"British extraction" & the Shenandoah Division

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Frank,
 
Being of "British Extraction", indeed a lifelong English resident, I was  
mildly surprised not to have heard of the "English town of Scaleby". On looking  
it up, I find that it is really only a village. Being north of Carlisle it is  
only just English as well. For a little more information, go to 
_www.stevebulman.f9.co.uk/cumbria/frames_home.html_ 
(http://www.stevebulman.f9.co.uk/cumbria/frames_home.html)  The  Gilpins are mentioned in passing.
 
I was very interested in the description of Scaleby station, which seems to  
be a good description of the passenger facilities at a typical British station 
 of the 19th century (when nearly all were originally built). There would be 
a  General Waiting Room and a Ladies' Waiting Room, which would be the only 
way to  reach the ladies' lavatory. The gentlemen's lavatory might be accessible 
from  the General Waiting Room or more often from the platform. Occasionally 
both  routes might be available. I assume the genlemens' lavatory was 
available to the  station staff: I have never noticed seperate staff facilities on a 
plan.  Before WW1 such employees would have been exclusively male.  
This sounds very much like Hattie Gilpin has attempted to import  the ways of 
their homeland which they view as more genteel and "olde  worlde" than the 
"uncouth" manners of the locals. If anything they  have gone over the top: I 
have never heard of a "withdrawing room" in any  railway station either side of 
the Atlantic, but ladies' room is clearly what it  is.
The original Scaleby never seems to have had the benefit of a station, but  
if it did I doubt it would have been as grand as Hattie's.
At some larger stations, facilities were further subdivided by class as  well 
as gender. This may seem rather excessive for somewhere to wait for a  train, 
but of course this is just what we find in airports today.
There was never any attempt to segregate by race. No doubt this was  due to a 
distinct lack of non-whites in the country at the time rather than any  
notions of equality or freedom.
I hope this is of some help, or at least passing interest.
 
Alistair Smith
 
Bedford, 
England 
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