All posts filed under: Historical Maps

Historical Map: Proposal for Rapid Transit in Pittsburgh, October 1973

August 6, 2019
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A map presented as part of an overview of future rapid transit prepared by the Port Authority of Allegheny County. See the whole document here. It’s a pretty basic thing, designed in that chunky 1970s style, but it’s interesting to compare it to what Pittsburgh has ended up building. Solid orange lines are proposed express commuter bus services, while dashed orange lines represent fixed guideway lines. If the lines are cased in black, then they […]

Historical Map: 1970 Map Showing Proposed Rio de Janeiro Metro in 1990

August 1, 2019
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A map from 1970, somenine years before the Metro opened, showing what the network was meant to look like in 1990. As things have turned out, not quite. Although the initial segment and the “Linha Prioritária” correspond very closely to the current Metro Line 1, and parts of the dashed “Linha 1” on the map correspond somewhat to the current Line 2, the remainder is very different indeed. A crossing to Niteroi on the other […]

Historical Map: Compañía General de Ferrocarriles Catalanes, 1954

July 29, 2019
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Here’s a beautiful map from 1954, showing the lines of the Compañía General de Ferrocarriles Catalanes (CGFC), the predecessor of today’s Llobregat–Anoia commuter rail line. The map is mainly notable for its restrained use of the four colours available to it: black line work with blue, red and yellow all performing precisely one function each. I also enjoy the economical depiction of Barcelona, which is represented solely by Montjuic, the port area and the towering […]

Historical Map: Suburban Rail of Brisbane, Australia, c. 1980

July 10, 2019
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A simple but effective map, probably dating from late 1980 as the green Ferny Grove to Ipswich line is shown as being electrified from end to end. This work was completed in September of that year, so that’s the earliest the map could date to. It’s a little hard to see, but there’s a black “catenary line” running down the middle of the green route line with an occasional lightning bolt icon to denote the […]

Historical Map/Infographic: History of the Kaiser Ferdinands-Nordbahn, 1838–1853

July 9, 2019
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Historical Maps, Visualizations
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Every so often, I unexpectedly come across something that’s almost magical in its awesomeness, and this astounding data visualization/map from 1855 is one of those things. I mean, just look at how gorgeous these sample plates are: Designed by Joseph Stummer, these pages chart the history of the Kaiser Ferdinands-Nordbahn from its foundation in 1838 through to 1853. Each lithographic plate documents two years in astounding detail, with data shown for just about every aspect […]

Historical Map: Tourist Map of Adelaide, South Australia, 1917

May 24, 2019
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A lovely little map of central Adelaide from a 1917 pamphlet issued by the South Australian “Intelligence and Tourist Bureau”, clearly showing the lines of the then-extensive electric tram network. Full conversion from horse trams to electric had only been completed a few years prior in 1914. Oddly enough, the only remaining tram route in Adelaide – the line out to Glenelg – is shown here as a steam railway starting at the corner of […]

Historical Map: Bay Area Regional Transit Connections, 1981

May 13, 2019
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Submitted by Calley, who says: This was found via the /r/BayArea subreddit. It appears to be an authentic transit map from September 1981 still hanging in the 12th Street Oakland City Center BART station! It’s published by an entity I’ve never heard of called the “Regional Transit Association.” On your blog I’ve previously seen a very clumsy and messy map that attempted to show the myriad transit systems of the Bay, including rail and connecting […]

Submission – Historical Map: Illinois Central Railroad Passenger Routes, 1952 by Carter Moore

March 28, 2019
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Submitted by Carter, who says: I’ve always been fascinated with trains and tube-style maps, so I decided to make my own based on my home-town’s railroad. I found an old Official Guide which I used as my source for this map. I’d like to hear what your think of it. Transit Maps says: Carter says that this is his first map, and I think it’s absolutely amazing for a first effort. Even with an official […]

Historical Fantasy Map: Proposed 1974 Detroit Rapid Transit System by Jake Berman

March 25, 2019
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Jake Berman is one of those transit map design enthusiasts who are simply too prolific to note everything they do – suffice it to say that you should head over to his website and check out all the cool transit map things he makes. However, I do have to share this map – recreating a failed attempt at a south-east Michigan rail-based rapid transit system – if only because I think that Jake has absolutely […]

Historical Map: Seattle Transit Coach Routes, 1970

March 23, 2019
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It’s the end of an era in Seattle, as buses will no longer serve the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel, instead being routed along surface streets above the tunnel from today onwards. The tunnel will now exclusively be used for light rail services, which will increase with the opening of East Link in the future. To commemorate this occasion, let’s have a look at an historical map showing a time when buses previously ran on the […]