MovieChat Forums > The Mind Benders (1963) Discussion > Train suicide - unrealistic?

Train suicide - unrealistic?

posted 13 years ago by muzilon
5 replies | jump to latest

The professor just slides opens the door to his compartment and jumps out. Did British trains in the 1960s really have passenger doors that could be opened so easily?

[–] DavidW1947 12 years ago

As far as I can tell from just watching the film, the professor boards a corridor carriage. These had an exit door at each end of the carriage and a sliding door in each carriage compartment that opened out onto the corridor. There was no door in any of the compartments that opened directly onto the outside of the train. So the professor would have been unable to open that door in the film and jump from the train.

[–] hugh1971 12 years ago

Yes, 'slam door' trains were in use on British railways until the early 2000s. Surprisingly, one didn't hear of many cases of people throwing themselves out/being thrown out. Just as not many people ever fell off the open platforms of buses. Before health 'n' safety went mad in this country, people were trusted to behave like adults. Although nowadays, drunken chavs would probably be hurling themselves and everyone else out through those doors if they still had them...

[–] ib011f9545i 12 years ago

hugh1971,you sound like a Daily Mail reader.
Perhaps you didn't hear of many people falling out of trains but it did happen.

I work in the railway industry,like you say slam door trains were common until the mid 1990s when there were several deaths mentioned in the press and an ITV WORLD IN ACTION programme about the dangers of slam door trains and so central door locking was introduced.
There were also issues around people opening doors before the train had stopped at stations and the doors hitting people.

Old trains used by charter companies still avoid the legislation that applies to ordinary trains,they have to employ stewards to stop train spotters falling to their deaths.

I think most of the people who died by falling out of unlocked train doors were young people and most deaths occured late at night or on holidays so perhaps the victims were often drunk but non drunk or careless people got killed as well so the unlocked doors were phased out.

[–] spookyrat1 8 years ago

I rode in trains like that in Australia some years ago, though I don't remember them being called slam door trains. There was no corridor, just 2 long bench seats with a door on either side of the carriage that could be opened from the outside, after you dropped the window. Don't remember how the conductor got around(if there was one)and neither do I remember of any episodes of people throwing themselves out of the train, though it may well have occurred.🐭

[–] ib011f9545i 8 years ago

they are called slam door trains nowadays because we have powered door train or plug door trains (same thing)means a train with doors that close and lock flush with the rest of the train.

I am sure drunk Australians used to fall out of trains with non locking doors back in the day.