Times for Burnie and Zeehan Type 3 CDS

[John Campton]

I am doing a complete list and history for all post offices/receiving houses and their CDS used along the Emu Bay Railway and its offshoot tramways/railways during the Pictorial period 1899-1912. All is going well and am about 90% complete but have struck a wall trying to get all the times for Type 3 CDS for Burnie and Zeehan. I have the ones from the "Green Books" vol 2 but there appear to be more as I have some that are not listed.

I am also aware that the Type 3 CDS for Zeehan has three specific types i.e 3 (i) wide "N" in "Zeehan", 3 (ii) Narrow "N" in "Zeehan": a)day before month and b) month before day.

Can anyone help or point me in the right direction to research the times please. Someone may have done it in the past, or does it now need to be done in full? Anyone with an interest in West Coast CDS and the railways your participation would be appreciated.

Thank you in anticipation.

[Geoff Dane]

I have a fair selection of time cancels from Zeehan more or less grouped by the various types and there are a number of times not listed in the Green Books. Looking at a page of the first type I have examples of the following times:

12.45A (probably an error), 6.45A, 7A, 11A, 12.30P, 12.45P, 1P, 1.30P, 1.45P, 7.30P and possibly a no time.

Other times on other types include: 1.15P, 11.30A, 6.30A, 10.30A, 3.30P, 6.45 (no A or P),

There is also an of odd date: 1901 (an error for 1910 perhaps).

[John Campton]

Good morning Geoff and thank you. I do not think your 12.45A is an error. Here is why (but I'm a still a learner).

Green Book Part 2 lists Type 2 (a) ie narrow "N" as having the following times
7A, 12.30P, 12.45P, 1P, 1.15P and 6.30P (the first and last rare).
You have come up with extras 12.45A, 6.45A, 11A, 1.30P, 1.45P and 7.30P.
And I can add to that 12.30A, 9A, 11.15A and 6P. So I feel that there is room for many more gaps and it may be linked to train arrivals and mail sorting?

As regards Type 2 (b) I have lumped the day before month and month before day together. Although the month before day is less common in my collection.
Green book lists the following times;
7A, 7.15A,8A,12.15P, 1P (of which only 12.30P is common.From what I interpret you have come up with a new
6.30A, 10.30A, 11.30A, 1.15P, 3.30P and 6.45 (no A or P). I can add (day before month)
12.30A, 11A and 7.30P.

Would say from the regularity of the 12.30A and 12.45A is both types that something was going on in the mailhouse in the wee hours.

Have a look at the three types and let me know if the month after day are less common in my collection and I only have 12.30P. Do not know how these are ever going to be rated but it may not be everyones cup of tea.

It will be interesting to see what feedback and other times come in from others members.

Thank you and knd regards JC

[Geoff Dane]

John

I will have a check of various boxes and albums for more Zeehan material. I have a fair range of times for the day before month variety at a quick glance and will provide details after a bit of searching.

Burnie times:

8.15P, 8.15A, 1.15P, 8.30P, 1.15(looks like A).

Geoff

[John Campton]

Thanks Geoff,

I have a few and some additional. So far have come up with:
5.15A, 8.15A, 1.15P, 2.15P, 7.30P, 8.15P, 8.30P and 9P. So would be safe to say there will be more. Lets see what others can provide.

Regarding the information I sent for your perusal I have updated the section on King River as I found additional information.

Regards JC

[John Campton]

Well the Courier has published the "Times" for Zeehan but since then more times have been found from various sources including aberrations.

To keep those interested up to date I have listed all know times below;

Type 3 CDS (a) Wide "N" in Zeehan day before month: Green Books times 7A, 12.30P,12.45P, 1P, 1.15P, 6.30P.
New times; 12.30A, 12.45A, 6.30A, 6.45A, 7.15A, 9A, 10A, 10.15A, 10.45A, 11A, 11.15A, 11.30A, 1.45P, 6P, 7.30P and 8P.
(b) (i) Narrow "N" in Zeehan day before month: Green Books times 7A, 7.15A, 8A, 12.15P,12.30P and 1P.
New times; 12.30A, 6.30A, 10.30A, 11A, 12.45P, 1.30P, 3.30P, 6.30P and 7.30P.
(b) (ii) Narrow "N" in Zeehan month before day. Green books times as per (b)(i).
New times; 7.45A and 12.45P.
As with all manualy adjusted CDS the opportunity for human error exists. Examples have been found with no "A" or "P". Some in the later stages used the block spacer slug in lieu of the dash spacer slug, although this is uncommon. In type (a) one example of month before day has been found on a 4d and another has soley dash spacer slugs and no date at all on a 4d.
It will take some time to sort out rarity ratings as new times are contiually being found.

