Most people who have had anything to do with the history of the Midland Railway will be familiar with the “Distance Diagrams”. Like the Company's two-chains-to-the-inch land plans and, out on the lineside itself, the distinctive mile posts, the Distance Diagrams were an essential part of how the railway was administered. Presented as enormous bound volumes, over 100 copies were distributed around the Company and a good many of them survive, dotted around various archives, museums and libraries. We are proud to have eight copies at the Midland Railway Study Centre and our friends at the National Archives just beat us with nine.

The Diagrams are an incredibly detailed record of the Midland Railway's network with every station, yard and private siding marked — crucially with the distances between them presented in extraordinary detail. What adds to the complexity of their story, however, is that they were kept updated. Revisions were issued periodically with all sheets being completely replaced at least once over the years. Most books were dutifully updated by their custodians and so we are largely left with a picture of the Midland Railway as it became during the LMS period after 1923. Importantly, however, not all copies were so assiduously updated, and it is these copies which are particularly interesting. Notes and a spreadsheet compiled by the late Pat Larkam provide much more details in this regard below.

That all said, even the updated copies present us with a fascinating insight into the detail of the Midland Railway's system.

Perhaps the most definitive account of the history of the Distance Diagram Books can be obtained from this Reference Paper written by John Gough.

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Notes about different editions of the Distance Diagrams compiled in 1978 by the late Pat Larkam

The first edition was issued in 1873 entitled Midland Railway Diagrams – the word “Distance” was added to the second and last issue of 1893.

The table below shows the date of each diagram. The missing first edition dates are presumably all 7.1873, although there is some doubt in the case of 1G for instance, where the Settle and Carlisle was not opened until 1875, after that year’s amendments. Was there therefore some issued in 1876?

The title page of the 1st edition is 1873-4. Were there any amendments issued in 1874? Up to and including 1906 the date on the bottom right hand corner of each sheet included the month – usually January. Subsequently only the year was stated.

In the table, the month is shown only where it is definitely known from an example still in existence.

Over the 52 years of issue the layout changed, gradually including more and more information. This aspect could be the subject of a separate investigation.

The 1873 edition was issued by “The Engineer’s Office” and the 1893 edition by “Estate Agent’s Office” – both “Midland Railway, Derby”.

Sizes:
1873:- 21” high x 16” wide x 2½ thick – Bright Red.
1893:- 20¾” high x 16” wide x 3½ thick – Very Dark leather.

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Known Editions for Each Sheet

