Apologies if this is starting to get too trainspottery.

I'm currently on an Avanti West Coast train from Crewe to London Euston and attached are a couple of pics of 1st class v standard.

I'm travelling mid-morning, a 10 car train. Top pic standard class, bottom pic 1st class.

Standards will vary between different train companies but might give an idea of what to expect.

Hold on a second! Where’s all the dark wood and rich fabrics?! I thought 1st class was supposed to look like this!

Where’s all the dark wood and rich fabrics?! I thought 1st class was supposed to look like this!

It's not a train you need, it's a time machine.

^^^

@jkbarnes

Maybe the King could let you borrow the Royal Train?

I’ll get young Ponsonby-Ffoxwalloper to have a word with Wills. They were jolly good chums at Eton.

jkbarnes wrote: ↑Thu Nov 07, 2024 10:31 pm The hotel was booked today - seven nights at The Scotsman Hotel. The last major detail to be nailed down is the airfare home.

Good choice! Very grand hotel in the former HQ of the Scotsman, Edinburgh's daily newspaper. Only 2 minute walk up some steps from the Waverley station and an ideal central location to explore Edinburgh. Being so close to the train station will make it handy for any day trips you might want to make - Glasgow is only 45 minutes away, with trains every 15/30 minutes.

Thegreyman wrote: ↑Fri Nov 08, 2024 6:17 pm Good choice! Very grand hotel in the former HQ of the Scotsman, Edinburgh's daily newspaper. Only 2 minute walk up some steps from the Waverley station and an ideal central location to explore Edinburgh. Being so close to the train station will make it handy for any day trips you might want to make - Glasgow is only 45 minutes away, with trains every 15/30 minutes.

“Grand hotel” was exactly what we wanted for this trip. Normally we’re pretty low key with accommodations - clean, simple, good location. But as this trip is special, we thought the hotel needed to be, too!

I hope you won’t mind if I pick your brain about Edinburgh as the trip approaches. We want to make sure we experience Edinburgh as more than just a tourist and experience some gems that might be easily missed.

^^^of course Drew, no problem

jkbarnes wrote: ↑Fri Nov 08, 2024 2:06 pm Hold on a second! Where’s all the dark wood and rich fabrics?! I thought 1st class was supposed to look like this!


IMG_1616.jpeg

That's how I imagine Amtrak standard class to be!

RichM wrote: ↑Sat Nov 09, 2024 10:10 am That's how I imagine Amtrak standard class to be!

Yeah, that’s exactly what it’s like.

jkbarnes wrote: ↑Fri Nov 08, 2024 2:06 pm Hold on a second! Where’s all the dark wood and rich fabrics?! I thought 1st class was supposed to look like this!


IMG_1616.jpeg

Last time I travelled on a train like that, there were Murders !

Regards Steve

magicman wrote: ↑Sat Nov 09, 2024 2:16 pm Last time I travelled on a train like that, there were Murders !

Regards Steve

Well played!

@jkbarnes
Hopefully there will be available seats on the Southampton to London Waterloo leg of your journey… Neil

@jkbarnes
A couple more trainspotter pics for you Drew. I went to London on Monday on Southwestern Trains, using the train operator that runs the trains from Southampton to London Waterloo. My journey was a similar time and uses the same train configuration.

Standard class… First class… More than one post in the thread has mentioned about travelling in 1st class to avoid the riffraff. If only it were that easy!

I commuted to London for 15 years. The first five with a standard class season ticket, the remainder 1st class. 1st was definitely less hassle, 24 larger seats in the compartment, never had to end up standing.

However it was easy to identify the rather annoying occasional 1st class business commuter on expenses…
(As distinct from season ticket holders most of whom generally had no interest or need to work during their commute)

1) trying to occupy more than their share of a table
2) working on laptop trying to pretend they were important
3) loud business telephone calls, trying to run a meeting or using excessive corporate BS speak

Far, far more annoying than folk returning home in standard class after an enjoyable day in London!

Neil