Ffestiniog Balcony Coaches

Hello all,

As part of my on-going series of questions, why do the Ffestiniog have balconied coaches? Without doors on said balconies aren't they essentially redundant?

I'm sure there is a reason though, hence this thread.

Many thanks

Chris

 

The brake vans, and for a while when new, carriages 15 and 16 did have doors in the ends (on 15/16 accessing the end compartments when they had perimeter seating.) Cars 17 - 20 never did have the doors in the end - the balconies on these (and the main reason for those on 15 and 16) was to access the far side of the train to get into the small Birminghams' (bug boxes) non-platform side rather than clambering over the seat backs in a particularly non-victorian fashion.

John

 

AS I understand it, they allow you to cross the track whilst a train is in the 'platform'. This is particularly useful when the 4-wheeled 'bug boxes' are in use, as their longitudinal back-to-back seating has to be filled from both sides.

A similar arrangement exists on the Listowel & Ballybunion Rly. in Western Ireland, where they use stairs to cross the A-frame.


Jon