While you might have romantic notions about riding the rails, train travel isn’t what it used to be. Gone are the days when people packed their belongings in posh trunks and drank champagne in luxurious dining cars. To illustrate how glamorous train travel once was, we gathered some vintage photos to impress you.
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There have always been crowds, but they seemed more civilized
Crowds at Waterloo Station in London, England.
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People used to pack up their lives in stylish trunks
Two women at Paddington Station in London, England, push their luggage on a cart.
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Even the youngest travelers had fancy luggage
Two girls and their dog sit atop their luggage and read newspapers at Euston Station in London, England.
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Back in the day, there were porters to lug around that heavy luggage…
Railway porters in Calais, France, carry luggage.
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There were paper timetables
A woman at Charing Cross Station in London, England, examines a timetable.
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Dining cars used to be the height of luxury
The Flying Scotsman – which ferried passengers between London, England, and Edinburgh, Scotland – featured a luxurious, all-electric restaurant car.
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Heartier fare used to be more common
Passengers on the Green Diamond, an Illinois Central streamline diesel train, enjoy a hot meal.
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Back in the day, if you felt like having a drink, you could visit the “tavern car”
Passengers have drinks in the Jolly Tar, one of the so-called “tavern cars” that the British Rail introduced in the 1940s.
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Taking the train didn’t mean you had to skip teatime
People enjoy tea in a new passenger coach at Marylebone Station in London, England.
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Sleeper cars were more like hotel rooms
An attendant on the London, Midland, and Scottish Railway (LMS) wakes a passenger by bringing her a cup of tea.
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