Trivia - Obsolete Railway Terms still used

[AY1975]

Lots of people still saying "saver" and "super saver" when talking about ticket types. I also hear "standard" and "cheap day" sometimes

Yes, and Second Class instead of Standard Class (even though Second was renamed Standard in about 1987. First and Second Class are still used in most of mainland Europe, though).

 

[AY1975]

British Rail lives on down the London Underground. Seen at somewhere like Marylebone.View attachment 57533

There is also a thread on obsolete signage at https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/trivia-obsolete-signage-at-stations.159500/

 

[PeterY]

It's surprising just how long, out of use phrases still exist and TOC names long after a new operator takes over.
I still refer to signals being yellow and double yellow
LNWR still is London Midland
Railway station
Points are points and not switches.
Still second class, sometimes referred to as cattle class
Buffet not shop
I'm getting my head around the idea of a train manager.
Cheap day return.
British Railways.

 

[philthetube]

Porter buttons for the external door close buttons on Underground stock, so commonly used that I cannot think what they are supposed to be called

 

[aar0]

Has nothing to do with students.

I have a mate in his 30s with a new and valid 16-25 railcard, as he's a full time student - so it has something to do with students...

 

[Pete268]

I often heard older train drivers refer to the ‘Chock End’. Eventually I plucked up the courage to ask what the heck the ‘Chock End’ was and I was told the ‘modern name is the buffers’!

 

[matacaster]

Certain more "rustic" routes which are operated on a "one engine in steam" principle...

Hull Trains?

I'll get my coat!

 

[Deafdoggie]

I’ve never really understood why people get so hung up over language evolving. It always has (English is particularly good at it) and probably always will.
If Railway station becomes Train station, so what?
Indeed, I would argue it should. In ye olde days it was called Railway station, as that was where the Railway staff were stationed. Nowadays many stations are unstaffed (the few before were called halts) so no Railway staff are stationed there, so they now all become train stations, this also matches bus stations which are rarely when bus staff are stationed, that being the bus depot.
If bus stations are named after the transport, so should train stations.
In reality of course, most people just call it “The Station” and say “Bus Station” if they mean that instead.

 

[dazzler]

Hull Trains?

I thought that was one engine in *smoke*

Pass my coat, it's the smoking jacket on the peg next to yours!

 

[Harbornite]

Punctuality

A common one, but I suppose 'head-code" is somewhat obsolete, given locomotives haven't carried a code on the front for years.

I've found Hitachi's appropriation of the word "express" in IET obsolete/incorrect - an express in the true sense wouldn't stop every 15-20 minutes between Reading and Bristol.

Good thing then that GWR are planning to run more intercity services that won't be calling at Reading!

 

[Harbornite]

Maybe not the most relevant example but I seem to recall hearing the station announcer at Carlisle refer to 'Manchester London Road' when I was there on the 27th December.

 

[IceAgeComing]

Glasgow District Subway or Glasgow Subway Railway 1896-1936
Glasgow Underground 1936-2003
Glasgow Subway 2003-

Although the temporary signs in Queen Street direct people to the “Underground” so it seems to live on...

 

[Deepgreen]

No no no no no no no. All the noes.

I should clarify - colloquially only.

 

[Highlandspring]

I should clarify - colloquially only.

In the English media and tourist books maybe but never, ever, by yer actual Glaswegians.

 

[Redmike]

"Saturday timetable" is an almost obsolete phrase on many Northern routes.

 

[AndrewE]

In the English media and tourist books maybe but never, ever, by yer actual Glaswegians.

and in "The Scotsman!"
https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/on-this-day-in-1896-the-glasgow-subway-opens-1-4317225

...
Save a refurbishment in the late 1970s which saw the system nicknamed “the Clockwork Orange” on account of its circular route and bright new Metro-Cammell orange carriages, the Glasgow Subway remains largely unaltered. Expansion of the six and half mile long, fifteen station circuit has been discussed on numerous occasions but has never come to fruition.

