70s uniform jacket - striped sleeves

[PFX]

Hoping someone with a better memory than I have can help out here. The jackets were more or less the same as a guard's jacket with the wool body and squared collar, but they had red and blue vertical striped sleeves.

I remember seeing them in the 70s but I can't remember who wore them. Anyone got an idea?

Thanks.

 

[Phil.]

These were the long sleeved waistcoats that were issued to platform staff. The uniform was black. The Railmen's one had red stripes, Leading and Senior Railmen had silver stripes. The hat edging colour was red for Railmen, one silver stripe for Leading railmen and two silver stripes for Senior Railmen. Guard's uniforms were the same design but blue although they never had the long sleeve waistcoat issue, just the sleeveless one. Caps had a silver stripe for a basic Guard and two silver stripes for a Conductor Guard. (After the 1968 grade conference the separate grades of Freight and Passenger Guard was abolished). There was an issue of grey shirts for Railmen and white shirts for Leading and Senior Railmen plus a red tie for Railmen and grey tie for leading and Senior Railmen. Guards were issued with neither shirts nor ties but supplied their own - hence some whacky clothing combinations.

 

[PFX]

Thanks for the explanation Phil. That's actually cleared up a few other queries for me too.

Just to be sure, the jacket/waistcoat I'm speaking about is pictured below. Were these issued to all grades of railman?

 

[Phil.]

I can't get your picture any larger but yes, that's a Railman's long sleeved waistcoat. When I use the word "Railman" I'm referring to a grade, not a description. At that time - after the 1968 grades conference - a whole heap of archaic job descriptions were abolished to be replaced by three basic grades. What were porters and lampmen became Railmen, Ticket Collecters and Shunters became Leading Railmen and Senior Shunters as well as what were Station Foremen became Senior Railmen.

 

[Taunton]

If I'm not mistaken the bold striped sleeve uniform was introduced with the "new image" in 1965 (British Rail corporate name, blue livery, double arrow symbol, etc). I seem to recall pictures of staff with this uniform in the publicity.

 

[Phil.]

...and here it is.

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/new-railway-uniforms-for-british-railway

 

[PFX]

Many thanks guys. Most appreciated.

 

[scotsman]

Ah, the railway does love a good waistcoat

 

[PFX]

Further to my question on jackets, I'm trying to get hold of a 70s style one to use at the railway I volunteer at and have come across a few on eBay which have been measured by the sellers. I bought one only to find the measurement is not as generous as the seller advised but the original label is still on the jacket, as they are on a number of items for sale, but they all carry codes such as 4C4C or 3C3B.

Does anyone have a notion how these codes translate in modern sizing?

 

[davetheguard]

These were the long sleeved waistcoats that were issued to platform staff. The uniform was black. The Railmen's one had red stripes, Leading and Senior Railmen had silver stripes. The hat edging colour was red for Railmen, one silver stripe for Leading railmen and two silver stripes for Senior Railmen. Guard's uniforms were the same design but blue although they never had the long sleeve waistcoat issue, just the sleeveless one. Caps had a silver stripe for a basic Guard and two silver stripes for a Conductor Guard. (After the 1968 grade conference the separate grades of Freight and Passenger Guard was abolished). There was an issue of grey shirts for Railmen and white shirts for Leading and Senior Railmen plus a red tie for Railmen and grey tie for leading and Senior Railmen. Guards were issued with neither shirts nor ties but supplied their own - hence some whacky clothing combinations.

I'm not sure about your last sentence about Guards not being issued with shirts or ties, perhaps this was correct in 1968, but not later?. I started as a Guard on the (then) Western Region in early 1978; and was certainly issued with both. Light blue shirts and dark blue tie.

 

[Phil.]

Definitely weren't issued with shirts and ties up to and including May 1978. They may have been issued after that.