Things you don't see in trains any longer

[Western 52]

Frost on the inside of carriage windows caused by freezing weather and condensation from the steam heating. No double glazing of course.

 

[D6130]

Handy for bellowing out of (not that I did )

Ahem....you would have needed a carriage key to have opened or closed them (not that we had them before joining the railway, did we?)

 

[hexagon789]

I know some GW HSTs also had them at the 'standard' end of the buffet counter

I was trying to remember exactly, but my brain was saying:

HSTs, 225s, Mk3s, Mk4s in a TF/FO/PO vehicle

158s in the DMSL

159s in the DMCL(W)

442s in the DMFsoL

XC Mk2 sets in the RFB

But now I seem to remember HSTs also had them in the buffets.

Either that differed by area, so some sets had it in a TF, others the buffer it was both. Possibly to offer the facility to customers in Std as well later on?

I believe the first phones installed were in the WCML Mk3B 'Pullman' Open Firsts.

 

[Rescars]

Real meals cooked in real kitchens and silver served in real saloons - with second sittings on busy trains. There was a real skill in serving soup from a tureen, especially if the saloon was riding rough.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Dog ends and used matches all over the carriage floor.
Sprung seats.
Wooden panelling/fittings.
Interior door handles on public doors.

 

[Snow1964]

Umbrella racks below the luggage racks

hooks on compartment walls for your hat or coat

Padded armrests

Curtains rather than drop down blinds, I am sure they were orange in the early days of the 4VEPs.

 

[Fyldeboy]

I was trying to remember exactly, but my brain was saying:

HSTs, 225s, Mk3s, Mk4s in a TF/FO/PO vehicle

158s in the DMSL

159s in the DMCL(W)

442s in the DMFsoL

XC Mk2 sets in the RFB

But now I seem to remember HSTs also had them in the buffets.

Either that differed by area, so some sets had it in a TF, others the buffer it was both. Possibly to offer the facility to customers in Std as well later on?

I believe the first phones installed were in the WCML Mk3B 'Pullman' Open Firsts.

On the GW HSTs it was FO and buffet car, but I can't remember if it was specific types of vehicle. I do remember the 'phonecards' were £4 each which got you next to no time - in the early 90s that was a lot of money!

 

[warwickshire]

1. Edward pond drawings on the Ex network southeast units ie 165 166 313 315 319 321 365 etc. Unless the odd one remains on the odd Lnwr 319 possibly?
2. Proper destination labels ie Regional Railways and Intercity destination labels.
3. Days of Virgin Trains and severe disruption remember the free Virgin tins of cola they gave out as compensation.
4. Shaving sockets and mirrors in intercity coaches.

 

[Pigeon]

The incredible variety and profusion of grooves, cracks and sharp internal angles in which muck had been accumulating seemingly without restriction ever since the vehicle was built.

Similarly, the upholstery colour schemes apparently based on military shades chosen for inconspicuousness on the battlefield, as a consequence of the same kind of maintenance.

Both commonly encountered when seeking to make use of another feature one no longer sees in trains: glass in the partition behind the driver's cab allowing a view out the front.

 

[D6130]

BR 'Trojan' moquette (except on preserved heritage railway vehicles).

 

[delt1c]

Individual apple pies in boxes from the buffet

 

[Ken H]

Individual apple pies in boxes from the buffet

Lyons individual Fruit Pie. Yum!

 

[Western 52]

MaxPax tea and coffee from the buffet car. Does that still exist anywhere?

 

[6Gman]

Fully-openable windows in the middle one of the three second class compartments in Mark 1 CK (corridor composite) carriages....to allow sick or injured people on stretchers to be embarked/disembarked.

And I actually saw one in use!

Once.

Even in the 60s they were little-used and created all manner of issues with draughts and water ingress.

On the subject of window labels, Ladies Only labels (which I believe were orange on white?).

 

[hexagon789]

MaxPax tea and coffee from the buffet car. Does that still exist anywhere?

MaxPax still exists and I believe they still supply drinks to certain train catering companies.

 

[trebor79]

Buttons on the toilet floor for flushing the toilet and working the tap in the sink, along with a big knob to twist to allegedly adjust the temperature of the tap water.