Keep searching and post your finds. JC

[Malcolm Groom]

4d Zeehan time435.jpg (68.92 KiB) Viewed 4767 times

Interesting 'error' with dashes instead of times referred to by John above

[MaxH]

I have a reasonable selection of Zeehan type 3 postmarks with times and I was very interested to read the recent article in the "Courier".
I have spotted one item which is not listed in that article nor in any of the above posts. Sadly I cannot identify the N of Zeehan, so have no way of telling whether it is a), b (i) or b(ii). As noted 12.15AM is a funny time for mail handling to be occurring on a mine railway. I will keep looking for other times.

Zeehan 12.15A.jpg (255.77 KiB) Viewed 4672 times

[John Campton]

Thats an interesting one Max. It does not matter which way you look at it 12.15A is a new time, but which type is it? Without the "N" in Zeehan, date or a clear Tasmania to ascertain slim or wide letters it is a bit of a punt. Thanks for looking you dont know what you will find.So keep looking;I am! So far you are the only one with a 12.15A date of any kind for Zeehan.

As an update more new times are
a) 1.30P, 4.30P, and 7.45P with a new variation being 12.30P (a common time) turning up on a 4d Pictorial with the month before day which is normal for type b) ii). Just human error again?
b)i) 11p
b)ii) 7P

Overall they holes are filling up except for the Type b)ii). Then again this was only used from 21.2.1911 so possibly had less chance of developing "new" times.

In a month or two I will do a complete update on all the times to bring it all together.

Happy hunting JC

[John Hardinge]

It's the second type of Zeehan for sure. Distinctive letters

[John Hardinge]

It's the second type of Type 3 Zeehan for sure

[John Campton]

Hi John H, yes I agree its a Type b and I can see the date after the A (of AM) which makes it Type bi), day before month.

Its been a long time coming and new times have dribbled in but it appears now that we are coming to a point where there may not be a lot more discovered. Given this I have included Max H's time and the following is a list of all the known times for Zeehan type 3 CDS. I have put a (N) after new times and (E) after existing times listed in the "Green Books".

Type 3 CDS Type a) 12.30A (N), 12.45A (N), 6.30A (N), 6.45A (N), 7A (E), 7.15A (N), 9A (N), 10A (N), 10.15A (N), 10.45A (N), 11A (N), 11.15A (N), 11.30A (N), 12.30P (E),

12.45P (E), 1P (E), 1.15P (E), 1.30P (N), 1.45P (N), 4.30P (N), 6P (N), 6.30P (E), 7.30P (N), 7.45P (N), 8P (N). Nineteeen new times!

Type 3 CDS Type b) i) 12.15A (N), 12.30A (N), 6.30A (N), 7A (E), 7.15A (E), 8A (E), 10.30A (N), 11A (N), 12.15P (E), 12.30P (E), 12.45P (N), 1P (E), 1.30P (N), 3.30P (N), 6.30P (N), 7.30P (N), 11P (N). Eleven new times.

Type 3 CDS Type b) ii) 12.30A (N), 7A (E), 7.15A (E), 7.45A (N), 8A (E), 12.15P (E), 12.30P (E), 12.45P (N), 1P (E), 7P (N). Four new times. Far less exciting.

Geoff Dane has raised a very relevant question as to the dates on the very early times eg 12.30A that are put down to "human error" I dont have all in my collection and I will need some of the participants in this "adventure" to have a look at their collections and post a reply. What I can discern from my own collection is that Type a) date is 21 JA 08 and Type b) i) 18 MR 0 (9 possibly). Type b) ii) is JA 6 13.

If anyone posts a reply re dates on earlies they might like to include the 12.45A which I do not have in my collection. Special thanks to Geoff for all his work in sourcing and finding times.

Regards to all John C