Reservation of an entire coach

[Taplowgreen]

I can remember booking half a coach on a GWR Paddington - Plymouth service for a rugby tour back in 1999............when we got on board, we found the other half of the coach had been booked by a women's rugby team...........it was a lively journey!

 

[Wolfie]

I can remember booking half a coach on a GWR Paddington - Plymouth service for a rugby tour back in 1999............when we got on board, we found the other half of the coach had been booked by a women's rugby team...........it was a lively journey!

I'm sure that the other passengers were highly pleased that both teams made those reservations!

 

[standish1]

Big TUC Rally on 18th June in London,likely the Trade Unions will be booking whole coaches.

 

[VauxhallandI]

Big TUC Rally on 18th June in London,likely the Trade Unions will be booking whole coaches.

Railway staff won’t be on strike on that day then.

 

[Taplowgreen]

..........RMT strike that day would be fantastic!!!

 

[6Gman]

Certainly leaving Taunton back in old times, if you were getting married and going away, the staff would reserve a whole compartment, just for the two. Needed a bit of co-ordination as the train would be coming through from Plymouth etc. As you can imagine it would be a bit of a mob scene on the platform in the couple of minutes the London train, etc, stopped there. In youthful times I can remember mostly that we all swept in from multiple cars, onto the platform Without Platform Tickets (otherwise unknown) ...!! Afterwards the platform porter had the task of sweeping the confetti onto the track.

When I was a little lad (early 60s) and living in Llandudno Junction family trips to London were Emerald Isle Express to Holyhead then up to London on the Irish Mail overnight.

I recall on at least one occasion the station staff at Holyhead reserving a compartment for us (2 adults, 2 small children) to give us sleeping space. It was around the time that the American President had visited his ancestral roots - the reservation label read "Reserved for Mr Kennedy's party"!

 

[Davester50]

Scouts are used to "no frills" accommodation thankfully.

My Scout trip back in the 1980s had the whole of Coach A of an Inter-City 125 (as was) booked out.

And there was always this -
CBR-5-103 by Jamerail, on Flickr

The InterCity Executive Saloon (Not my photo)

 

[Taunton]

And there was always this -

The InterCity Executive Saloon (Not my photo)

I don't know if I've told this one before ...

The Irish railway back in the 1980s, probably still CIE then, had a similar vehicle, the Executive Saloon. Someone here can probably give its detailed background. Now a business customer of mine at the time was making a significant investors' trip to some rural places in Ireland, by road coach, ending up after a couple of days well down the Sligo line, maybe around Carrick-on-Shannon. And someone else found out about this Executive Saloon, and booked it for the return to Dublin. You could have catered dinner on it, etc, and it was attached to the rear of the regular train, being sent out earlier in the day from Dublin. Cost a bomb, as you can imagine. The prospect of it was quite the discussion point of the trip apparently.

So, 6pm at the end of an arduous couple of days, they are delivered to the station. In comes the train from Sligo, GM loco, four standard class carriages ... and that was it.

Nothing for it but to get on board, and seek out the guard, where the following happened:

"Executive Saloon? Oh, no, gentlemen, not on this train. No we hardly ever see it on this line. But it's funny, you know, because my colleague told me that only yesterday it was actually provided for this train, stewards and all. And do you know what - the people never turned up ...".

 

[Davester50]

After watching a bit of Father Ted again recently, I had visions of your incident very much in that style!

 

[kevconnor]

I don't know if I've told this one before ...

The Irish railway back in the 1980s, probably still CIE then, had a similar vehicle, the Executive Saloon. Someone here can probably give its detailed background. Now a business customer of mine at the time was making a significant investors' trip to some rural places in Ireland, by road coach, ending up after a couple of days well down the Sligo line, maybe around Carrick-on-Shannon. And someone else found out about this Executive Saloon, and booked it for the return to Dublin. You could have catered dinner on it, etc, and it was attached to the rear of the regular train, being sent out earlier in the day from Dublin. Cost a bomb, as you can imagine. The prospect of it was quite the discussion point of the trip apparently.

So, 6pm at the end of an arduous couple of days, they are delivered to the station. In comes the train from Sligo, GM loco, four standard class carriages ... and that was it.

Nothing for it but to get on board, and seek out the guard, where the following happened:

"Executive Saloon? Oh, no, gentlemen, not on this train. No we hardly ever see it on this line. But it's funny, you know, because my colleague told me that only yesterday it was actually provided for this train, stewards and all. And do you know what - the people never turned up ...".

I’m reading this and in my head I’m hearing it said to me by Niall Tóibín, with the guard having a Cork accent for some reason.

Thank you for sharing.

 

[Falcon1200]

"Executive Saloon? Oh, no, gentlemen, not on this train. No we hardly ever see it on this line. But it's funny, you know, because my colleague told me that only yesterday it was actually provided for this train, stewards and all. And do you know what - the people never turned up ...".

Great story, thanks ! No doubt the traincrew got a nice dinner that night.....

 

[londonbridge]

Back in the days before Grand Central the Sunderland supporters London branch had an arrangement with GNER (as was) for Saturday home games where they would reserve us up to forty seats between Kings X and Newcastle and the travel officer would tell them by Friday lunchtime how many we wanted.

 

[bengolding]

When the Queen goes to Sandringham, i would of thought that the coach she is in is locked off?
I recall that Tony Blair and his entourage used to travel by rail sometimes. Would that coach be out of bounds to the public?

I travelled on the same Great Northern Kings Lynn Service as the Queen a few years ago and was directed to the rear first class compartment as her party occupied entirety of the front behind the driver.

Booked exclusivity of a first class coach on a mainline rail operator out of London a few years ago for my group on the 2 our return journey. Certainly worth the premium with dedicated staff service and security.