Room on Top – The Story of Britain's Double Decker Trains

Room on Top – The Story of Britain's Double Decker Trains

‘Room on Top!’ was the war cry of the old-time double-decker bus conductor, but Britain had double-decker trains too – two 4-car units that could operate independently but generally ran as a single 8-car unit. The Southern Region of British Railways built a prototype in 1949, and the author frequently saw it as the Bexleyheath line ran near his house. He also remembers being a passenger on it occasionally, sometimes not boarding a regular train because the next one coming was the Double Decker. The units remained in traffic until 30th September 1971, not bad at all for an experimental train which, after some initial teething problems, gave good service for many years.

Like the train, this new Oakwood. Press title, confusingly in the Stenlake landscape format, is kinda different too. Few railway books have several photographs of the interior furnishings. Lots of bits of train are shown too, such as the communication valve, heater unit, between-level stairs and the periscope! The first half of the book deals with these aspects, the concept behind the Double Decker, liveries and how it was in service. The second half is about withdrawal and the story of the tow cars’ uneven journey into preservation. Finally, the author looks at little double deckers, gently reminding us that these are not chocolate bars but the various small models that have been produced of the Double Decker.

Softback, 48 pages, 73 colour and black & white illustrations