TRIVIA - Things you saw travelling on BR that you don't see today

[47271]

Broken down push pulls between Edinburgh and Glasgow.

 

[Yabba]

Class 55s growling through Crewe station. The noise just seemed to echo for ages. Being really young the locos felt like they were the biggest thing I've ever seen. A class 55 will always be my favourite sound.

 

[CentralTrainer]

There are still compartments in mainland Europe, though not as common as they once were.

I did ride one (compartments off a corridor - but not straight from a BR type slam door - although GWR from Paddington to Worcester sates that desire nicely) between Liechtenstein and Switzerland in 2008 - but it didn't feel the same


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[Taunton]

For only some of us, I know, the biggest thing of all ...

Steam locomotives.

 

[eastdyke]

For only some of us, I know, the biggest thing of all ...
Steam locomotives.

And wherever they went - lineside fires.

 

[Darandio]

Class 55s growling through Crewe station. The noise just seemed to echo for ages. Being really young the locos felt like they were the biggest thing I've ever seen. A class 55 will always be my favourite sound.

Not a regular occurence though, surely?

 

[neonison]

Not knowing what was going to turn up.

...or when. Late running was very poorly communicated and there was no Realtime Trains!

 

[nlogax]

Metal luggage racks above seats.

Get yourself to Sophie's Steakhouse in Chelsea - old EMU metal luggage racks live on in there.

 

[Islineclear3_1]

Metal luggage racks above seats.

Strung luggage racks above seats

Umbrella racks

 

[Dan Electro]

The ability to see through the driver's cab in central Scotland (101s/107s/303s/311s)
Bankers at Glasgow Queen Street
The railway being promoted by nonces, two in particular, no need to name the beasts.
Bings (slag heaps) as part of the travelling view.
Frozen points.
Chives paying just one pound on a Family Railcard. (e.g. a 'Rupert Special')
Mystery Tours where most of the enthusiasts knew the destination before departure.....

Cheers

DE

 

[Railsigns]

AWS ramps.

Pretty sure you can see these too.

No; AWS ramps have been extinct for decades. There are plenty of AWS magnets around though.

 

[Taunton]

No; AWS ramps have been extinct for decades.

I think this refers to the old Churchward (it had to be him) GWR/Western Region ATC ramps, precursors to ATC, which were a gently arched shape with the electrical contact along the middle.

http://mysite.du.edu/~etuttle/rail/atcgwr.htm

 

[Poolie]

Football specials - which usually ended up with the train vandalised

......and what a football special this was. Boxing Day 1967
https://www.flickr.com/photos/64518788@N05/8564610856/in/photostream/

 

[goblinuser]

Seat cushions in dull British Rail moquette strewn everywhere around the railway.

 

[satisnek]

Attractive women?

(Sorry, it must be an age thing...)

 

[341o2]

I remember the dirt and squalor well into the 80's

The instruction "do not lean out of the window" was altered to read "Do not clean soot off the window"

With loco hauled trains, ecs movements. Edit - frount view from DMU already mentioned. Covered all the Cornish branches and have views that you could not get today unless you were in the driver's cab The sounds of early DMU's as the unit changed gear, EMU's also notching up (you can still hear this on the Island line, the first generation tube stock on the IOW had mechanical relays in a compartment behind the driver and added their own distinctive sounds)

Single line tokens

 

[341o2]

And wherever they went - lineside fires.

Only in dry weather, which for this country is rare. Since the withdrawal of steam locomotives, cutting back vegitation is no longer carried out as extensively. Track gangs without hi-viz vests with a lookout frount and rear with warning flags.

