Ticket Machines

This overview examines the ticket machines used by the Yorkshire Woollen District (YWD) throughout the 20^th century, focusing on the transition from manual ticket punches to mechanical printers and early electronic devices. We study key models like the Bell Punch Automacheckit, the Setright Speed, and the Almex, and assess their technological innovations, effects on conductors’ work, and what they tell us about the evolution of fare collection in Britain.

In the early decades of the 20^th century, YWD conductors issued fare tickets using pre-printed, numbered tickets. The conductor carried a selection of these tickets and validated each by using a hand-held punch — effectively “cancelling” it with a physical notch or hole.

The system was straightforward but had limitations. It was slow in busy conditions, carried a risk of human error, and made auditing difficult unless rigorously maintained.

Introduced around 1939 by the Bell Punch Company (founded 1878), the Automacheckit represented a move toward mechanical dispensing. YWD deployed the model (serial number M6090, possibly machine number 137) which still required manual input for fare/stage but retained innovations over simpler punches.

• Conductors wrote fare details on a blank ticket roll.
• A handle mechanism issued the ticket, with the date and hour printed on the reverse.
• A carbon copy roll inside the machine maintained records for audit.
• Handling high-frequency routes was challenging: machine jams and slower operation were common complaints.

The Setright “Speed” machine, invented by Henry Roy Setright, marked one of YWD’s major technological upgrades. It replaced much of the manual handwriting required by earlier machines.

• Printed the ticket fare, type (adult/child, single/return), and stage via dials and levers.
• Single blank paper roll; no need for pre-printed denominations by value.
• Distinctive crank handle issued tickets quickly, with an internal counter tracking sales and improving fare-accounting.
• Adaptation for decimal currency post-1971 involved modifying or replacing fare/stage dials.

With changes in labour costs and industry structure, many operators including YWD moved toward one-person-operated (OPO) buses. This shift required ticket machines that the driver could operate instead of a conductor.

The Almex machine, among others, provided this capability. While records of exact dates of introduction in YWD are scarce, the wider industry evidence suggests adoption in late 1970s-80s, as driver-control and electronic aids became more common.

The 1980s onward saw the rise of electronic ticket machines (ETMs), pre-paid systems, and eventually smart cards and contactless payments. These systems dramatically reduced boarding times, improved accounting, and allowed more flexible fare structures.

YWD, through its integration with the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (WYPTE) and later Metro services, was part of this shift. Mechanical systems like Setright and Almex were still in service but gradually phased out for daily operations.