BYtrafik

BYtrafik is the member magazine of Sporvejshistorisk Selskab, a Danish association devoted to the history of urban public transport. Published six times a year, in February, April, June, August, October and December, it is normally 38–44 pages in A4 format and includes a number of "yellow pages" with information specifically for members. The magazine is sent to all members of the association; new members joining during a calendar year receive the issues already published that year. The editorial scope covers public transport, with a main emphasis on trams and, to varying degrees, buses, trolleybuses and trains. It reports on both historical and current conditions in Denmark and abroad, and also covers the association's main activity, the Sporvejsmuseet Skjoldenæsholm tram museum, as well as member excursions to other countries. The magazine has been published since the association was founded in 1965. For the first two volumes the association's name appeared on the cover; from 1967 the name BYtrafik was introduced, a translation of the German magazine title Stadtverkehr. Originally duplicated, it was illustrated from 1966 with line drawings by John Lundgren. From 1971 it moved to offset printing, which allowed reproduction of black-and-white photographs. Colour images began to appear in the 1990s, and since 2002 the magazine has been in full colour. In 2017 the original A5 format was changed to the larger A4. The magazine is distributed to the approximately 1,250 members of Sporvejshistorisk Selskab, who also receive annual reports from the Sporvejsmuseet Skjoldenæsholm, and to various cooperation partners. An index of subjects and authors covering all 55 volumes has been prepared and is updated annually once all six issues of a year have been published; it is maintained by Arne M. Pedersen. BYtrafik remains an active, member-driven publication of the association.

Sporvejshistorisk Selskab was founded at a meeting on 8 February 1965. The invitation to the meeting proposed, among other things, that a duplicated member magazine be published six times a year with enclosed photographs. The first issue, in A5 format, appeared in March 1965. A total of seven issues were published in 1965; from 1966 there were six issues, which has been the standard since. For the first couple of years the magazine had no particular name; instead the association's name appeared at the top of the cover in an imitation of the lettering and livery used on old Copenhagen trams until the Second World War. The magazine was originally duplicated, but that technique was generally unsuitable for reproducing images, so illustrations were the exception in the early years. From 1966 the magazine was illustrated with line drawings by John Lundgren. In addition, from 1965 each issue enclosed a black-and-white photograph of trams. The first issue of 1967 was experimentally letterpress-printed. At the same time the name BYtrafik was introduced, a translation of the name of the German magazine Stadtverkehr. The idea was that the better technique would be financed by advertisements, but in practice it proved too expensive and was abandoned after that one issue. Thereafter the association returned to duplication and illustrations in the form of John Lundgren's line drawings. The name Bytrafik and the yellow cover colour introduced on the same occasion were retained, however. From 1971 the magazine moved to offset printing, which allowed reproduction of black-and-white photographs. A photograph continued to be enclosed with each issue until the end of 1981. The editor was originally Thorkild Ring Hansen, who was succeeded by Hans Harpøth from issue 1/1970. The content was initially characterised partly by internal association notices and partly by the replacement of trams in Copenhagen and elsewhere by buses. There were also articles on historical Danish tramway conditions and on tramways abroad. From the second issue of 1965 a regular column, Bagperronen, was introduced with current notes on urban public transport at home and abroad. The association's fifth anniversary was marked by enclosing a future issue as a joke with issue 1/1970. The last tram line in Copenhagen, and thus in Denmark, was converted to bus operation on 23 April 1972, which was described in a lively report in that month's issue of the magazine. Later that year the internal association notices were separated out as a supplement to the magazine, which subsequently appeared in varying form. From issue 4/1985 they ended up being bound into the middle of the magazine on yellow paper. From issue 6/1974 the editorship passed to Søren Palsbo and from issue 1/1977 to Jens-Erik Gøtterup. Meanwhile Sporvejshistorisk had begun to establish the Sporvejsmuseet Skjoldenæsholm in 1972, which naturally came to leave its mark on the magazine through the 1970s. The rest of the magazine gradually changed character, with more emphasis placed on recent developments in public transport than on the historical. In issue 1/1978 the column Dansk bytrafikbibliografi was introduced, covering current literature and journal articles on urban transport. The tram museum was inaugurated on 26 May 1978. Its subsequent operation and expansion were regularly described in the magazine, if not in every issue. From 1979 annual reports on the museum's past year were also published, first as a supplement to Bytrafik and from 1982 as special issues. In 1978 a special issue of the magazine, no. 4B/1978, was also published when the chairman of Trafikrådet, Erling Olsen, decided to publish the council's final report in this way. The council had been tasked with coordinating public transport in the Copenhagen metropolitan area, and this had now been completed. In 1985 a special issue, no. 1B/1985, was also published in the form of a picture booklet with a special cover about Copenhagen tram line 20 on the occasion of Sporvejshistorisk Selskab's 20th anniversary. The booklet was also published in a regular edition that year as part of Sporvejshistorisk Selskab's series of picture booklets about Copenhagen tram lines. In 1989 the board of Sporvejshistorisk Selskab wanted to update the editor's terms of reference and the definition of what the magazine should cover, so that it matched the association's activities and members' interests. It was to cover both the association and the museum, historical tram material, foreign tramways, current material on Danish urban transport and how trams could again be part of it. Jens-Erik Gøtterup could not accept the desired changes, so he chose to resign as editor. From issue 2/1990 the editorship instead passed to John Kåre Bjørnson with Kurt G. Rasmussen as editorial secretary. At the same time the column Dansk bytrafikbibliografi disappeared, while more space was given to other content.

