Old train compartments – who remembers?

Shared from Jay Whiff Watson growing up in the 50’s https://www.facebook.com/GrowingUpInThe50s/?hc_location=group_dialog

Joe Knight… Those were the dayslol think that’s a song there

Roger Simmonds… Me!

Alan Parker… Yea I do , not much fun when travelling from Kings X to Newcastle and there is no corridor and you need to pee

David Wilkinson… went in a 1st class one on Swanage Railway the other day

Jane Saunders… yes and the seats were itchy

Alan Essex… Been a long time since I was on a train, do you mean they are no longer like that?

Ian Johnson… Yes you could lay down for a sleep

Chris Meachen… They were the best..

Ernest Ballard… Best way to travel. Luxury and shake rattle and roll too. Beautiful smells and atmosphere

Pete Prescott…  Me! I loved carriages like these !

Angela Frances Gardner…  Loved these trains would use these carriages with my children when they were younger as they could sleep lying down and traveling from London with my cat so she could sit safely on my lap!

Mark Hanna… There are still on a lot of trains across Europe, I love traveling in these.

Liz Dees Dianto… Not that long ago

Alan Pepper… Ah I remember this ! So comfortable too . Now known as bus replacement service !!

Dave Nattress… Definitely recall these. Many of these compartments and old carriages just like this much older indeed still exist on preserved railways like the Bluebell and Kent and East Sussex and many more of course. Blimey, it’s hot in this anorak, and this article reminds me I need to renew my old train-spotter’s diary. Never over-comfortable these seats, itchy indeed and occasionally one would be crammed in 5 passengers each side, with a couple of bowler hatted old chaps reading their Telegraphs and Times newspapers. For a lifetime non-smoker like me, get in one of these with a couple of smokers – not good!!

Alan Parker… when you think back smoking was allowed everywhere top deck of a bus, trains, cinema’s it all felt normal then, glad that changed

David Collins… This wonderful image represents so much about the golden age in the UK.

Keith Veness… Remember them

David Edwards… Yep

Pete Houghton… These compartments were great I always tried to get one too myself but always ended up sharing

Josie Lawson… Oh yes

Jackie Hersee… No so great if you are female and are alone in one with a creepy male

Oliver Leonard… These were cool

Mike Guy… Stinky when there were smokers.

Dennis Torrance… It was called comfort corridors real trains

Conan Howard… used to climb up and lay on the luggage racks at the age of 11 going home to Hither Green, from a fishing trip to Maidstone back in the late 50s , what ever happened to my best friend then,, David Mc Ewan ??

Dave Weeks… Yes but not quite as posh as that one.

Steve Cooke… I don’t remember them being as clean as that!

Peter Ellingworth… Does anybody remember the ‘Nelsons’ as they were called, the ‘4 COR’ class Southern Railway electrics, classified as such being 4-coach corridor sets, and getting the nickname as the front end  had only one window to the side of a central corridor connection vestibule for the driver. Originally built for the London Waterloo to ‘Portsmouth direct’ route when electrified around 1937, being latterly used on the Hastings-Brighton and Hastings-Victoria runs sometimes.  They could sway, if I remember, seemingly quite alarmingly at speed, and the seats you sank right down in.Very spacious inside though, and in service until the early ’70’s.Out of interest, the Bluebell Railway are on the cusp of completing one of the steam hauled coaches used on the Hastings-Tonbridge route that until electrification in 1986, had to use especially constructed narrow width stock -“Restriction O” it was known as -being at 8 foot width instead of the normal 8 ft 6″ because of gauge restrictions mainly in Mountfield tunnel, brought about due to additional brick lining having to be being added following issues shortly after completion,  because of shoddy contractor work during construction.Regarding the King’s Cross- Newcastle services, having  non-corridor coaches where you couldn’t  go to the loo must have been a rarity indeed- I certainly don’t recollect these,  only on the Welwyn Garden City- Moorgate/King’s Cross inner suburban routes. And when I first moved away from Hastings to Hertfordshire, the Gresley ‘Quadarts’ articulated coaches were still about – just. How I remember catching the train from either Moorgate or Barbican, and grinding up the steeply graded and sharply curved notorious  ‘Hotel Curve’ tunnel from the Met widened lines into the King’s Cross suburban platform 14 I think it was.((Now all gone with the redevelopment).

