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

Ianigsy · 1 Feb 2019

The one I did at Liverpool Lime Street a couple of years back was done on a tablet there and then.

Interestingly bearing in mind what's subsequently happened with Network Rail and toilets, the one negative comment we made was about the paying loos-it had caused my parents a bit of grief as we had to combine our resources to put together enough change for the turnstile.

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DavidGrain · 1 Feb 2019

At least the rebuilding of Birmingham New Street has resulted in the toilets being free. I always find Marylebone a puzzle as sometimes one of the turnstiles is free, you just have to try them both to find out which, and sometimes they are chargeable

Graham Hall · 2 Feb 2019

I haven't gone through the full thread so the following may have been mentioned already...
Class 37s in the North East hauling coal trains then pushing brake vans back to the collieries for the next load.

Little pink almex tickets on pay trains issued by the guard.
Buffet staff on the ECML in the 70s walking through the train offering tea or coffee in real cups, followed by another staff member with the hot water and milk in jugs..

PeterC · 2 Feb 2019

Graham Hall said:
Buffet staff on the ECML in the 70s walking through the train offering tea or coffee in real cups, followed by another staff member with the hot water and milk in jugs..

I can't remember where we had been but also in the 70s I do recall one cold evening the steward coming through with an urn of soup.

xotGD · 4 Feb 2019

Graham Hall said:
I haven't gone through the full thread so the following may have been mentioned already...
Class 37s in the North East hauling coal trains then pushing brake vans back to the collieries for the next load.

Little pink almex tickets on pay trains issued by the guard.
Buffet staff on the ECML in the 70s walking through the train offering tea or coffee in real cups, followed by another staff member with the hot water and milk in jugs..

I used to often see 37s propelling brake vans. Can't imagine it would be allowed today.

Even at the time, not much of a yellow end visible to anyone working trackside.

martian boy · 10 Feb 2019

Don’t know if it’s been mentioned, allowing people to have a look in the cab when the train was waiting at the platform. I did this many times at Cardiff Central during the late 1970s & early 1980s. If a driver allowed this now, is disciplinary would resemble something like the Nuremberg Trials.

I also remember visiting Pontypridd signal box in 1986. One of the managers walked in while I was seated in the corner. His mouth opened wide, pointed at me, turned to the signalman, “What’s he doing here?”

“Come on.” The signal man replied. “ He’s a young enthusiast who has an interest. Would you rather have him out there vandalising the place?” The manager mellowed, and we had a great conversation.

Something I well miss from the British Rail days. Many workers who liked to share things with younger people who were interested in the job they were doing.

Ken H · 13 Feb 2019

Water carriers carried by service trains to signalboxes with no running water. Think they held about a gallon, and were orange bottom half and white top half. Had name of signalbox written in felt pen. Think I saw them on Settle Stn - must have been for Blea Moor.

Highlandspring · 13 Feb 2019

They were 2 gallon containers. Green bottom and white top for potable water, red bottom and white top for non-potable water. BR catalogue numbers 9/11/7150 and 9/11/7151 respectively!

Ken H · 14 Feb 2019

Highlandspring said:
They were 2 gallon containers. Green bottom and white top for potable water, red bottom and white top for non-potable water. BR catalogue numbers 9/11/7150 and 9/11/7151 respectively!

thanks

ChiefPlanner · 14 Feb 2019

martian boy said:
Don’t know if it’s been mentioned, allowing people to have a look in the cab when the train was waiting at the platform. I did this many times at Cardiff Central during the late 1970s & early 1980s. If a driver allowed this now, is disciplinary would resemble something like the Nuremberg Trials.

I also remember visiting Pontypridd signal box in 1986. One of the managers walked in while I was seated in the corner. His mouth opened wide, pointed at me, turned to the signalman, “What’s he doing here?”

“Come on.” The signal man replied. “ He’s a young enthusiast who has an interest. Would you rather have him out there vandalising the place?” The manager mellowed, and we had a great conversation.

Something I well miss from the British Rail days. Many workers who liked to share things with younger people who were interested in the job they were doing.

A very good point , my railway career was encouraged by acting as unofficial assistant guard on certain lines in West Wales , and cab rides , signal box visits - all of which were "tolerated" by staff - and in some cases encouraged. I was caught working a ground frame aged 14 by the local Inspector and asked to visit him the next day. (he had words with the train crew involved , but made me move away to a respectable distance)

Next day , we had a dignified chat , he said that the crews were impressed by my eagerness , and I was given a Rule Book , Sectional Appendix and a vintage WR cap badge. Also told not to signal trains. Now this old boy was near to retirement , knew his staff and undoubtedly used discretion.

