Things we don't see at stations these days

[The Crab]

The significant change in the overall appearance of enthusiasts. Someone above mentioned school blazers - well lets look in a bit more detail:

Gricers with gaberdine rain macs, NHS specs and perhaps berets! I seem to recall that being mentioned in a railway magazine 20 to 30 years ago on how the appearance of railway enthusiasts had changed.

Also considering the enthusiast element - the photographer with usually German made camera nearly always in a brown leather ever ready case!!! Once very common.

Whilst German cameras are not quite extinct they are no longer mass market and most that still use them such as myself use the now fairly common Billingham bag as with all the pockets they make great trip bags, but could contain any type of camera.

On the subject of bags - platform end enthusiasts with airline travel bags to keep their gear in again replaced by the likes of Billingham, Lowepro etc.


There are one or two about - I have definitely seen one or two in the past year but now used for pulling servicing / cleaning trollies. I am sure I saw one at Liverpool Lime Street.

Are there still enthusiasts on stations? I can't remember seeing one this millennium.

 

[D6130]

Are there still enthusiasts on stations? I can't remember seeing one this millennium.

Yes....loads of them. You should see the platform ends at Carlisle, Crewe, Leeds, York, etc.

 

[2392]

Passengers. As they now have "Customers" these days instead at the station or on the train......!

 

[Rescars]

Passengers. As they now have "Customers" these days instead at the station or on the train......!

I appreciate this is straying off-topic, but 2392 makes an interesting point. You could argue that customers exist to spend money on services. So, for example, freight services have customers. Passengers on the other hand are there to be looked after. To what extent does the terminology impact organisational culture - and the way travellers are treated?

 

[zwk500]

Passengers. As they now have "Customers" these days instead at the station or on the train......!

All Passengers are customers but not all customers of the railway are passengers.

I appreciate this is straying off-topic, but 2392 makes an interesting point. You could argue that customers exist to spend money on services. So, for example, freight services have customers. Passengers on the other hand are there to be looked after. To what extent does the terminology impact organisational culture - and the way travellers are treated?

In theory it should make little difference, as the 'product' you are selling is a transport service. However it might mean that other elements of the 'customer experience' get emphasised, such as station retail, on-train upgrades, and putting freight in front of passenger trains because the shipping customers are just as much customers of the railway as the commuters.

 

[12LDA28C]

Casey Jones burger joints
3-wheeled luggage trolleys with the 'push down' handle to release the brake which were fun to ride on, being pushed along the platform by a mate until it toppled over sending you sprawling.

 

[LWB]

‘Orange Juice’ sold from catering trollies in 3-d triangular cardboard containers (humbug tetrahedral shape)

 

[12LDA28C]

However it might mean that other elements of the 'customer experience' get emphasised, such as station retail

Or even apparently given priority, such as at Birmingham New Street and London St Pancras, now both seemingly primarily shopping centres with trains rather an afterthought.

 

[zwk500]

Or even apparently given priority, such as at Birmingham New Street and London St Pancras, now both seemingly primarily shopping centres with trains rather an afterthought.

New Street I don't find so bad, because the Shops are generally elevated above. St Pancras I grant you is over-focused on the retail.

 

[Ashley Hill]

3-wheeled luggage trolleys with the 'push down' handle to release the brake which were fun to ride on, being pushed along the platform by a mate until it toppled over sending you sprawling.

They are still about,the only difference is many now require a pound coin to use. Sone staff help you and your luggage onto the train,wave you off and then happily replace the trolley in the rack. I wonder why

 

[greyman42]

New Street I don't find so bad, because the Shops are generally elevated above. St Pancras I grant you is over-focused on the retail.

How is it "over-focused" on retail. What would be a better option to the shops?

 

[zwk500]

How is it "over-focused" on retail. What would be a better option to the shops?

The signage is badly undersized for the visibility it has. It's overfocused on retail because when you entre the station it is not immediately obvious where the trains are (from all except the entrance facing King's Cross) and the platforms being broken up into 4 groups doesn't help.
The shops are a necessary evil because LCR need to payback the Treasury, but the better option would be something that actually resembles a proper concourse.

 

[Lost property]

And gents' toilets with no roof over the urinals so they were exposed to the elements - common at many rural stations back in the day.

And WC cubicles with coin operated locks where you had to insert 1d in pre-decimal days (hence the phrase "spending a penny"), 1p in the early days of decimalisation, then 2p, then 4p (2x2p), then 5p. These were mostly replaced by entrance turnstiles in toilets at major stations in the 1980s and '90s, while charging for toilets at smaller stations (that is, where the facilities were still in situ and open by then) was mostly phased out around that time.

In the last few years Network Rail has abolished toilet charges at all stations managed by NR itself. Some stations managed by the train operators (for example Glasgow Queen Street) do still have them, though.

