Heather, I hope you don't mind me making a comment about your passengers - especially as it might at first sound like a gripe..?!!
One of the things that really grates on me is what might be termed "Accepted wisdom". This is something that (so called, and mostly self appointed) railway historians seem to be frequently guilty of - and sorry, but I make no apologies for that statement.
One of those confounded and compounded errors is that the "coming of the railways enabled ordinary folk to travel widely and regularly, for the first time in history".
Anyone reading that and wondering why I am making such a fuss, might like to consider this:
View attachment 147351
Here is an 1865 waybill, showing "
CHEAP" excursion fares - in other words, not even the usual, standard, ordinary, THIRD CLASS tariff.
The journey, at
two bob, was only a local, less than twenty miles either way trip.
Here is my point:
In 1865, the
average wage paid in the district was less than
Eight shillings per week!!
Go compare !!!
Yes, I know that there were the weekday "Parliamentaries", while of course many factory workers, and Sunday school children went on jamborees to the seaside by train, but it should be noted that in the latter two cases, the trains were chartered by the businesses or the church - then filled to capacity by those organisations.
All of this begs the question; during the heyday of the railways, who the hell was actually travelling in those carriages ????
I am not here considering Lord Muck - and any of his entourage, for whom the first class fare was perhaps "small change", but during the day, the third class occupants would have inevitably, and exclusively only been
"businessmen", travelling reps or salesmen - presumably claiming "Expenses"!
Back then - and at least until the very dawn of emancipation, it would very, very unlikely to see any women travelling - and more particularly one on her own - at any time whatsoever !!!
Sadly, there is nothing new about the fear of the "Bogey man", let alone complaining about the cost of season tickets !!!
All the best,
Pete.