Glasgow Underground at Buchanan Street Station in 2001'. Picture: Allan Milligan

 

[Cricketer8for9]

Nice photo of Greenford. Somewhere in the back of my mind Richmond to Gunnersbury comes to mind as the last location where Underground trains were controlled by semaphore signals. Of course this was British Rail land in those days. Don’t know location of last semaphores on a London Transport Line.

And I may be wrong on the first point, so feel free to correct.

 

[Freightmaster]

I still refer to signals being yellow and double yellow...

As opposed to what??





MARK

 

[DarloRich]

I still refer to signals being yellow and double yellow

errrrrrrrrmmmmmmmmmmm?

Buffet not shop

Still a buffet on east coast and others

I'm getting my head around the idea of a train manager

it isn't a new title and is quite accurate in relation to their duties.

 

[AndrewE]

I still refer to signals being yellow and double yellow

As opposed to what??
MARK

errrrrrrrrmmmmmmmmmmm?

see posts 110 onwards.

 

[John Webb]

The obsolete term which causes the most (pointless) controversy is yellow signal.
Semaphores were/are yellow. Colour aspect signals are amber but woe betide anybody who says an amber signal. The amount of anger that can cause is similar to insulting somebody's granny.

The recognised standards for signals for use on railways all refer to 'Yellow', so it's a case of using the correct technical term in a safety-related matter as it should be used.

 

[EM2]

Points are points and not switches.

Again, the switches are part of the points.

 

[Dr_Paul]

Yes, and Second Class instead of Standard Class (even though Second was renamed Standard in about 1987.

I sometimes still call it 'Third Class', possibly because of my age, or because I see it displayed on preserved rolling stock.

 

[AndrewE]

I sometimes still call it 'Third Class', possibly because of my age, or because I see it displayed on preserved rolling stock.

If you got into the habit of seeing, using or talking about third class then you must be older than most of us other oldies here by a considerable margin! It finished in 1956 (tho' I don't know how long it would have been before signage was overpainted) and I wasn't really aware of it until reading pre-war thrillers or seeing my first railway museum rolling stock, probably in the mid-'60s.

 

[xotGD]

This thread demonstrates that when a term has been in use for a long time and then some faceless official decides that it should suddenly be called something different then the public don't just jump into line.

We've had railway examples such as 'second class' but it applies elsewhere such as 'linesman' becoming assistant referee (or is it referee's assistant?), 'the gas board', 'Common Market', etc., etc.

I imagine people have produced PhDs on the subject.

 

[Dr_Paul]

If you got into the habit of seeing, using or talking about third class then you must be older than most of us other oldies here by a considerable margin! It finished in 1956 (tho' I don't know how long it would have been before signage was overpainted) and I wasn't really aware of it until reading pre-war thrillers or seeing my first railway museum rolling stock, probably in the mid-'60s.

As early as 1956! I didn't know that. That's the year after I was born. I probably picked up the habit from my dad, who's always called it 'third class'.

 

[Western Lord]

As early as 1956! I didn't know that. That's the year after I was born. I probably picked up the habit from my dad, who's always called it 'third class'.

Since the early years of the 20th century the "second" class of travel was Third Class following the abolition of second class. In 1956 BR simply renamed third class as second class.

 

[tiptoptaff]

The name Rail Servant seems to have changed over the years. And station names with General in the title, a former Great Western term. MPD Motive Power Depot changed to TMD traction maintenance Depot, do they now call them train crew depots?

A maintenance depot is distinctly different from a Train Crew depot. A crew depot merely hosts crew booking on and off. Usually at a station. Not many maintenance depots are crew points these days.

 

[AndrewE]

Since the early years of the 20th century the "second" class of travel was Third Class following the abolition of second class. In 1956 BR simply renamed third class as second class.

True, but most people would say it didn't disappear until the railways stopped labelling coaches and tickets "Third."

 

[Andrew1395]

There are lots of codes referred to by the original system acronym. For example CRS codes. CRS was replaced by NRS more than a dozen years ago.