 

[hexagon789]

Buttons on the toilet floor for flushing the toilet and working the tap in the sink, along with a big knob to twist to allegedly adjust the temperature of the tap water.

I last remember seeing those in Mk3 sleepers.

 

[Western 52]

It's a while since I've seen mail bags on passenger trains, or parcels. Remember Red Star parcels in the brake van?

 

[Cheshire Scot]

Paper labels on the carriage window for party reservations, sometimes a whole coach sometimes specified seat numbers, or sometimes reserved compartment - a friend of mine produced one of the latter recently after I had unofficially reserved a compartment for a few mates in the 1980s.

The chamber pot in a sleeping car compartment.

The wording 'Restaurant Car' on the side of the vehicle - or 'Buffet Car'

Steam leaking from the heating pipes

On the subject of window labels, Ladies Only labels (which I believe were orange on white?).

I recall a green version - maybe regional differences.

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Remember Red Star parcels in the brake van?

And not just Red Star, ordinary parcels too (not premium rate).

Bundles of Newspapers for stations en route

 

[warwickshire]

The swallow on the glass door on the mk3 intercity power operated glass internal doors between the coaches with intercity also labelled above it. However soon as you approached the door it opened. However they did cause interest amongst very young, youngsters, ie running up and down the train getting them to open and close. Occasionally annoying a few of the business travellers during the school holidays especially in First Class.
The intercity buffets with British rail livery food bags, Plus coffee and tea plastic cups also in British rail livery. Plus food menus in British rail logo and livery in the buffets as well.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Wages Boxes and travelling safes chained in guards vans.
Drain holes at the bottom of window frames to take away the condensation (or push matches down)

 

[alf]

Ladies only 12 person compartments in Bulleid 4 Sub south western division Southern Region EMUs.. & probably also in the Brighton & South East divisions.

At each end the 4 Sub had an 8 bay open coach including cab & guards van & seated 82 people, plus a 10 compartment trailer seating 120 & a 10 bay open trailer seating 102. Amazing..386 seats for 136 tons of train, plus up to 5 stances per bay..190 standees! That’s 40 tons of passengers.
.
I am sure the ladies only compartment was next to the guards van in one of the end coaches. Yet the driving coaches were open layout. A minor mystery.
I think the ladies only sign was triangular like the no smoking window transfer. Anyone know the colour?

 

[Efini92]

Beckett,Laycock and Watkins IIRC.

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

Didn’t the 158’s wipe all the data on the magnetic strip?

 

[MadMac]

It was a big clunky metal handle that was turned by hand like a doorknob.

Here you go! https://www.helstonrailway.co.uk/news/2018/a-br-mark-1-suburban-has-arrived/

 

[barringtoncem]

When using the buffet on the Fenman from liverpool street it was like being in a fog bank as every one was smoking ! & was there any passenger
control for steam heated stock as i seem to recall it did not make any difference as you were either roasted or cold ?

 

[Deepgreen]

The majority of passengers knowing how to behave in public...

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 9 Apr 2023 ==

Framed pictures on compartment walls. And weren't there also mirrors in compartments sometimes?

Yes - even suburban units had them - this was 4SUB 4732 which was returned to faux-original condition for service in its last couple of years until 1982. I took the photo after boarding it one morning in 1981 at Ashtead on my way to Victoria.

 

[Rescars]

Dropping the window to open the door.

 

[AY1975]

Oh yes I remember them. Only in first class though?

Originally they were in 1st class but latterly they were usually in the buffet car.

Also, curtains (particularly orange ones)

LNER Mark 4s and the soon to be withdrawn CrossCountry HSTs still have curtains in 1st class.

Dropping the window to open the door.

Yes, and manually operated slam doors. The Great Western Sleeper still has them.

The chamber pot in a sleeping car compartment.

And the adjustable air vent above the bed (or above the compartment door), and the trinket tray above the bed in 1st class Sleepers, and the pad to put your watch on.

 

[Cheshire Scot]

Doors being opened and passengers getting off before the train had come to a halt on the platform - and some crazy dashes to join an already moving train.

 

[D6130]

Members of train crew clearly under the affluence of incohol! (Thank goodness!)