Railway Stations

[amethyst]

What we remember about old railway stations
Waiting rooms with victoria fire places
Metal Signs
Nestle Chocolate Machines
Milk and Orange juice cartons from a machine

[Richard1978]

Re: Railway Stations

Platform tickets

Photo booths

John Menzies Newstands

Florescent lights with the station name printed on the lens

[amethyst]

Re: Railway Stations

First Great Western benches
The guard waving his flag
The noise of train doors being slammed

[marc]

Re: Railway Stations

Most of the railway stations that had Victorian fireplaces etc. either were closed, demolished, or the building was boarded up and locked securely when I was growing up (1970s). any that remained were demolished by the 1980s.

I remember the Great Western benches. These were from the original Great Western Railway, not First Great Western. This company has nothing to do with the original.

Semaphore signals. Most of these have now been replaced by colour night signals. The crashing sound they made when they were changed.

Standing on the platform watching a coal train pass through.

[CrystalBall]

Re: Railway Stations

The old Manchester Victoria was a gloomy but atmospheric station when I was using it as a student in the late 1980s. Quite a few locomotive-hauled trains and smoky 1st generation DMUs still around in those days, of course. I used it again a few weeks ago for the first time in 26 years and it is now completely without character. Progress?

[Richard1978]

Re: Railway Stations

The old Manchester Victoria was a gloomy but atmospheric station when I was using it as a student in the late 1980s. Quite a few locomotive-hauled trains and smoky 1st generation DMUs still around in those days, of course. I used it again a few weeks ago for the first time in 26 years and it is now completely without character. Progress?

It needed a lot of work to fit the new tram lines in. At least they kept the Victorian fittings & map in the tiles.

[amethyst]

Re: Railway Stations

I remember boys taking down numbers of trains

[Richard1978]

Re: Railway Stations

Manchester Piccadilly had some toilets that were little changed from Victorian times, with coin operated cubicle doors & such.

Sadly these went in some redevelopment a few years ago.

[amethyst]

Re: Railway Stations

Manchester Piccadilly had some toilets that were little changed from Victorian times, with coin operated cubicle doors & such.

Sadly these went in some redevelopment a few years ago.

Were the toilets original and had pull chain cisterns

[Twocky61]

Re: Railway Stations

Railway stations like Oakworth as featured in the film 'The Railway Children

[Arran]

Re: Railway Stations

Quickfare ticket machines that only took cash and had no facility for card payments.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ascom_B8050_Quickfare

APTIS ticket machines in ticket offices

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/APTIS

CRT displays for arrival and departure times of trains complete with burn in on the screen.

Mechanical displays for arrival and departure times of trains. Click click click click click when they changed information.

[Arran]

Re: Railway Stations

Does anybody remember the British Rail giant cookie sold at stations and on trains? They were a bit before my time but I might have eaten a few when I was very young. A victim of railway privatisation.

British Rail also had a reputation of producing dubious and unpleasant sandwiches which were once the butt of many jokes.

[darren]

Re: Railway Stations

M,Y LOCAL STATION PORTADOWN FROM 1972.

ANOTHER PIC BELOW FROM AROUND THE EARLY 1900'S

[Richard1978]

Re: Railway Stations

I remember Casey Jones Burgers were common at the London stations, & another snack food outlet called something like Travellers Fare at many other ones.

[CrystalBall]

Re: Railway Stations

I remember Casey Jones Burgers were common at the London stations, & another snack food outlet called something like Travellers Fare at many other ones.

They were both owned by British Rail. Casey Jones burger bars were to be found in most major stations (Leeds had one) and Traveller's Fare was the station snack bars and brand name for BR drinks, sandwiches, snacks etc.