🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <3o8g0e$6b9@nz12.rz.uni-karlsruhe.de>, s_tbk@ira.uka.de (Tobias Benjamin Koehler) writes:
> Is it true that, at some time in the past, there was a first and
> a third class in Britain, but no second class?
> 
>  tobias b. kvhler  

I hated to destroy Tobias' sig, but "sig transit gloria mundi"

Yes, it is true, right up to nationalisation.
Before grouping (1923 consolidation of the hundred or so British railways 
into "The Big Four"... by HMG) certain railways had first second and third.
I believe O.S.Nock, in his "History of the Great Western Railway" recounts 
a story of being able to travel on a Third class ticket on the G.W.R.
which had no second class, but upgrade (not his words... that Americanism 
did not exist back then) to second class on the Cambrian Railway without 
additional charge, so the C.R. must have had three classes.

Ah, the British system: no wonder the Americans over-use the word "quaint" 
when they visit.

David
Not OSUCOM

In article <3o8g0e$6b9@nz12.rz.uni-karlsruhe.de>,
Tobias Benjamin Koehler <s_tbk@ira.uka.de> wrote:
>Is it true that, at some time in the past, there was a first and
>a third class in Britain, but no second class?

Yes. At one time there were three classes: 1st, 2nd and 3rd. Second
class gradually fell into disuse because third had been considerably
improved (e.g. from wooden benches to sprung, uphostered seating) and
second was eventually abolished. I can only remember first and third.

Subsequently (1970s?) 3rd class was renamed 2nd class, and more recently
"standard class". This last change was one of those PR cons like calling
passengers "customers".

Richard

In article <3o8g0e$6b9@nz12.rz.uni-karlsruhe.de>, Tobias Benjamin 
Koehler writes:

~ 
~ Is it true that, at some time in the past, there was a first and
~ a third class in Britain, but no second class?
~ 

Yes

The railways had, by law, to provide cheap traval for the masses, 
originally at 1penny per mile. This class was gradually improved until 
there was not much difference between second and third class 
accomodation. Usually the second clas had more comfortable seating but 
the same loading as third class. Second class was abolished by most 
companies between 1880 and 1910, but it persised on some London suburban 
lines and continental boat trains until the 1960's
--
-- 
--------------------------------------------------------------
 Bill Bedford                        Designer of Photo-Etches
 billb@mousa.demon.co.uk       
     
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In article <3oanin$bt4@masala.cc.uh.edu> chem91@Elroy.UH.EDU writes:
 > There were three classes into British Railways (post-1948) days on boat 
 > trains from London to Dover -- apparently some European railways still 
 > maintained a three-tier system, and BR also went along with this on its 
 > token "international" services. 
 > 
The three-tier system was abandoned in continental Europe in 1956 for
international trains.  Some countries had already abandoned it before
that time for national trains (like the Netherlands where there was a
time when all national trains had only 2nd and 3rd class).
-- 
dik t. winter, cwi, kruislaan 413, 1098 sj  amsterdam, nederland, +31205924098
home: bovenover 215, 1025 jn  amsterdam, nederland; e-mail: dik@cwi.nl

s_tbk@ira.uka.de (Tobias Benjamin Koehler) wrote:
>Is it true that, at some time in the past, there was a first and
>a third class in Britain, but no second class?
>
This situation existed for some time (1945 - 1965 approx.) in Poland.

In article <D82z2D.1H2@cwi.nl>, Dik T. Winter <dik@cwi.nl> wrote:
>The three-tier system was abandoned in continental Europe in 1956 for
>international trains.  Some countries had already abandoned it before
>that time for national trains (like the Netherlands where there was a
>time when all national trains had only 2nd and 3rd class).
Spain kept three classes until about 1980, when 3rd class was finally
abolished.
-- 
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 --    _ \<,_     Leicester University, Leicester, LE1 7RH, U.K.
  --  (_)/ (_)    Phone: +44 (116) 252 2237         Fax: +44 (116) 252 5027
================= Email: pjh1@le.ac.uk  ICBMnet: 52 37' 23" N, 01 07' 24" W

P.J. Humble (pjh1@le.ac.uk) wrote:
: Spain kept three classes until about 1980, when 3rd class was finally
: abolished.

Morocco still has three classes. European travellers with the
InterRail ticket can travel in the relatively comfortable
second class.

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