Travelling in the History of CFR

The Railway Uniform Along the Time

The bases of the railway institution have been set up in Romania, at the state's initiative, after several attempts and tapping and after a quite bearish beginning, because there were many to oppose. Therefore, on October 19/31, 1869, (the two dates representing the old and the new calendar), Bucharest Filaret - Giurgiu railway line was inaugurated, with a lot of glitter and pride of the government representatives, accompanied by the curiosity, enthusiasm and, sometimes, the fear of thousands of Romanians present along the iron way.
Today, after almost a century and a half, when the information about the beginnings has kind of lost in the mist of the time, we wonder sometimes when the CFR initials under the railway employees name have appeared for the first time, why was chosen the symbol of the winged wheel or…why did the railway employees have an uniform?
We already know that the institution of the Romanian Railways has been named the second army o the country, due to the strategic position occupied by the railway network in the history of the country, as well as for the heroism and the devotion that the railway workers have proved during the wars, which have not fetched about these lands either.
There would be a lot to tell about the role of the uniform. Because the uniform can have several meanings, the motivation of their wearing being quite complex.
Yet, in fact, what is it a uniform? The simplest definition we have found out appealing to the Explanatory Dictionary of the Romanian Language - far too known yet, unfortunately, not too often used DEX; therefore, we have learnt that a uniform is: clothing tailored according to a model and compulsorily worn by the members of an institution; for example, army, school.
If we take a while to think, we can say that the great majority of the population of this country has worn at least once in their life a uniform, as a consequence the feelings issued from the obligation to wear a vestment more or less identical that are quite familiar to many of us and have issued different reactions: from the pride of belonging to a "chaste", to the rejection. Let's remember, for example, the refuse of the school pupils to wear a uniform, in the first years after 1990, followed by the selection of certain modern models, easier to be worn and more agreeable to look at, inspired, in majority from the occidental fashion. Consequently, the uniform can give satisfaction, as well as rejection feelings.
Generally, there is considered that the uniform should impose respect, seriousness and, not at last, dignity, to those that are wearing it, as well as to the citizens meeting the man in the uniform. And the respect is addressed to its possessor, and in the same time, to the institution he represents.

