Day of infamy

"Cé hé sin" (michael-m-mouse) 09/03/2020 at 17:20 • Filed to: Dagen H

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On this day 53 years ago Sweden went to the dark side and very reluctantly started driving on the right, despite having rejected the idea in overwhelming numbers in a referendum in the 1950s.

It was proceeded by a publicity campaign which went to unusual lengths:

And had a musical accompaniment:

Swedish railways have not embraced change and continue to proceed along the left hand track.

WilliamsSW > Cé hé sin 09/03/2020 at 17:40

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Here in the US, the Chicago and North Western Railway rode on the left - supposedly because the original financing came from the UK. It was acquired by Union Pacific in 1995, but there are at least portions of the legacy C&NW  that still ride on the left today (commuter stations around Chicago were all constructed to service trains on the left).  

WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI > Cé hé sin 09/03/2020 at 17:50

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What’s the opposite of right?

WRONG.

#onlycommunistsdriveontheleft

Cé hé sin > WilliamsSW 09/03/2020 at 17:57

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Interestingly, several national railways continued on the left after road traffic went the other way. I was caught out by this in Italy a few years ago having carefully gone to the correct platform for somewhere or other only to find the train stopping at the one on the other side of the tracks.

ttyymmnn > Cé hé sin 09/03/2020 at 18:13

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Ooh, gotta get me some of those Switch Day Y-fronts. 

Cé hé sin > ttyymmnn 09/03/2020 at 18:19

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Not only but also....

ttyymmnn > Cé hé sin 09/03/2020 at 18:23

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A little small for me...

For Sweden > Cé hé sin 09/03/2020 at 18:41

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Right Side Gang Rise Up

Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer > Cé hé sin 09/03/2020 at 21:11

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Canada was both at one point, British Columbia and the maritime provinces driving on the left until some time in the 20s. I bel ie ve Newfoundland did too, but switched up before they joined Canada.

shop-teacher > WilliamsSW 09/03/2020 at 23:48

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I heard a different reason for it. What I heard was t he shelters for people waiting to ride into the city were built on the north side of the tracks to block the wind. No idea if it's true, but there is some logic to it.

WilliamsSW > shop-teacher 09/04/2020 at 00:27

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It’s funny - m any years ago, I worked in the industry and knew a lot of people who worked for the C&NW, and I thought it was the CMO who told me the story about British investors.  However, I think your reason is probably the right one.

shop-teacher > WilliamsSW 09/04/2020 at 07:20

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Maybe both stories are right? I dunno!