ChiefPlanner · 14 Feb 2019

martian boy said:
Don’t know if it’s been mentioned, allowing people to have a look in the cab when the train was waiting at the platform. I did this many times at Cardiff Central during the late 1970s & early 1980s. If a driver allowed this now, is disciplinary would resemble something like the Nuremberg Trials.

I also remember visiting Pontypridd signal box in 1986. One of the managers walked in while I was seated in the corner. His mouth opened wide, pointed at me, turned to the signalman, “What’s he doing here?”

“Come on.” The signal man replied. “ He’s a young enthusiast who has an interest. Would you rather have him out there vandalising the place?” The manager mellowed, and we had a great conversation.

Something I well miss from the British Rail days. Many workers who liked to share things with younger people who were interested in the job they were doing.

If that was the local Signalling Inspector . (name withheld) , I suspect I know who it was ........

Dr Hoo · 14 Feb 2019

ChiefPlanner said:
If that was the local Signalling Inspector . (name withheld) , I suspect I know who it was ........

My grandson was invited into the cab of an HST the other week while the driver fired it up after a layover. He was well thrilled. So it still goes on.
I won’t even hint at where it was to avoid any grief or embarrassment.

ChiefPlanner · 14 Feb 2019

Dr Hoo said:
My grandson was invited into the cab of an HST the other week while the driver fired it up after a layover. He was well thrilled. So it still goes on.
I won’t even hint at where it was to avoid any grief or embarrassment.

Long may it continue - there are some North London residents who enjoyed 313 and 117 traction. No details ..........

Lucan · 15 Feb 2019

ChiefPlanner said:
my railway career was encouraged by acting as unofficial assistant guard on certain lines .... I was caught working a ground frame aged 14

In Adrian George's book "Signalman's Morning" he describes as a teenager in the early 1960's being regularly let in, and as time went on more or less working himself, the GWR main line box at Challow, while the signalman just sat back keeping an eye on things.

Mind you, he also describes driving a Morris Eight along the road sitting on the roof with his legs through the open hatch and his feet on the steering wheel

Cowley · 15 Feb 2019

I had at least three cab rides up the bank from Exeter st David's to Central in the 1980s. My friend was confident enough to just ask, and some of the old boy drivers were so good to us ("Just duck down when we come into Central lads, in case anyone's looking")
On top of that we cabbed countless different locos - 08s,31s,33s,37s,D200,45s,47s,50s, a TC unit,an 87 at Euston etc etc.
At least a couple of times we walked round to the shed (EX) and asked in the dingy rest room if we could have a look around the locos and they just said "Yeah fine boys. Just don't fall down an inspection pit". :lol:

AndrewE · 15 Feb 2019

Lucan said:
In Adrian George's book "Signalman's Morning" he describes as a teenager in the early 1960's being regularly let in, and as time went on more or less working himself, the GWR main line box at Challow, while the signalman just sat back keeping an eye on things.

Mind you, he also describes driving a Morris Eight along the road sitting on the roof with his legs through the open hatch and his feet on the steering wheel

I worked with a chap who said that as a child after getting the train home from school to Heaton Chapel (I think he said) he would routinely go into the signal box (was it on the platform there?) and pull the levers at the signalman's instructions! I guess there were no points to be moved, or very long-distance pulls for distant signals...

ChiefPlanner · 15 Feb 2019

AndrewE said:
I worked with a chap who said that as a child after getting the train home from school to Heaton Chapel (I think he said) he would routinely go into the signal box (was it on the platform there?) and pull the levers at the signalman's instructions! I guess there were no points to be moved, or very long-distance pulls for distant signals...

Going back to World War 2 - my late mother used to take the signalman's dinner to him - (he was on 12 hours etc) , and waited will he ate it and took the plates back for washing etc.He was the next door neighbour.

So - she ended up working the box while he ate his meal , inevitably - she was caught - aged not much more than me when I was caught - the GWR Station Master doing the spot check one blacked out evening realised what was going on and beat a retreat as it was obviously quite important his hard working staff got a proper , rested meal. Nothing said.

Many years later , she could call out the lever movements for various moves , without prompting. At the age of 75.

AY1975 · 21 Feb 2019

In the late 1990s and early 2000s many station branches of WH Smith had a cone- or cylinder-shaped "honesty box" to enable you to pay for your newspaper without queueing up at the checkout if you were in a hurry. These were presumably removed for security reasons, although most WH Smith stores now have self-service checkouts.