The first models have been…sumptuous

Once with the occurrence of the railway transport, the railway world has imposed itself by several models of uniforms. England being the "place of birth" of the iron way obviously the most spread out model was the English one. In our country, there seems to be chosen the German version, which was not too different from the British one. And the reason of inspiration was once again explainable, a principal of German origins was leading our country while the beginnings of the railways in Romania were made.
Making another incursion in the history, we remember that the first state railways, as a centralized institution has been set up on April 11/23, 1880 and has been named the Princely Direction of Romanian Railways. The name has been changed in the Royal CFR Department (on May 10, 1881), then becoming (on March 1883) the General Department of CFR. As the work The Railways, Data and Images is testifying, work issued in 1994, "through the set up of the Princely Department of CFR there has been experienced the real Romanian age of the railway transport, to the initials of CFR being added the specific emblem having the value of a symbol: the winged wheel".
Unfortunately, the historical wells are quite niggard with regard to the occurrence of the first railway uniforms in our country; one of the few references to this subject we find in the work that we have quoted previously. Therefore, we find out that, once with the organization of the General Department of CFR, there has been adopted a unique uniform model for the railway personnel (attesting that initially there were several models; fact that can be quite normal, being well known the fact that the first railway sections have been built and exploited by various foreign entrepreneurs, which have brought their own patterns of uniform). Two of the first main service instructions which make reference to this fact have been published on December 1, 1885 and, respectively on August 1, 1892. The first one was stipulating the compulsory wearing of the uniform during the work hours by all the personnel of CFR. There have been established three models, which were going to be worn according to the events the CFR employees were attending. In order to emphasize the different railway services, they had sewed on the cap, collar and velvet braid bands in specific colors: dark red - for the Operation Unit, black - for the Hauling Unit and light blue (or green?) - for the Maintenance Unit.
Therefore, the festive vestment model has been established, made up of fine thick cloth, "officers like" of dark blue, with the golden regalia, stripes and buttons. The second model, of festive vestment, and also for work, was made of a less fine thick cloth, still dark blue, yet the regalia, stripes and buttons were silver like. The third model, for work, was made of an ordinary thick cloth, of a gray color, having silver like regalia and buttons and had no stripes.
The cap was never missing from all these three suits, differentiated according to the position held. For example, in 1890, although the uniform was facultative, an engine driver working with the Hauling Unit was forced to wear the cap; the cap should be made of a fine thick cloth, of a dark blue color, with a black velvet band, where the winged wheel and the royal figure of Carol I were fixed. On his turn, the chief of the station was wearing the festive vestment uniform, which was completed with a red cap, having the band made of black thick cloth.
The category of the station was obvious through the type of stripe:
- main class - golden stripe of 20 mm;
- Ist class - golden stripes of 15 mm;
- IInd class - four golden stripes of 3 mm;
- IIIrd class - three golden stripes of 3 mm;
- IVth class - two golden stripes of 3 mm;
- Vth class - one golden stripe of 3 mm;
A track officer had the obligation to wear the same uniform, of festive vestment, with the same model of cap, the service class category being differentiated still by three golden stripes of 3 mm: three for the Ist class, two - for the IInd class and one for the IIIrd class.
The festive vestment uniform was usually worn during the holidays and on Sunday. It had in composition a frock coat with two rows of five buttons each, with winged wheels applied on the collar, a waist coat, a costume at two button rows, a pair of straight pants and military mantle with two rows of six buttons. With a round collar, made of black velvet, where there were fixed two braids of the color specific to the respective unit. And, of course, the unfailing cap, with the specific stripes.
The second model, intermediary, consisted in a tunic with straight collar and with the monogram of CFR applied on a piece of thick cloth of the color specific to each unit, buttoned with only one row of six buttons, a waist coat, a pair of straight pants, a mantle similar to the one from the first model, yet without braids, a blouse with straight collars and with the monogram of CFR applied on the same type of thick cloth as on the tunic and dark blue cap.
The third model, for work, included a tunic with straight collar, where the monogram with CFR applied on thick cloth was not missing, buttoned on one row of six buttons, a pair of pants , a cap - with the monogram of CFR and the mantle as in the second model. On August 1, 1892, the Second Instruction Related to the CFR Personnel Uniforms, according to which six categories of employees of the Railways were established, among the uniforms remaining only the first two models, categorized as festive vestment and for work.
Therefore, the model of the uniform of festive vestment at the beginning of the XXth century was compound of a tunic, a pair of pants, designed with two lateral straight pockets and one for the "classical and unfailing clock", a "military" type mantle with two rows of six buttons, with round collar, made of black velvet, cut in the left side for putting the port-rapier, and a red cap of the color of the uniform. On the collar of the tunic, on two braids of a color specific to the unit, was embroidered a winged wheel.
A more special accessory of the uniform of festive vestment was the rapier - a straight blade made of steel, having a 80 cm length, with the black handle made of buffalo horn, with golden ornament; this was fastened by a military belt (centiron). The scabbard of the rapier was made of black leather, the inferior end being covered with yellow brass. On wintertime, the vestment was completed with a fur-lined mantle and an astrakhan fur collar.
Maybe there should be also mentioned the fact that, in 1930, Carol the IInd (among others, having a great hobby for the uniforms) has imposed the transition from the French model peaked cap to the British one, at the first army of the country, as well as at the second one.
At the new uniforms, the distinctive colors of the various units remained unchanged, on the collar of the tunic being sewed, on the thick cloth having the color specific to the unit, winged wheels, for the personnel belonging to the Ist category, and the monogram of CFR, achieved of white metal - for the categories II-VI.
The personnel from Ist category had as distinctive signs the golden or silver like stripes applied on the shoulders of the tunic, of the blouse and of the mantle, especially the difference between the degrees being made by applying the silver stars on the golden stripes and golden starts on silver stripes.

The communism brings about a more modern "uniform"

