Westcorkrailway Posted February 27 Posted February 27 Hello all I'm just researching the various uniforms and such that various companies would have worn (not that there was much variation between most of them) But do think it’s deserving of a thread below are a pretty definitive look at Railway Cap Badges throughout the years which as you can see have actually changed throughout the years 1 1 Quote
leslie10646 Posted February 27 Posted February 27 To this impressive collection you should add photos of the staff at work. Not really for the modellers, but again as a record of the past. The old railway companies used to attire their people very elegantly - it was "statement" of the greatness of the concern and gave the people pride in their job. 2 1 Quote
minister_for_hardship Posted February 27 Posted February 27 This was for many years the definitive book on badges and buttons, long out of print. There is an Irish section down the back, but mainly detailing buttons. 1 Quote
minister_for_hardship Posted March 2 Posted March 2 A Guard Of The Great Southern and Western Railway. (Ireland) 'Our Home Railways' - W.J. Gordon (1910) Early uniforms owed much to police and military wear, gradually becoming civilianised over time. I suppose they're nearly "athleisure" wear now, suit jackets and waistcoats still hanging on with clerical and some on board staff, traditional uniform caps have almost disappeared in favour of beanies and baseball caps. There's one garment that was unique to the railways, the sleeved waistcoat. 1 Quote
Galteemore Posted March 2 Posted March 2 Has to be said that a great deal of military and police wear now also goes down the ‘athleisure wear’ route. Baseball caps and beanies are fairly routine outside ceremonial duty. In the UK only the Guards and various categories of donkey-walloper really bother with ‘barrack dress’ Quote
ttc0169 Posted March 2 Posted March 2 30 minutes ago, Galteemore said: Has to be said that a great deal of military and police wear now also goes down the ‘athleisure wear’ route. Baseball caps and beanies are fairly routine outside ceremonial duty. In the UK only the Guards and various categories of donkey-walloper really bother with ‘barrack dress’ That’s rumoured to be the new 2026 uniform issue for front line Irish rail staff 3 Quote
Mol_PMB Posted March 2 Posted March 2 On 27/2/2025 at 10:50 AM, leslie10646 said: To this impressive collection you should add photos of the staff at work. Not really for the modellers, but again as a record of the past. The old railway companies used to attire their people very elegantly - it was "statement" of the greatness of the concern and gave the people pride in their job. The O'Dea collection at the nli has a good selection of railway staff at work, some of which also show uniform details. Here are just a few: https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000304867 https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000306073 https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000306058 https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000303702 https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000306734 https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000306905 https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000306401 https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000307857 https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000305044 If you search the O'Dea collection for keywords like driver, guard, master, foreman etc they will come up. 1 Quote
Westcorkrailway Posted March 2 Author Posted March 2 4 hours ago, Mol_PMB said: The O'Dea collection at the nli has a good selection of railway staff at work, some of which also show uniform details. Here are just a few: https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000304867 https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000306073 https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000306058 https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000303702 https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000306734 https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000306905 https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000306401 https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000307857 https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000305044 If you search the O'Dea collection for keywords like driver, guard, master, foreman etc they will come up. Turlogh cott folder on IRRS Flickr has good ones too 8 hours ago, ttc0169 said: That’s rumoured to be the new 2026 uniform issue for front line Irish rail staff Camo with High vis is that right? 1 Quote
David Holman Posted March 3 Posted March 3 Love how ornate the early ones were, with fancy lettering and buttons. Shades of footmen for the rich and well heeled. From a modelling point of view, it is the basic colours that matter most. Don't suppose there's a list/guide available? 1 Quote
minister_for_hardship Posted March 3 Posted March 3 3 hours ago, David Holman said: Love how ornate the early ones were, with fancy lettering and buttons. Shades of footmen for the rich and well heeled. From a modelling point of view, it is the basic colours that matter most. Don't suppose there's a list/guide available? If you're on Facebook, it's worth checking out On Historical Lines. https://www.facebook.com/share/1BFjHShWWH/ In pre Grouping days, green, brown, blue were common as well as the expected black and navy blue. Lower grades were glad to see the end of the hated green corduroy by then; because it was dated, too hot in summer, too cold in winter, retained sweat and BO(!), in addition the fabric itself actually stank due to the dye used The dyes were also non colourfast and leached and stained in wet weather. Following a trip to Brussels by one of the directors, the Waterford & Limerick adopted coloured caps as Continental practice; red with gold braiding for station masters at Waterford and Limerick, at second class stations ie Tipperary, Clonmel, Carrick on Suir and Fiddown, as well as Captain Weir, master of the steamer Rosa, they were to have blue caps with plain gold braid. 2 Quote
Tullygrainey Posted March 3 Posted March 3 (edited) As an aside to this topic, during the 1980s I lived in a Victorian terrace house backing almost onto the Belfast-Bangor railway line (the former BCDR line) very close to Holywood station. Digging in the back garden often turned up interesting objects, including 2 railway uniform buttons. Neither of them were BCDR. Belfast and Northern Counties Railway (absorbed by the Midland Railway in 1903) Lancashire & Yorkshire and London & North Western Railways (they amalgamated in 1922) Edited March 3 by Tullygrainey 1 1 1 Quote
minister_for_hardship Posted March 3 Posted March 3 15 minutes ago, Tullygrainey said: As an aside to this topic, during the 1980s I lived in a Victorian terrace house backing almost onto the Belfast-Bangor railway line (the former BCDR line) very close to Holywood station. Digging in the back garden often turned up interesting objects, including 2 railway uniform buttons. Neither of them were BCDR. Belfast and Northern Counties Railway (absorbed by the Midland Railway in 1903) Lancashire & Yorkshire and London & North Western Railways (they amalgamated in 1922) I think the second button is a steamship crew button. A friend of mine in Westmeath dug up a Caledonian Railway button. 2 Quote
Tullygrainey Posted March 3 Posted March 3 (edited) 2 hours ago, minister_for_hardship said: I think the second button is a steamship crew button. That might explain how it ended up in a back garden in Holywood. I gather the company also ran steamship services across the Irish Sea. Edited March 3 by Tullygrainey Quote
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