• 2017

  Format changed from A5 to A4.

• 2002

  Magazine became fully colour-printed.

• 1990

  John Kåre Bjørnson became editor from issue 2/1990, with Kurt G. Rasmussen as editorial secretary; Dansk bytrafikbibliografi column discontinued.

• 1985

  Special issue no. 1B/1985 published as a picture booklet about Copenhagen tram line 20 for the association's 20th anniversary; internal notices bound into the middle of the magazine on yellow paper from issue 4/1985.

• 1982

  Museum annual reports published as special issues of the magazine.

• 1979

  Annual reports on the museum's past year began to be published, first as a supplement to Bytrafik.

• 1978

  Sporvejsmuseet Skjoldenæsholm inaugurated on 26 May; special issue no. 4B/1978 published with Trafikrådet's final report; column Dansk bytrafikbibliografi introduced.

• 1977

  Jens-Erik Gøtterup became editor from issue 1/1977.

• 1974

  Søren Palsbo became editor from issue 6/1974.

• 1972

  Last tram line in Copenhagen converted to bus operation on 23 April; Sporvejshistorisk began establishing Sporvejsmuseet Skjoldenæsholm.

• 1971

  Magazine moved to offset printing, allowing reproduction of black-and-white photographs.

• 1970

  Hans Harpøth became editor from issue 1/1970.

• 1967

  Name BYtrafik introduced; first issue experimentally letterpress-printed; yellow cover colour adopted.

• 1966

  Six issues per year became the standard; magazine illustrated with line drawings by John Lundgren.

• 1965

  Sporvejshistorisk Selskab founded on 8 February; first issue of the member magazine published in March in A5 format; seven issues published in total that year.

A specialised, member-published magazine on urban public transport history, with a primary focus on trams.

• BYtrafik magazine

  Member magazine published six times a year, normally 38–44 pages in A4 format, with yellow pages for member information.

• Subject and author index

  Index covering all 55 volumes, updated annually and maintained by Arne M. Pedersen.

1. 1Sporvejsmuseet Skjoldenæsholm - Bytrafiksporvejsmuseet.dk
2. 2BYtrafik - Wikipedia (Danish)da.wikipedia.org
3. 3Wikidata Q12302696wikidata.org