British Transport Commission : recommended practice for lighting of railway and other premises : November 1960 : railway and Underground station lighting
This copy of the BTC's "lighting standards" was passed to me by an ex-Underground colleague when he retired with a note reminding me that when he started work these were still, effectively "our Premises' Standard". One of the many work strands we collectively undertook over the years was the modernisation of 'Standards' to meet modern requirements and expectations.
As can be seen the Recommended Practices covered many aspects of the BTC's empire, these being British Railways, British Transport Docks and British Waterways Divisions and the the London Transport Executive. This would only survive a few more years before the BTC was abolished and the various 'Executives' went their own ways but, as with LT, these sorts of 'practices' were simply either carried forward or mandated into the new organisations. The sections covered include passenger stations, offices, workshops and depots, goods depots and yeards and docks, harbours and wharves - as well as canteens and staff mess rooms. They make great use of fluorescent lighting that had been developed extensively since the end of WW2 - and indeed London Underground had first trialled such in 1945, with the Central line openings of 1946 being the first stations fitted from new. Tungsten fittings are still called for in specific places as are mercury street lamps. As well as the text, giving tabulated information as to lighting levels, there are a series of illustrative photographs.
The double page here shows lighting in a station forecourt, a passenger subway, an Underground station platform and an escalator shaft. The Underground station shown is Gants Hill on the Central line and that had opened with these fittings from new in 1947 - the image is of the eastbound platform from the headwall. The escalators - I think these may be Waterloo from the main line concourse? You can clearly see the 'Follwo the Lights" system that was used at various times to signpost interchange routes to various major termini across the Central area.
As for the forecourt and subway...
British Transport Commission : recommended practice for lighting of railway and other premises : November 1960 : railway and Underground station lighting
This copy of the BTC's "lighting standards" was passed to me by an ex-Underground colleague when he retired with a note reminding me that when he started work these were still, effectively "our Premises' Standard". One of the many work strands we collectively undertook over the years was the modernisation of 'Standards' to meet modern requirements and expectations.
As can be seen the Recommended Practices covered many aspects of the BTC's empire, these being British Railways, British Transport Docks and British Waterways Divisions and the the London Transport Executive. This would only survive a few more years before the BTC was abolished and the various 'Executives' went their own ways but, as with LT, these sorts of 'practices' were simply either carried forward or mandated into the new organisations. The sections covered include passenger stations, offices, workshops and depots, goods depots and yeards and docks, harbours and wharves - as well as canteens and staff mess rooms. They make great use of fluorescent lighting that had been developed extensively since the end of WW2 - and indeed London Underground had first trialled such in 1945, with the Central line openings of 1946 being the first stations fitted from new. Tungsten fittings are still called for in specific places as are mercury street lamps. As well as the text, giving tabulated information as to lighting levels, there are a series of illustrative photographs.
The double page here shows lighting in a station forecourt, a passenger subway, an Underground station platform and an escalator shaft. The Underground station shown is Gants Hill on the Central line and that had opened with these fittings from new in 1947 - the image is of the eastbound platform from the headwall. The escalators - I think these may be Waterloo from the main line concourse? You can clearly see the 'Follwo the Lights" system that was used at various times to signpost interchange routes to various major termini across the Central area.
As for the forecourt and subway...