Distant relatives - husband, wife and 5 kids, ranging in age from 2 to 10 years - moved from Perth to London sometime around 1895. How long would the journey by train have taken and how much would it have cost for one-way tickets (they were not wealthy, so I assume they'd have travelled 3rd class)?
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Journey time and cost of 3rd class ticket Perth-London in 1895
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eastwestdivide
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Has anyone got a copy of this:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bradshaws-Rail-Times-1895-Timetable/dp/1908174110
"Bradshaw's Rail Times 1895: A Reprint of the Classic Timetable"
where they could look up the answer, at least for the journey time?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bradshaws-Rail-Times-1895-Timetable/dp/1908174110
"Bradshaw's Rail Times 1895: A Reprint of the Classic Timetable"
where they could look up the answer, at least for the journey time?
StephenHunter
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Rates were fixed per mile and you can find the appropriate rate somewhere, but I don't remember where.
Dr Hoo
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From the 1895 Bradshaw reprint: Leave Perth at 0835 on the "Morning express from Aberdeen". Arrive St Pancras at 2045 (8:45p.m.).
From the slightly later Summer 1903 Midland Railway timetable, single 3rd class fare Perth-London was 36s 5d. Incidentally a horse would have been 111s 0d, carriage 120s 0d and dog 7s 6d.
"Other railway companies were available."
From the Internet a typical agricultural labourer's weekly wages in 1895 would have been 13s 8 1/2d. So not a family trip to be undertaken lightly.
From the slightly later Summer 1903 Midland Railway timetable, single 3rd class fare Perth-London was 36s 5d. Incidentally a horse would have been 111s 0d, carriage 120s 0d and dog 7s 6d.
"Other railway companies were available."
From the Internet a typical agricultural labourer's weekly wages in 1895 would have been 13s 8 1/2d. So not a family trip to be undertaken lightly.
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krus_aragon
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My copy on the LNWR timetable for december 1896 also gives a price of 36/5 one way for a third class adult ticket.
A selection of trains from Perth to Euston (through trains operated by the Caledonian Railway as far as Carlisle, and the LNWR thereafter):
Note that the trains may have stopped at other stations en-route.
Some tidbits from the notes at the side of the page:
"Carriages of Improved Description fitted with Lavatory accommodation in First and Third Class Compartments are run by the principle Trains between London and Scotland." (But apparently not the first train listed: trains would only stop for passengers to buy food if there was no corridor to walk along to a food car, and I don't believe any non-corridor stock ever had toilets fitted.)
"Through Guards - Guards taking charge of the Through Luggage travel by the Express Trains between London (Euston), Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Perth."
"Passengers with Through Tickets to and from Scotland can break their journey at Carlisle, Dumfries, Moffat, or any intermediate Station on the direct line or route between Carlisle and their destination in Scotland, provided the period allowed for completing the throughout journey [6 days excluding Sundays] is not exceeded."
A selection of trains from Perth to Euston (through trains operated by the Caledonian Railway as far as Carlisle, and the LNWR thereafter):
- Perth 9:05am, Carlisle 12:30-12:50 (waits "to enable passengers to obtain Luncheon"), Crewe at 3:50pm and London Euston for 7:10pm.
- Perth 12:15pm, Carlisle 4:05-4:12pm, Crewe 7:28pm, and Euston 10:45. This train appears to be coupled to the "Corridor and Dining Saloon Express" (from Ardrossan and Glasgow) at Crewe.
- Perth 4:04pm, Carlisle 8:35-8:41, Crewe 12:08am, and Euston 3:50am.
- Perth 8:00pm, Carlisle 11:54-12:05, Crewe 3:33am, and Euston 7:30am.
- Perth 10:05pm, Carlisle 1:42-1:47am, Crewe 4:36am, and Euston 8:00am. (Sleeping Saloon Express from Carlisle.)
Note that the trains may have stopped at other stations en-route.
Some tidbits from the notes at the side of the page:
"Carriages of Improved Description fitted with Lavatory accommodation in First and Third Class Compartments are run by the principle Trains between London and Scotland." (But apparently not the first train listed: trains would only stop for passengers to buy food if there was no corridor to walk along to a food car, and I don't believe any non-corridor stock ever had toilets fitted.)
"Through Guards - Guards taking charge of the Through Luggage travel by the Express Trains between London (Euston), Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Perth."
"Passengers with Through Tickets to and from Scotland can break their journey at Carlisle, Dumfries, Moffat, or any intermediate Station on the direct line or route between Carlisle and their destination in Scotland, provided the period allowed for completing the throughout journey [6 days excluding Sundays] is not exceeded."
krus_aragon
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It seems I overspoke there. West Coast Joint Stock built from 1893 was all corridor stock, but some older, non-corridor 3rd stock (which could still be in use in 1895) also had toilets fitted.
The Corridor wad a nickname for the afternoon corridor express, and was still used when all the other trains were worked with corridor stock. (Simmons, The Railway in England and Wales 1830-1914)
Thanks to everyone for all that really helpful information. It sounds like it would have been a nightmare journey with 5 kids, ranging in age from 10 down to 2 and if they travelled when I think they did Mum was pregnant with number 6. And on arrival they had to get across London to Notting Hill. Can't you just imagine 'Are we there yet?'.
Cost of tickets not cheap, though I assume child fares would have been lower. Interestingly, I've found some adverts in Dundee newspapers of the time offering return tickets (return within something like 16 days) from Dundee, Perth etc to London (and other places) for the price of a single, over the Easter weekend and Bank Holiday weekends. Not that my lot would have needed a return!
Of course that was the summer of the railway races on the routes from London into Scotland (east coast versus west coast routes).
Cost of tickets not cheap, though I assume child fares would have been lower. Interestingly, I've found some adverts in Dundee newspapers of the time offering return tickets (return within something like 16 days) from Dundee, Perth etc to London (and other places) for the price of a single, over the Easter weekend and Bank Holiday weekends. Not that my lot would have needed a return!
Of course that was the summer of the railway races on the routes from London into Scotland (east coast versus west coast routes).
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