AY1975 · 21 Feb 2019

martian boy said:
Don’t know if it’s been mentioned, allowing people to have a look in the cab when the train was waiting at the platform.

A driver once invited me into the cab of a Class 501 EMU at Broad Street (or what was left of it, as it was already in the process of being demolished by then) in 1985 when I was 10. I belonged to the Rail Riders club (see the thread on Rail Riders at www.railforums.co.uk/threads/railriders.42981/) and was wearing my Rail Riders t-shirt, so the driver must have guessed that I was an enthusiast. Somewhere I have a photo of me in the cab.

ChiefPlanner · 21 Feb 2019

AY1975 said:
A driver once invited me into the cab of a Class 501 EMU at Broad Street (or what was left of it, as it was already in the process of being demolished by then) in 1985 when I was 10. I belonged to the Rail Riders club (see the thread on Rail Riders at www.railforums.co.uk/threads/railriders.42981/) and was wearing my Rail Riders t-shirt, so the driver must have guessed that I was an enthusiast. Somewhere I have a photo of me in the cab.

You should have asked for a visit to the Broad Street SB - always a good bunch there and happy to entertain interested guests.

As I said before , BR , was quite good on an "open door" policy within certain limits , I was once asked on a nasty cold morning if I wanted to wait for the Heart of Wales train at Pantyffynon in the crew room - this led of course to an invitation for a cab ride on a class 120. Who cold refuse....

Ken H · 21 Feb 2019

Wasnt there a signalbox that was an unofficial waiting room. Was it templecombe after re-opening?

AY1975 · 24 Jun 2019

Ken H said:
Wasnt there a signalbox that was an unofficial waiting room. Was it Templecombe after re-opening?

Yes, that's right, and it also housed a ticket office, but that has now been replaced by a new purpose-built ticket office and waiting shelter on a new platform that has been built opposite the existing one (which is no longer in use).

AY1975 · 24 Jun 2019

You still get this sometimes, but it seems to me much less common than in BR days as a lot more people are travelling: trains with plenty of empty seats.

On off-peak trains, being able to get a double seat or even a whole bay to yourself, and being able to discourage others from invading your space by placing your belongings such as your bag or coat on the unoccupied seat next to you (or opposite you).

Trains with a completely empty (or almost completely empty) First Class section.

Rob F · 25 Jun 2019

In 1985 we were on holiday in Dawlish and my 17 year old self set off on a day trip to St Ives. All went well until I got on the train at St Ives to return and found out it was one of those that didn’t visit St Erth but turned around at Lelant Saltings. On hearing my problem the guard said “if you walk along the road you’ll miss the connection but don’t worry, if you walk along the track you’ll get there in plenty of time”.

I didn’t have to do it in the end as he came back to me after Carbis Bay and said they had a package in the guard’s van that had to get on the London train so we would be going to St Erth after all, even though it was not timetabled.

I have often wondered what the St Erth signalman or platform staff would have said or done if I had just ambled along the branch and up the platform ramp!

Lucan · 25 Jun 2019

Rob F said:
they had a package in the guard’s van that had to get on the London train so we would be going to St Erth after all

Must have given you a warm feeling to know that a parcel was more important than yourselves :lol:

WesternLancer · 25 Jun 2019

Copies of the full BR system timetable widely available for sale at stations.

Copies of the BR national rail map available in station leaflet racks (sometimes if you were lucky)

Mag_seven · 26 Jun 2019

WesternLancer said:
Copies of the full BR system timetable widely available for sale at stations.

Related to that the free bank holiday (Easter, Christmas or whatever) supplements to the TT detailing on a table by table basis what the changes were in force over the holiday period. Sometimes an entire table would just be reproduced in full with whatever special TT was in force.

WesternLancer · 27 Jun 2019

Mag_seven said:
Related to that the free bank holiday (Easter, Christmas or whatever) supplements to the TT detailing on a table by table basis what the changes were in force over the holiday period. Sometimes an entire table would just be reproduced in full with whatever special TT was in force.

Gosh yes, forgotten about those!

delt1c · 27 Jun 2019

Enthusiasts with attitude, before we were a happy gang

duffield · 27 Jun 2019

WesternLancer said:
Copies of the full BR system timetable widely available for sale at stations.

Copies of the BR national rail map available in station leaflet racks (sometimes if you were lucky)

I used to work on the computer systems that produced the big fat timetable (the GBTT/BRPTT), and I think I've still got a special 'staff edition' from about 1987, (with a 'staff only' red cover), somewhere...probably in the box room. I guess the special staff edition might be (slightly) valuable, I should give it to a heritage railway to sell - if I ever find it.

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

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