Things you don't see in trains any longer

[Ken H]

Does any stock in normal service still have seat numbering where the facing and back pairs either side of the tables have the same number for reservations purposes?

Ooh thats a point. Reservation tickets had a tick box to say if 'facing engine' or 'back to engine'

 

[Western 52]

Mk1 coaches and maybe also Mk2s used to have stickers saying that tools and equipment for use in emergency were kept in the guard's compartment. Haven't seen one of those for a while!

 

[JD2168]

Bench seating

 

[LOL The Irony]

Bench seating

The FNW refurbished 150s have actual benches in the former parcels section.

 

[Rescars]

Compartments.

 

[Railsigns]

Does any stock in normal service still have seat numbering where the facing and back pairs either side of the tables have the same number for reservations purposes?

ScotRail's Class 156s do.

 

[fwsmVor]

Cranks hanging out of the windows saluting and bellowing "My Lords!"

As someone too young to have conscious memories of opening non-HST windows, why would they shout that in particular?

 

[Pinza-C55]

Single line staff carrying brackets that used to be in the driving cabs of EPBs.

 

[delt1c]

Wheel tapers , who remembers overnight arriving at Carlisle and wheel tappers tapping all wheels

 

[Rescars]

Wheel tapers , who remembers overnight arriving at Carlisle and wheel tappers tapping all wheels

A most reassuring ting, IIRC!

 

[zwk500]

Wheel tapers , who remembers overnight arriving at Carlisle and wheel tappers tapping all wheels

I'd be concerned rather than reassured if somebody started Taping the wheels not tapping them!

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Carlisle - when I dealt with it from a freight business point of view , had early , late etc rolling stock examiners who were known as "tappers" , but they really dealt with anything arising on all trains. An excellent and dedicated bunch - complemented by the Shap team at Hardendale , who were really there for the limestone traffic , but like all dedicated railwaymen (father and son team) , could be relied to deal with almost anything arising / passing on the WCML.

The rulebook comment about "all staff must carefully observe passing trains for signs of distress , hot axle boxes , goods falling off" etc (quoted from memory) was embedded in these employees. Slightly off topic - "tappers" they might not have been , - but rolling stock inspectors they certainly were.

 

[TommyJ]

Bars on train windows as per the class 501s which used to work Richmond to Broad Street. As a child I used to think of them as “prison trains”!

 

[fandroid]

Beckett,Laycock and Watkins IIRC.

I remember both HSTs and 158s having them. They were expensive to use.

My memory is that HSTs had cardphones next to the Buffet.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Apr 2023 ==

Southern Region emus with net luggage racks over every seat back in open saloons, so at right angles to the train sides. Someone will tell me what type of units those were.

 

[John Luxton]

Large numbers of squaddies quaffing Newcastle Brown around the buffet car at least on Liverpool to south west services around 1978 to 82 when I used then.

Ruddles County beer in cans in the buffet car.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Bars on train windows as per the class 501s which used to work Richmond to Broad Street. As a child I used to think of them as “prison trains”!

Also known as "Jail / Gaol carts"

 

[Helvellyn]

Multi coloured GRP vestibule panels on hauled stock:

• Green - Mk 2A
• Red - Mk 2B/2C/2D
• Fawn - Mk 2E/2F/3B
• Yellow - Mk 3A
• Pale Yellow - Mk 3A Sleepers

Could get a real mix with some rakes at times!

 

[Western 52]

Wooden panelling and fittings in coaches. I was wondering what the last BR vehicles to use wood internally were? MK2b maybe?

 

[Roilshead]

Wring as somebody who was resident in NI in the 1970-80s . . .bombs.

 

[LOL The Irony]

I was wondering what the last BR vehicles to use wood internally were? MK2b maybe?

Aren't the draught excluder panels and parcels area bulkheads on MK3 based stock made from wood? The emergency equipment cupboards on 150s are certainly made of the stuff.