Also, at least in the late 1990s and early 2000s some London Underground stations with toilets (not that many LU stations do have them) had the traditional WC cubicle coinboxes on the external door instead of on each cubicle door. I remember that at Osterley on the Piccadilly Line about 20 to 25 years ago, and I think you had to insert a 20p coin to get in. Not sure if any Tube station toilets still have that, though.

And in the 1980s and '90s at some London suburban stations, toilets for people of one sex only as discussed in this thread: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/trivia-stations-with-toilets-for-people-of-one-sex-only.241981/

I could be wrong, but, I'm sure Yatton had a "not quite open aspect " gents toilet ...this was in 2019 btw. However, one feature it did have, was, a cast iron cistern above the bowl with a chain and handle !...that's something you wouldn't expect to see any more.

 

[xotGD]

Yes....loads of them. You should see the platform ends at Carlisle, Crewe, Leeds, York, etc.

But what you don't get is swarms of bashers descending on a station between moves, unless there is a Nedex* operating.

Two or three doing a leap between TPE 68s is the best you're going to get.


*Railtour

 

[12LDA28C]

How is it "over-focused" on retail. What would be a better option to the shops?

Not having to negotiate hundreds of people who are only interested in the 'retail experience' before actually getting to the platforms to catch your train perhaps?

 

[PeterC]

How is it "over-focused" on retail. What would be a better option to the shops?

Sticking a busy station on top of a nice shopping mall does detract from the retail experience.

 

[Merthyr Imp]

Machines on the platform dispensing cartons of milk.

 

[barringtoncem]

Mercury Communications Payphones & Card Phones i think i recall these at Kings Cross ?
Not sure about other Stations though

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Mercury Communications Payphones & Card Phones i think i recall these at Kings Cross ?

Been over 25 years since the 'Mercury' brand was last used, although I suppose that their old signage could have remained in place for quite a few years after then.

Be right in saying that they nevertheless outlived 'Rabbit'?

 

[D6130]

Vending machines selling chocolate bars (usually Fry's).

 

[Merthyr Imp]

Vending machines selling chocolate bars (usually Fry's).

I remember them being Nestles at St Pancras in the 1970s.

 

[Rescars]

In the light of zwk500's comments referencing Flanders and Swann in the Station Announcements thread, we must add to our list "no churns, no porter, no cat on a seat".

 

[AndyW33]

In the light of zwk500's comments referencing Flanders and Swann in the Station Announcements thread, we must add to our list "no churns, no porter, no cat on a seat".

Though there are "cats on seats" still - think of Felix and Bolt at Huddersfield, George at Stourbridge Junction and many more, including non-railway cats who've just popped in for a sit down.

 

[zwk500]

Though there are "cats on seats" still - think of Felix and Bolt at Huddersfield, George at Stourbridge Junction and many more, including non-railway cats who've just popped in for a sit down.

It's a song lyric lamenting the Beeching closures, but yes there are still plenty of station cats.

 

[greyman42]

I remember them being Nestles at St Pancras in the 1970s.

Yes i think most stations had Nestles.

 

[Matey]

Excursion and cheap "Away Day" notices and pamphlets. Posters extolling seaside resorts and other places to visit etc.

 

[D6130]

I remember them being Nestles at St Pancras in the 1970s.

Yes i think most stations had Nestles.

Yes, latterly they were Nestles. Perhaps they got the stations franchise after Fry's were taken over by/merged with Cadbury's.

 

[Snow1964]

Gates to the station, not the small ones at entrances to platforms, but big ones close off the road approach. Some still have the hefty gate posts, and of course other gates to cattle pens etc.

Bits of old rail used as signal posts, and as low fences to stop things rolling off sides of loading docks etc.

 

[Ian79]

Gates to the station, not the small ones at entrances to platforms, but big ones close off the road approach. Some still have the hefty gate posts, and of course other gates to cattle pens etc.

Bits of old rail used as signal posts, and as low fences to stop things rolling off sides of loading docks etc.

There were still bits of old rail used as low fences at Hackbridge station car park until very recently (the last bits were removed last year) https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.3...bu0OOssA!2e0!5s20120501T000000!7i13312!8i6656

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Though there are "cats on seats" still - think of Felix and Bolt at Huddersfield, George at Stourbridge Junction and many more, including non-railway cats who've just popped in for a sit down.

We had a cat turn up at St Albans - made "himself" comfortable on PF1 - staff and passengers looked after him , fed him , called him Brian etc and he was useful. A passing vet got him checked over and found "Brian" was a female and was actually chipped - "he" came from Mill Hill and was returned to his worrying owners. A nice story. We all did miss Brian......a commuting cat. Never sat on the seat though.......