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By Malcolm Timperley on

Picture of the week : how standards have declined…

Our photography collection is full of amusing and unexpected treasures.
Man on train, National Railway Museum blog
Sorry, these seats are taken…
© National Railway Museum

Contrary to popular belief, back in the 1950s, when standards were allegedly higher than today, it appears that it was middle-aged businessmen in suits who put their feet up on the seats. I visualise Mr Pinstripe as one of those permanently grumpy people who accuse young folk of being badly behaved…

This is just one of many amazing photos from our collection that you can browse online here.

6 comments on “Picture of the week : how standards have declined…

  1. How can you tell younger people not to put their feet on seats when you see this happening. If I had done it I would have had a clip round the ear by the guard.

  2. Looked at the list of collections & was fascinated by the “Untitled” cover picture for the “St Rollox” set.
    This one:
    http://www.nrm.org.uk/ourcollection/photo?group=St%20Rollox&objid=1996-7317_SRX_366
    Well, I’ve been able to find out what it was – but it was built at Cowlairs!
    The Reid-MacLoed turbine
    See (an earlier iteration) here:
    http://www.lner.info/locos/Experimental/ReidMacLeod.shtml

    So – now you can label it – & the subsequent picture!

    1. Hi Greg,
      Thank you for the information about the St Rollox photo. We did receive an enquiry about it in Search Engine a while back so we do know what it is but haven’t quite got round to updating the caption information on the website! Just to clarify, it isn’t the Reid-Macleod turbine engine in the photo, but the Reid-Ramsey turbine electric engine of 1910 which was later re-built as the Reid-Macleod in 1924. The Reid-Ramsey loco ran some trials on the Caldeonian Railway which is why there is an image within the St Rollox photos.
      There is more about the Reid Ramsey engine at the following page:
      http://www.douglas-self.com/MUSEUM/LOCOLOCO/reidrams/reidrams.htm

  3. typical rebel!!

    Have been looking at the archive, a fantastically eclectic bunch of photographs. Two favourites: The family outside the Camping Coach seemingly arranged as if around the hearth complete with bored boy! and the Waterloo station Gantry with signal boxes the two men at the end of the platform looking like the own the place!

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