Heritage Uniform Authenticity

Dredging up a slightly old thread, but my progression to guard has been slightly hampered somewhat over the last 14 months or so! However I have restarted, so it seems a good time to ask. Does anyone have a source for the above please?

 

HOPS used to sell them, cant see them on the website anymore, might be worth enquiring with them?

 

Thanks Matt, I thought they did, as you say not there any more. Shall send them an email.

 

If you are v e r y interested in authenticity, you can go to a theatrical costumier, and have your own replica GWR stationmaster's hat made:


This one is based on an authentic example borrowed from a friendly museum.
The pillbox style remained unchanged for decades, even as the uniform simplified. The last stationmaster of Winchcombe wore his with pride until the station closed in 1960.

 

Typical GWR - even the hats are copper-capped ...

Tom

 

Are you sure it is not the uniform of the 69th. Bessarabian Hussars?

 

and sing Jerusalem

 

Replying to a very old post - sorry.

The stripe round the cuff is reminiscent of bus drivers traditional jackets.

 

Personally I always associate it with naval rank. Numerous organisations were supplied by the same clothing firm(s), so it's not surprising there was a degree of crossover.

 

There certainly seems to be a bit of variety within the four pictures. Three button single breasted, six button double breasted, eight button double breasted. Soft shirt collars, stiff collars, and a wing collar. Watch/ticket pocket or not.

 

I looked on the website and this was what I found.

https://www.heritage-ops.org.uk/product/86

 

I think we decided that chap wasn't a guard, but a "train dispatcher".

Thanks, yes I've got one of them, it was the band with scripted Guard lettering I'm after. The stationmaster hat on HOPS still comes with one, but the guard hat doesn't. As Matt suggests, worth an email to HOPS to ask.

 

Ah! Right.

If HOPS shop doesn't do that, it might be worth asking if they could let you have an unembroidered hat-band. There are companies who could embroider it for you, such as Kentish-embroidery. (For a price)

The hats on HOPS seem to be based on BR practice rather than big-four, but even within BR there were changes over the years. My first 'Supervisor - outdoor' hat was the traditional wide crowned type (this at a time that most station staff wore the 'kepi' style ). Those hats used to have the old BR crest in gold coloured metal badge, later they had the 'arrow of indecision' also as a metal badge. (I never wore that hat, I gave it to one of the chargeman). When I recvd my first 'kepi' style hat it had an embroidered pad on the front with the double arrow also embroidered in (and three gold stripes around the back and sides, for my grade of 'outdoor supervisor - E').
First part of my railway service was non-uniformed. During the remaining eight years the uniform went through at least three versions, first was an 'airline style' jacket similar to those issued to station staff in grey/blue but mine in black with gilt buttons. Second was a double breasted black blazer with gilt buttons, third was the same type of blazer but silvery buttons with red double arrows. If you're not fussy about the exact period represented you could wear virtually any combination of items from differing sources. I'm sure that many staff receiving new uniform issues would have kept some of the comfortable old uniform as well.
(Just as in my current job of bus-driver, I mix and match three different styles of shirt from my current employer with one of the three differing styles issued by my previous company. Three different styles of trousers in two different colours/shades issued over the last ten years)

 

Yes, I'd agree the HOPS caps are definitely more BR in style. Funnily enough you see random bits of pre-48 kit worn in the Titfield Thunderbolt, including by the genuine BR loco crew.

In the early 30's the GWR had around 30 different issue caps, often with only trivial differences between them. When you consider that many of these would have become obsolete following the 1934 re-branding, and again after 1948, then you're talking about a serious amount of headgear floating around. And that's before you get to the obligatory flat cap/knotted hankie worn by certain 'senior' staff...

 

Obviously I have no idea how frequently uniform was issued in the 1930s.
My own experience (1988-1997) was that on attaining a different grade which required a different uniform a complete issue was made, partial issues were made subsequently at year to 18 month intervals. New hats were only issued when the style of uniform changed or on request due to damage or loss.
I imagine that a similar process applied in earlier years.
[The partial issue might be two pair trousers and a couple of shirts for example, jackets far less frequently, but uniform was not expected to last forever. Waterproofs were separate from uniform entitlement, I went through three different types of anorak and overtrousers in my uniform days.]

 

Knotted hankie for loco crew seems to be something I’ve only seen photos of in the very last days of steam - my (admittedly non systematic review) of photos seems to show it was rare or non existent until the real wind down of steam took place. Standards of dress seemed to drop, maybe (unverified hypothesis alert ahead!) because labour was scarce, with many new crew not being steeped in tradition and with little management hold over such niceties.

Tom

 

Yes I think you're right. I don't know about the loco crew of other regions, but on the Western in BR days you occasionally see berets being worn. Whether that was a legacy of previous military service, or just a 'thing' of the time, I don't know.

 

Was it Bill Andrew at West Coast who used to wear a beret when he was on the footplate?

 

Yes.