Having established the concepts of first and second class rail travel, it was only a matter of time before railway companies created a lower fare ‘third class’ for the carriage of the working classes, especially in the densely populated industrial areas. Companies such as the Manchester, Bolton & Bury Railway, the Manchester and Leeds Railway and the Sheffield, Ashton-under-Lyne & Manchester Railway all used open third class carriages, mostly for standing passengers, but sometimes fitted with a rudimentary bench (or benches). The L&MR considered the possibility of creating a third class as early as 1839, due largely to market pressure from the MB&BR and M&LR, but the directors were afraid that, with its lower fares, it would draw passengers away from the first and second class trains. The introduction of third class travel on the L&MR dates to April 1844, when the Board ordered new enclosed second class coaches to replace the older ‘blue boxes’, which were then downgraded to third class. The first of the L&MR third class train services ran in October 1844, departing from Manchester at 06:30 and from Liverpool at 18:30.
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WARNING! Not suitable for children under 36 months it contains small parts which can present a choking hazard and some components have functional sharp points and edges. Handle with care. Before giving the Toy to a child remove all packaging and any other component which is not part of the toy. Colour and contents may differ from those illustrated. Please retain these details and the address for future reference.