I don't think trouble makers are all that much of a recent development,
and they aren't all late nighters either. Its detecting and dealing
with them that has dropped below the horizon

On the York Aberystwyth one night in the early eighties there was a
young lass in the next compartment (compartments - oh please - luxury!)
A group of scumbags got on at Leeds and started behaving - to say the
least - in an antisocial manner.

I asked them to desist and they spent the rest of the way to
Huddersfield flexing the wall of my compartment and chanting xxxxing Mr
British Rail - we'll have you! Of course at Huddersfield they all got
off as meek and mild as you like and I was left to enjoy my Deltic
haulage in peace. No repercussions

Similarly a late night run on a 142 from Leeds one night ended up with
me and the guard in the back cab between Leeds and Marsden whilst the
yobs - do they have a special breed there? - hurled Stella cans and
curry at each other. The BTP were called and were at Marsden waiting
for them. Don't know what happened - we were away.

The best was on a mid afternoon 156 between York and Leeds when a
leatherclad plonker spat on the floor and the nice German lady sitting
opposite him told him in no uncertain terms that this was not a nice
thing to do.

After some snarling he made to light up to show his contempt so I
pointed out the little red circle and suggested he thought better of
it. There then followed some further debate and he sat there cursing.

When we got to Leeds the guard must have noticed what was going on and
the BTP police were there - exit yob. I then noticed the BTP outside my
window pointing fingers at me and sure enough back on they came. "Are
you railway" - yes - "Would you be prepared to give evidence" - of
course. At this point yobs accomplice, previously unseen, rose up from
his seat and said that if I opened my mouth any more I would never see
Manchester.

He hadn't seen the large BTP sergeant immediately behind him who simply
scruffed him, dragged him out over the seat top, and it was him who
never saw Manchester! Needless to say, I never heard anything further.

That's what we need - quick summary discouragement. These guys are very
brave when they are in the ascendant, but put 'em down and they stay
down.