 

[Matey]

Cast iron "WXQ" plates on the end of some older GWR passenger rolling stock, became a rarity in the 50s. Denoting that the Weymouth Quay branch was out of bounds. Spotted one at Reading or Maidenhead about 1954 on an ACF Fort Tregantle summer camp special.
WR Engineering/PW trains made up with a rake of black gloss painted and modified GWR clerestory coaches. One such long rake, looking very smart, was observed standing for several days in the siding outside the Westinghouse works at Chippenham in 1950.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Apr 2023 ==

Large numbers of squaddies quaffing Newcastle Brown around the buffet car at least on Liverpool to south west services around 1978 to 82 when I used then.

Large numbers of squaddies festooned with blanco'ed webbing humping kitbags on most large stations in National Service days. Also queing for the military boat-train Liverpool Street - Harwich(Parkstone) every evening. These ceased in 1961 when air trooping took over. A huge Nissen type canteen awaited at Harwich and a hearty meal of fish and chips was provided for all ranks before embarking. Catering was not provided on the troopships.

 

[D6130]

Wooden panelling and fittings in coaches. I was wondering what the last BR vehicles to use wood internally were? MK2b maybe?

IIRC, Mark 2d air-conditioned FKs and BFKs also had wood panelling in the corridors and vestibules.

 

[Springs Branch]

Wooden panelling and fittings in coaches. I was wondering what the last BR vehicles to use wood internally were? MK2b maybe?

I have a vague memory that the GN Class 312/0s (vintage circa 1976) had pale-coloured wooden interior paneling when new. I'm not sure whether this was genuine timber, or wood look-a-like plastic laminate.

[Edit] Here's an example:-

(Image shows original interior of a Class 312 saloon with timber side panels and blue BR moquette seating)
Source: Wikimedia Public Domain

 

[TommyJ]

Also known as "Jail / Gaol carts"

Ah that’s funny. Do you happen to know why the 501s were fitted with bars? Had there been an incident?

 

[Ashley Hill]

Ah that’s funny. Do you happen to know why the 501s were fitted with bars? Had there been an incident?

Limited clearance in tunnels on the lines they worked IIRC. The bars prevented anyone leaning out.

 

[Springs Branch]

Bars on train windows as per the class 501s which used to work Richmond to Broad Street. As a child I used to think of them as “prison trains”!

I think there were some 2-car DMUs (Derby Class 108s?) assigned to the Cumbrian Coast line which had similar bars fitted to doors. Same reason - limited clearance in a tunnel along that particular route.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Southern Region emus with net luggage racks over every seat back in open saloons, so at right angles to the train sides. Someone will tell me what type of units those were.

That would have been virtually every suburban class in slam door days... Similar but more substantial racks were fitted to main line stock.

 

[Ashley Hill]

I think there were some 2-car DMUs (Derby Class 108s?) assigned to the Cumbrian Coast line which had similar bars fitted to doors. Same reason - limited clearance in a tunnel along that particular route.

I also remember some Mk1s having them too. Not very popular amongst the bashing fraternity.

 

[trebor79]

Wheel tapers , who remembers overnight arriving at Carlisle and wheel tappers tapping all wheels

I can remember travelling from Glasgow to London sometime in the mid 1980's, during the day, and wheels being tapped at Carlisle

Ruddles County beer

Oh, now you're talking! Haven't seen any for ages and it was never the same after Green King moved production to Bury St Edmunds, still a nice brew though! Last time I had some I bought a case of it in bottles from Costco.

 

[johnny_t]

There was a very similar thread years ago where I put 'good looking women'. This still holds true in my opinion but I've got my 'serious' head on this time . . .

What about glazed bulkheads behind the driver's cab as on the first generation DMUs (and one or two EMU classes)? We live in a country full of DMUs of all shapes and sizes but none have perpetuated this feature.

And steam heating, mentioned upthread. Typically, your coach was lukewarm because most of the steam was escaping from the connection to the coach in front, or you had one coach in a train which was like a sauna because of an internal leak!

That reminds of some years ago, taking my young children on such a DMU on the Wensleydale. A pheasant chose to fly (furiously) about 2 foot from the front of the train for several miles before it eventually worked out that pulling off to the side would be better...