Bookham Ally… and the strikes. Don’t forget the strikes.

Ray Nickson… Paignton to Kingswear, on the Dartmouth Steam Railway – September 2021

Margaret Broverman… In the 60s I used to take first class  from Manchester to Blackpool on the old steam trains. These cabins were so wonderful .I wish train travel would return to this level for a reasonable price. Wonderful memories!!!!

Stuart Moir… Used to travel to school football training on one like that from Gunnersbury to Barnes bridge station .

Ralph Town… You can enjoy seats like these on the Ruddington heritage line,just down the road from me lol.

Carol Anne… Used to love watching the old steam trains when visiting grandparents in Yorkshire, lucky the old lines where just across the field from their home and the canal alongside, watching the barges also, but travelling in the trains was something else. Thank goodness for places like bluebell railways and others that keep theses trains going. good memories

 

7 thoughts on “Old train compartments – who remembers?”

  1. Definitely recall these. Many of these compartments and old carriages just like this much older indeed still exist on preserved railways like the Bluebell and Kent and East Sussex and many more of course. Blimey, it’s hot in this anorak, and this article reminds me I need to renew my old train-spotter’s diary. Never over-comfortable these seats, itchy indeed and occasionally one would be crammed in 5 passengers each side, with a couple of bowler hatted old chaps reading their Telegraphs and Times newspapers. For a lifetime non-smoker like me, get in one of these with a couple of smokers – not good!!

    Reply
    • British Railways standard Mark 1 side aisle corridor coach from the early 1950’s ?

      Does anybody remember the ‘Nelsons’ as they were called, the ‘4 COR’ class Southern Railway electrics, classified as such being 4-coach corridor sets, and getting the nickname as the front end had only one window to the side of a central corridor connection vestibule for the driver.

      Originally built for the London Waterloo to ‘Portsmouth direct’ route when electrified around 1937, being latterly used on the Hastings-Brighton and Hastings-Victoria runs sometimes. They could sway, if I remember, seemingly quite alarmingly at speed, and the seats you sank right down in.
      Very spacious inside though, and in service until the early ’70’s.

      Out of interest, the Bluebell Railway are on the cusp of completing one of the steam hauled coaches used on the Hastings-Tonbridge route that until electrification in 1986, had to use especially constructed narrow width stock -“Restriction O” it was known as -being at 8 foot width instead of the normal 8 ft 6″ because of gauge restrictions mainly in Mountfield tunnel, brought about due to additional brick lining having to be being added following issues shortly after completion, because of shoddy contractor work during construction.

      Regarding the King’s Cross- Newcastle services, having non-corridor coaches where you couldn’t go to the loo must have been a rarity indeed- I certainly don’t recollect these, only on the Welwyn Garden City- Moorgate/King’s Cross inner suburban routes.

      And when I first moved away from Hastings to Hertfordshire, the Gresley ‘Quadarts’ articulated coaches were still about – just. How I remember catching the train from either Moorgate or Barbican, and grinding up the steeply graded and sharply curved notorious ‘Hotel Curve’ tunnel from the Met widened lines into the King’s Cross suburban platform 14 I think it was.((Now all gone with the redevelopment).

      Reply
  2. used to climb up and lay on the luggage racks at the age of 11 going home to Hither Green, from a fishing trip to Maidstone back in the late 50s , what ever happened to my best friend then,, David Mc Ewan ??

    Reply
  3. In the 60s I used to take first class as above from Manchester to Blackpool on the old steam trains. These cabins were so wonderful .I wish train travel would return to this level for a reasonable price. Wonderful memories!!!!

    Reply
  4. Used to love watching the old steam trains when visiting grandparents in Yorkshire, lucky the old lines where just across the field from their home and the canal alongside, watching the barges also, but travelling in the trains was something else. Thank goodness for places like bluebell railways and others that keep theses trains going. good memories

    Reply

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