Coast rattletraps

We used to travel to school on these things. We called them the 'rattletraps'. The sliding doors were hand-operated and the trains would run with them wide open. Foolhardy types would climb between the cars on the long stretch between Backworth and Benton. There were actually internal connecting doors but I never saw anyone use them.

9 comments:

  1. I must beg to differ! The connecting doors were opened by a square ended 'key' by ticket inspectors. We found that a screwdriver with a wide blade worked just as well. Therefore if the La Sagesse girls getting on at West Jesmond were in another carriage, we could move, without waiting for South Gosforth.
    As far as the doors were concerned they had the legend above them 'Do not open the door until the train stops', of course a penknife removed the 'T' from train resulting in great hilarity.
    The morning trains were bad as the 'grown men'(Miserable aald Gadgies) insisted on booting us out of the 'four seaters' so they could smoke up a fug and read the 'Journal.'

    ReplyDelete
  2. So they were locked! That's why I never saw anyone using them.

    I remember 'Vacancies for Drivers' notices on Tynemouth buses being adjusted to 'cans for fivers'.

    I am interested in your use of the word 'gadgie' because I was involved in some discussion about it when the Dictionary of North East Dialect was being put together. What would be your definition?

    ReplyDelete