Another act, of more recent this times, is the order of the minister of the Railways no. 63 from March 3, 1967, regarding the granting of the uniforms and the obligation to wear them for certain categories of employees of "the undertakings, economical and budgetary organizations subordinated to the Ministry of the Railways". At the end of the sixth decade of the 20th century, at almost 100 years since the first Romanian steps on the railways, the granting of the uniforms and their wearing by the CFR clerks was further on strictly regulated. The supply with uniforms was made based on contracts concluded with the "specialized undertakings, subordinated to the Ministry of Light Industry."
There were, once again, three categories of uniforms. Their cost was covered by CFR unit in proportion of 100%, 75% or 50% "according to the nature of the position and the category of uniform, in compliance with the annex 1, the differences being covered by the employees". The model of the vestment worn by the CFR employees was changing quite a lot, characteristic being the tendency to simply it in point of tailoring lines.
Here we have, further on, the three categories of uniforms and what they had in composition.
The Ist category was meant to the employees from the rail region units, to the ones from the special transports and to a part of the ones belonging to the Operation-Commercial and Remote Control branches. For men, the new uniform was made of a summer suit made of terylene, opened around the neck, (a jacket and two pairs of pants) a suit made of fabrics, opened around the neck (jacket and pants), raglan made of fabrics, summer cap, made of terylene, cap made of fabrics and winter hat. For women, the uniform had in composition a summer suit made of fabrics (coat and skirt), winter suit made of fabrics (coat and skirt), raglan made of fabrics, a beret made of terylene, one made of fabrics and a winter hat.
The IInd category of men uniform was compound of a summer suit, made of diagonal duck, buttoned up to the neck (jacket and two pairs of pants), suit made of fabrics, buttoned up to the neck (jacket and pants), mantle, buttoned up to the neck, a cap made of diagonal duck, one made of fabrics and a winter hat. For the women employed at the railways the components of the uniform at the second category were similar to the one of the first category, the only differences being the fabrics - diagonal duck - and the tailoring buttoned up to the neck.
The IIIrd category included: for men - a summer suit, made of diagonal duck, buttoned up to the neck (coat and two pairs of pants), suit made of fabrics, buttoned up to the neck (coat and pants), mantle made of fabrics, buttoned up to the neck, a summer cap made of diagonal doc, one made of fabrics and a winter hat, and for women it was identical with the one from the second category. There has been also established that the uniforms should have a unique color - dark bleu-marine, and the winter hat to be made of lamb fur, of black color. There has been also added a supplementary white summer tunic, made of terylene, for the chiefs of the stations and for their deputies from the border stations. To all these models of uniforms there are recommended to be worn black shoes or boots. The shirt can be white or blue, and the tie, black or bleu-marine, without prints or drawings. There is also accepted the wearing of gloves. Made of leather or knitted, of a dark color, the feminine personnel being allowed to wear white gloves.
The dimensions and the materials from which the emblems were made of, the starts and the buttons were also strictly regulated in the Annex 3 of the Deposition no. 63, and the braids and the band from the cap were red, maroon or green, according to the work branch. The distinctive signs and the CFR emblem were applied on the jacket collar, of the coat, of the raglan or of the mantle, as well as on the cap, beret or winter hat, on frontal side.
Here we also have a few rules of…well wearing of the uniform from 1967, which bedsides the relish of the used language, I do not believe they have lost their value nowadays:
"The uniform will be also worn from home to the place of work and back, in various missions, meetings, as well as in places with recreation feature (cinemas, theatres, sportive manifestations etc.)
There is forbidden to wear the uniform during the personal activities (with house-holding feature, while working at the field etc.), as well as in the places that could bring prejudices to the prestige of the employee of the Railways or would produce the deterioration of the uniform.
The uniforms that have been distributed should be worn with the distinctive signs appropriate to the position, in the format and the colors established, being forbidden their modification or their combination with the civil cloths."

The third millenium and…Uniforma Company

Presently, the wear of CFR SA uniform is established in the collective work contract, its last edition, the one since 2003, stipulating a list of the positions for which the wear of the uniform is obligatory, as well a list of the articles in the composition of the uniform and its normal wear duration varying between 12 and 48 months. The model of the uniforms seems unchanged since 1967 up to the present time, but there have remained only two types (A and B, with the versions: summer suit, made of terylene, and winter suit made of fabrics), the only differences that we have noticed from the description made at the Annex no. 11 being the one that at the feminine uniform is accepted the wear of the pants, but only at the winter suit, and for the chiefs of station and the track officers the cap has a red color cap.
We have also found out that a trading company has been set up under the name, Uniforma CF SA, how else. Before it, the railway uniforms were made in the tailoring workshops subordinated to the rail regions, one of this having the headquarters at Bucharest Rail Region, with the sections-workshops in Bucharest, Ploiesti, Craiova, Timisoara, Arad and Deva.
Name - according to the set up documents, GD 880/2001 - Trading Company of Confectii for the Railway "Uniforma CF Bucahrest" SA, this is the subsidiary of CFR SA having in overall 86 employees.
Its object of activity is to make up the uniforms-type for CFR employees, yet, according to the requirements, there can be achieved various products, work and protection equipment, reflecting blouses and other uniforms and equipment demanded by the railway units or by third parties.
We have also learnt that the caps and the distinctive signs (braids, stars etc.) are not produced here because none knows to make up such things; they are ordered from a specialized company.
The company operates since July 1, 2002, yet, because there has not been succeeded to find a necessary space to operate at normal capacity, the number of the employees has remained reduced, much under the one stipulated in the set up document. With all these going on, the regulation is quite clear: CFR employees should continue to wear the uniforms! The uniform of the second army of the country! Which is not a certain vestment object, but a distinctive one of an important social-professional group, which they are proud of and which confers them stateliness and plus of authority.
For other people, only seeing a chief of station dressed in an impeccable bleu-marine uniform, "seasoned" with the red cap, greeting from the platform a train that is just leaving the station, should represent a symbolic image of the CFR institution itself. And to make meditate to the effort made by these people for the well development of things in the railway system, as well as to the respect that the CFR employees show to their guild, and also to the citizens that are transiting a railway station, namely their clients.

Silvia Mirea