Origin of the “flying snail”

[jhb171achill]

London Transport dreamed up the “wheel & bar” logo in the 1920s, and almost a century later it’s still in use.

In 1941, the Dublin United Tramways Co. are said to have copied it, and added the “wings”. The story is possible, even probable, although no clear hard evidence exists to verify it!

In tramway days it was known as the “winged wheel”, with the ubiquitous “flying snail” name, of typical Dublin wit, coming later!

 

[Garfield]

The Flying Snail, like the London Transport logo, has stood the test of time well. Maybe one day things will come full circle and we'll see it adorning modern stock at some point. It's certainly a cut above the current logo, which is a horrible design.

And also adopted by the municipal transport authority in the Belgian town of Arnhem. I seem to recall reading somewhere (possibly a poorly translated Belgian forum topic) that they got the idea for the logo after seeing it on Irish buses during a visit.

[jhb171achill]

So one for the photoshoppers, then; a DART, a Mk 4 set, an 071, a De Dietrich set, a 2600 railcar and an ICR (especially an ICR!) in fully lined CIE green, snails aplenty!

[Midland Man]

For me I would go...

Freight = Orange 

Passanger = Green.

For me seeing a green 071 would make me a bit sick.

MM

[Noel]

27 minutes ago, Midland Man said:

For me I would go...

Freight = Orange 

Passanger = Green.

For me seeing a green 071 would make me a bit sick.

MM

How about a 201? (photo from https://www.lococarriage.org.uk/eire2016.html)

 

Or the amazing looking dalek B113 (photo https://www.derbysulzers.com/cie.html)

 

[hexagon789]

I think it says a lot though, that even after some decades, it's still quite a modern looking design. 

If anything I think the 'wings' enhance the roundel design, it gives more of an air of speed than one could hope to achieve on most of the tube in London and certainly would be achievable on a bus with dense London traffic.

Perhaps it's just coincide that the snail makes things seem faster, or did the designers have a cunning plan to quicken people journeys without actually tightening the schedules?

[jhb171achill]

‘Tis a cunning plot, I tell ye!

[minister_for_hardship]

The LT roundel passes the test of a good logo, it doesn't need words, the "dumb" version without any lettering is instantly recognisable.