Sheet	Title	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th	10th	11th
1	Stranraer District	1.1886		1914
1a	Newton Stawart - Glenluce District	1.1886		1914
1b	Newton Stewart	1.1886		1914
1c	Castle Douglas	1.1886		1914
1d	Dumfries - Castle Douglas	1.1886		1914
1e	Annan - Dumfries	1.1886		1914
1f	Gretna District	1.1886		1914
1g (1)	Carlisle District		1878	1882	1.1885		1904	1914
2	Appleby District		1.1.1878		1904	1914
3	Hawes Junction & District		1.1879		1903	1913
4	Hellifield & Ingleton	7.1873 (10)	1878	1881	1.1888		1901	(2)	1910	1913
4a	Blackburn District	1.1888		1895	1913
4b	Bolton District	1.1888		1895	1913
4c	Ormskirk - Houghton District	1.1888		1895	1913
5	Carnforth - High Bentham	7.1873	1881		1901	1909	1916
6	Morecambe – Heysham - Lancaster		1.1884		1905	1909	1917
7	Skipton District		1881	1885	1.1888		1900	1909	1915
8	Bradford District		1877	1885	1.1888		1.1899	1906	1912	1920
9	Leeds - Royston	7.1873	1877	1879	1886		1898	1905	1910	1917/1918
9a	Leeds & District		1895	1905	1910	1918
10	Rotherham District		1879	1883	1.1887		1898	1905	1909	1919
10a	York District	1879	1.1888		1907	1920
10b (5)	Cudworth District	1879/1905	1893/1909 (3)	1916
10c (5)	Doncaster District	1.1882/1906 (4)	1910	1918
10d	Hull	1.1882	1893	Cancelled 1907 Edition unknown
10e	Millhouses - Rotherham - Brighton	1.1882	1893	1898	1906	1909	1918
10f	Rotherham - Swinton & District			1902	1909	1913
11	Moorthorpe District	7.1873			1896	1907	1920
12	Chesterfield		1877	1878	1.1883	1885	1.1889		1900	1904	1907	1909
13	Southern Erewash		1877	1879	1.1883		1898	1908
13a	Derby		1904	1908	1917
13b	Trent	1897	1904	1908	1917/1918
13c	Langley Mill District	1897	1904	1908	1921
13d	Ambergate District	1898	1908	1920
14	Matlock District		1.1884		1902	1910	1913
15	Buxton District		1.1883	1886		1903	1911	1915
15a	Huddersfield District	1886		1911	1915
15b	Dore & Totley District	1894	1905	1912	1915
16	Manchester District		1875	1880	1886	1888	1902	1895		1914	1923
17	Warrington & Northwich District	7.1873	1880		1902	1914
18	Chester & Widnes District		1875	1880	1.1888		1902	1914
19	Liverpool District		1880	1885	1.1888		1897	1906	1914
19a	Southport District	1885	1.1888		1910 (5)	1914 (5)
20	Mansfield Worksop & District		1880	1885	1.1889		1899	1907	1912
21	Nottingham & District	7.1873	1877	1880	1886		1899	1907	1912
21a	Nottingham & District		1899	1907	1913
22	Newark District		1.1883			1904	1913
23	Lincoln District		1.1883		1904	1915
24	Leicester District	7.1873	1880	1886			1908	1916	1923
25	Ashby District		11883			1899	1906	1912	1920
26	Tamworth District		1877	1.1884		1896	1905	1912	1921
26a	Tamworth - Water Orton District	1879		1.1883		1901	1910	1915
26b	Burton on Trent	1.1884		1902	1915
26c	Uttoxeter - Leek	1.1896 (6)
26d	Stoke on Trent	1.1896 (6)
27	Wolverhampton District		Issued 9.1876	1879	1.1883		1899	1912	1920
28	Melton Mowbray District		1880	1884	1887	1.1888		1900	1911	1915
28a	Saxby & Bourne Line	1.1888/1894	1907	1913
29	Manton District		1880	1.1884		1899	1912	1923
30	Bourne - Peterborough		1.1883		1894	1908	1916
31	M & GN Holbeach - Murrow		1.1883		1894	1912
32	M & GN Sutton Bridge - Kings Lynn		1.1883		1894	1912
32a	M & GN Massingham District	1894	1912	1921
32b	M & GN Fakenham District	1894	1912	1921
32c	M & GN Melton Constable	1894	1912	1921
32d	M & GN Norwich District	1894	1912	1921
32e	M & GN North Walsham District	1894	1.1907	1921
32f	M & GN Yarmouth - Lowestoft	1894	1904	1916
33	Wigston Rugby		1.1887			1897	1908	1916
34	Market Harborough District	7.1873	1886		1904	1913
35	Kettering - Wellingboro	7.1873	1.1.1877	1880	1886		1895	1905	1911	1914
36	Kettering - Thrapston - Huntingdon		1.1887		1905	1911	1916
37	Huntingdon - St Ives		1.1884		1907	1916
38	Cambridge	7.1873			1907	1916
39	Northampton	7.1873			1904	1911	1919
40	Bedford District		1.1888		1895	1905	1911	1914	1920
41	Hitchin District	7.1873		1905	1911	1913
42	Luton District		1.1.1877	1.1889		1896	1908	1915
43	Hendon District		1879	1.1884		1900	1908	1915	1919
44	London District		1.1883	1886		1901	1913
44a	London District	1.1888		1901	1914
44b	London District East	1.1888		1901	1914	1919
44c	London District Clapham		1.1900	1915
44d (7)	London District Hitherg		1900	1915
45 (4)	LT & S Upminster	7.1873/1913	1.1893	(3)
45a	LT & S Tilbury - Pitsea	1913
45b	LT & S Southend	1913
46	Nuneaton - Whitacre		1878	1.1889			1896	1908	1916
47	Birmingham District	Not Dated	1.1.1877	1879	1886		1897	1906	1913
48	Bromsgrove District		1.1884		1902	1912	1914
49	Alcester - Evesham - Ashchurch		1.1883		1902	1912	1918
49a	Stratford on Avon District	1923
49b	Towcester District	1923
50	Worcester District	7.1873		1895	1.1906	1913
51	Cheltenham - Gloucester - Stonehouse		1.1884		1897	1911 (8)
51a	Severn & Wye (GW & MR Joint)	1886		1897	1910	1917
52	Stonehouse to Yate & Branches	7.1873	1881			1897	1910	1913
53	Mangotsfield - Bath - Bristol		1878	1887	1.1888		1898	1910	1918
53a	Bristol District			1910	1914
54	GWR Ledbury District	7.1873		1.1906	1915
55	Hereford District	7.1873		1895	1.1906	1911	1915
56	Hay District		1.1889		1907	1911	1921
57	Brecon District	Not Dated			1907	1911	1923
58	Colbren Junction District	1875	1.1.1877 (9)	1.1889 (9)		1908	1911	1923
59	Swansea Vale Lines	1875	1877	1.1884		1.1893	1903	1.1904	1911
59a	Swansea Vale Lines	1.1884		1.1902	1911
60	S & D Bath - Evercreech		1.1887		1905	1917
61	Glastonbury	1.1876		1906	1918/1919
62	Highbridge - Bridgewater		1.1889		1910	1919
63	Templecombe	1.1876		1910	1919
64	Blandford	1.1876		1910	1919
65	Bournemouth		1.1888		1910	1919
66	Ashby Canal	1878	1.1906
67	Cromford Canal		1.1906	1924
Map Index		1910	1920
Index to Diagrams	1.1886		1912
Burton & Ashby Light Railway	Date Stamp 18 July 1913
Notes:
(1) Renumbered from No.1 in 1886
(2) Apparently Not Issued
(3) Second Issue presumably cancelled but date unknown
(4) Two series for different areas
(5) Redrawn with amendments but both fourth editions
(6) Cancelled 1920
(7) Sheets 44E, 44F, 44G mentioned but not issued 1895
(8) Issued in 1910 amendments
(9) Redrawn with amendments but both 2nd editions
(10) 88-1997-5/269B