Crests

Hello,

I was wondering if anyone knew of the conventions behind narrow gauge railway crests? From memory, the Welshpool, Ffestiniog and L&B ones are all similar, with a national flag, crest of initials of the railway within what appears to be a belt of some sort. Does anyone know why a belt, what it symbolisies?

Many thanks

Chris Auckland

 

According to L T C Rolt's "Railway Adventure", the Talyllyn Railway crest was based on the Common Seal of the company as printed on Share Certificates, found when Wharf station was being tidied up in his first year at Towyn. It's not a belt, by the way - Rolt describes it as being a Garter.

 

Thanks John, I had a feeling they were company crests.

Still would like to know the significance behind the imagery

 

I've vague recollections of seeing a large volume in a local library some while back on "Railway Heraldry". (Possibly by G Dow, 1973)

There's a few paragraphs in "The Oxford Companion to British Railway History" which explains that:
1. Heraldic devices were usually based on the seal of incorporation of the company.
2. Widely used to add to coach and loco liveries.
3. Commonly the coat of arms took the form of a garter, with buckle, bearing the name of the company and encircling one or more shields, a monogram or other symbol.
3. Shields were often of the towns/cities that the railway served.
4. Could be simpler designs as well.
5. Railway companies rarely sought a grant of arms from the College of Arms.

Still doesn't explain why the garter was used!

 

The garter symbolism probably derives from the 'Order of the Garter'. This surrounds the UK royal arms (and those of any knights of the garter). This is similar to other orders of chivalry; so the chain of the Order of the Thistle surrounds shields of holders of this order, and so on with other orders both UK and European etc.

I suspect railway companies 'borrowed' the garter to add some gravitas to their arms. As noted above, few of these railway 'arms' were ever approved by the College of Arms, who wouldn't have looked kindly on the purloining of the Garter!!

 

I recollect that the GCR was one of the very few to have its Arms ok'ed by the College.

There is also of course famously the fact that the College insisted that the Ferret and Dartboard could not be reversed for one side of locomotives and stock and as such had to face backwards half the time - so I would imagine that BR's later crest went through 'proper channels'. I'd be amazed if the Uni-cycling Lion was ever ok'ed by a Heraldic Artist though, much as I like it...

 

I suppose the prize must go to the Caledonian. The company used the Scottish Royal Coat of Arms without regard to its owners.