In pre-revolutionary times, rail transport was considered the most massive and accessible. Therefore, there is nothing surprising in the fact that the system of building trains and the standards for them was clearly established in the Russian Empire. But the cars existed in a huge number of types, and somehow it was necessary to distinguish them. Therefore, for the classification we chose … color. The history of the pre-revolutionary railway is also interesting to study because there you can find such trains and wagons that simply do not exist in modern transport.
The most interesting in terms of classification can be considered passenger trains of the pre-revolutionary period, the cars of which were divided into classes. So, on the imperial public railways, regardless of the type of property - joint-stock or state, since 1879, cars were painted in the following colors: I class - blue, II class - yellow, light brown or golden, III class - dark green, IV class - gray. In addition, each carriage was additionally indicated by its type.
Historical sources also preserved the number of passenger cars on the railways of the Russian Empire before the start of the First World War: 1401 soft - class I, 1642 soft - mixed class I and II, 3697 soft class II, 330 mixed class II and III, 10 611 hard III class, 7174 hard IV class. In addition, 509 prison cars, 652 ambulances, 1298 service, 771 postal, 2190 baggage cars, 540 auxiliary and 341 others also traveled on the rails of Russia.
A number of domestic factories were involved in the construction of passenger cars: Bukhteeva, Bremme, Varshavsky, Williams, Kolomensky, Kuleshova, Levestama, Maltsevsky, Putilovsky, Russko-Baltic, Sampsonievsky, Sormovsky. Many workshops of other railways were engaged in assembling equipment and furnishing interiors. And the first attempt to divide the cars into classes was made in 1837 on the Tsarskoye Selo track. Around the same time, they first tried to use color for grading class.
The most affordable trip was considered to be in a class IV carriage. At the beginning of the last century, they were built with three tiers of shelves. The places in them were tough. But in the cars of the III class there were already compartments with hard sofas and shelves. Their main purpose was to transport passengers over long and suburban distances. Initially, these cars were double-decker, but later they were expanded and a third tier was added. In addition, class III carriages were divided into areas for smokers and non-smokers, and sometimes for women. They were also equipped with a hot water heating system, a bathroom, and two open entrance areas at the ends.
Class II carriages of pre-revolutionary trains had four-seater compartments already with soft seats. However, the most elite and, accordingly, the most expensive were blue class I cars, which were used by noble representatives of Russian society and other wealthy passengers. There you could find soft sofas, nets for carry-on luggage, and a special compartment was provided for oversized luggage. Also in the 1st class carriage there was a luxury unprecedented in the century before last for other cars - a washstand.
In addition to the aforementioned, there were other types of passenger cars in pre-revolutionary trains, which had different furnishings or designs. So, for international traffic, as well as in high-speed trains, four-way carriages with comfortable two-seater compartments and expensive finishes, for example, mahogany, were used. Another original modification was double-deck cars: however, originally they were intended for the transportation of immigrants from Central Russia to the Far East, so there is no need to talk about any additional comfort in this case.
Also, in the passenger trains of the Russian Empire, one could find: saloon cars, restaurant cars, mixed cars. However, of particular interest, of course, are the churches on wheels, which were also in many compositions. The prisoners were transported by stage on special wagons for prisoners. And in the First World War, many trains were converted into ambulances.
Few people know, but pre-revolutionary factories built cars for export, supplying trains to the railways of other countries. Moreover, depending on the climate, it underwent some modifications and their design. So, for example, in hot countries - the Ottoman Empire, Italy, Serbia, wagons were supplied, the walls, floor and ceiling of which were insulated with a cork, and the roof was covered with canvas, treated with a special mass, which enhanced the reflection of the sun's rays so that it was not very stuffy inside.
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