Semaphore signals and block working - you could tell when a train was coming because the signals came off when accepted into section. now, on plain track a signal can be at green whether or not a train is imminent

Racecourse specials which reminds me of the one where an old lady boarded one and commented "You are upset, but I think it was very kind of you to put your shirt on the back of that poor bleeding horse that got scratched"

Vacuum brakes. One train was delayed because the ECML had both vacuum and air, the 31's could be vacuum, air or dual (both braking systems) and the wrong one was sent to ECS to Kings Cross
Steam heating boilers on diesels.
The sound of a 55 and the clag emitted - Gasworks tunnel could be as murky as it was in the days of steam when a 55 was in the vicinity

 

[yorksrob]

Seat cushions in dull British Rail moquette strewn everywhere around the railway.

BR moquette was a lot snazzier than a lot of the hideous tat around nowadays.

 

[stut]

Those physics-defying hot drinks cups that kept liquid superheated the entire length of the east coast (didn't they have a coffee filter built built in).

Incredibly bouncy trains and seats on branch lines. ISTR that being of particular interest as a teenager (we did mention pure filth earlier).

On the SW lines, standing far enough back that you didn't get knocked by the slam does that the commuters opened well before the train stopped.

Seat banks that were giant balls of orange plastic with chunks carved out of them at Glasgow central.

 

[Alan2603]

The ‘Night Rider’ trains on the ECML.

Being accosted by ‘ladies of the night’ whilst waiting for trains at Kings Cross on an evening (I always declined their ‘propositions’).

Scarborough to Holyhead trains made up of rakes of Mk1 first class stock downgraded to ‘second class’.

Curled up processed cheese sandwiches and dubious looking pork pies in the buffet.

Bank holiday specials and 6 car DMU’s on Scarborough to Hull summer Sunday services.

The signal box at the end of the platforms at Scarborough.

Station WH Smith’s stalls with brown shutters and magazines and newspapers laid out in front of you.

York having 14 or more platforms.

Many Xerox company buildings lining the ECML the closer one got to London.

The man on the tannoy announcing ‘This is York’, ‘This is Peterborough’ etc etc as trains arrived.

Oh, the nostalgia of it all.

 

[stut]

Strip lights with station names.

Square chocolate bars from a bygone era, somehow surviving on station platforms.

Passing through endless dereliction.

 

[eastdyke]

Only in dry weather, which for this country is rare. Since the withdrawal of steam locomotives, cutting back vegitation is no longer carried out as extensively. Track gangs without hi-viz vests with a lookout frount and rear with warning flags.

Not my experience. We never saw anybody 'cut back' vegetation, no need.

The L1's on the Felixstowe's saw to that, a tinder mix of bracken and gorse both on and near the embankments was regularly torched.

When it was 'our sides' turn we had fire engines outside the front gate and hosepipes up the garden.

 

[High Dyke]

Strip lights with station names.

Square chocolate bars from a bygone era, somehow surviving on station platforms.

Passing through endless dereliction.

Got a light with a station name on at home. I just need somewhere to put it back into use...

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Izal toilet paper. Horrible stuff to use, but made very good streamers when thrown out of the carriage window.

 

[eastdyke]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Izal toilet paper. Horrible stuff to use, but made very good streamers when thrown out of the carriage window.

LOL. I remember it as 'San Izal', Izal is the newer rebranded stuff!

 

[TukayAway]

Luggage trolleys miles away from home.

 

[AntoniC]

I remember catching the class 502/503 trains from Birkdale to Blundellsands & Crosby from 1977 to when they replaced by the modern class 507/508`s.

On my daily travels to/from school

I remember the seats in the 502/503 where nice & comfy, unlike the seats on 507/508`s.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Luggage trolleys miles away from home.

One was found in the Gare du Nord , pre the tunnel !

 

[broadgage]

Railway staff in full uniform, having a quick pint whilst on duty. Even drivers used to ! back in the day.
The "Sel arms" near Hertford North station was a favourite haunt.

 

[westv]

SNCF stock at London Victoria.

 

[Arglwydd Golau]

Great Thread!
Walking from the Buffet back to my seat balancing two teas (or three)...cup and saucer without a brown bag in sight!