H R Setright, who approached Chambon in 1928 to help him develop and exploit his first love - totaliser machines. The mechanics of such machines led to the Setright Register developed before Mr Setright passed away in 1942. Interestingly Chambon also owned the Oller Company that produced pre-printed tickets for machines such as the Bell Punch. This latter company were probably Setright's biggest competitor in the transport fares field.
As well as describing the fitting and operation of the blank paper roll upon which the ticket was printed this also shows the card multi-journey ticket that could be issued by use of the slot on the machine to validate it and then cancelled by use of the punch to denote journeys taken.