The first-class carriages of the Liverpool & Manchester Railway corresponded to travelling inside of a stage coach. They were not very comfortable as these early first-class carriages did not have buffers or springs. One major advantage of first-class carriages over second-class travel was that they had provision for carrying luggage on the roofs.

Over the next few years the quality of first-class travel on the Liverpool & Manchester Railway was dramatically improved. Nathaniel Worsdell, a local coach-builder, was commissioned to design and make an improved carriage. His carriages had three enclosed compartments, each accommodating three passengers abreast. These carriages had armrests, upholstery and elegant decorations. The wooden bodies were mounted on 4-wheel iron frames. They were painted yellow and black in the same style as stage coaches.