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best railway memories

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45041

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As a newbie on here and being of the 'older' generation, I don't know if this has been covered, also if it is in the right group. If not I'm sure a mod will put in the right one.

Anyway, I have been away from the scene for a nu
mber of years now and it saddens me to see most services are now multiple units, oh how it got me thinking of the 'old days' of loco hauled travel :D

My happiest memories were being in the Birmingham area in the mid to late eighties armed with my Midline piece (who remembers those!!) and in the summer raking in nb 31s, nb and eh 37s on the Cambrian, nb 47s and the odd Stratford silver roof duff on a Norwich Birmingham services. Oh and can't forget the roarers....had some decent runs behind them. One of my most favourite moves I think would have been 33051 on a Wolves Poole additional in about 1985, I had no idea it was in the area and at the time was my first ever Crompton.

Wat was your best moments?

Over to you!!
 
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Ivo

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One of two:

Either being in the Guard's van on an LTS 312 in May '97, and getting to pull the bell-chord to alert the driver to start moving (I think this was at either Laindon or Pitsea), or a cab ride in Northern Ireland last year to make up for the non-appearance of the 80 Class (which would later appear anyway!).
 

PinzaC55

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Getting a Deltic on an overnight from Peterborough to Edinburgh in 1981 which went via nearly every possible diversionary route including the S&K, Leamside and Beattock! The journey took about 10 hours.
OR walking from home in Sunderland along the disused branch to Penshaw on a Sunday in November 1981 and seeing my favourite Deltic roar out of the mist on a Leamside diversion.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinzac55/3501375144/
 

trainfanatic

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As a Signalman ending his 12 hour shift and hitching a lift on the footplate of the last steam loco built...Evening Star from East Dock yard to my home near East Usk and getting to drive it for a few miles.....happy memories!
 

DiscoStu

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Driving an IE 071 from Kildare to the blocks at Dublin Heuston in about 1992. I was fifteen at the time!! :D

Having a cab ride in a 47/4 from Grantham to Doncaster on a Kings Cross to Edinburgh overnight in about 1988/9. I'd gone to the front to take a photo of the 47 before we left Kings Cross, and the driver told me and my old man to come back at Grantham to see him, and he'd give us a ride up front.

Having 31271 and 31294 into Euston from BNS in about 1990 on a Glasgow - Euston InterCity train.

Being at BNS at about 4/5am on summer Saturday mornings waiting for somebody to tell us the gen about what was working that day, and then everybody buggering off to get what they wanted.

But my best is not a UK memory. It was back when you could do overnights in Germany in compartment stock where the window could be pulled half way down, and you could hear the 232 screaming/howling up front. Especially when it was snowing outside, and it was boiling hot in the compo, and the lights were off. That's what I miss the most :D
 

VTPreston_Tez

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Jinxing London Midland 4 times in a week for me.
I had a fun journey from Manchester Piccadilly to Manchester Airport on a Northern refurbed train, probably a 323.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I've slept on a steam train on a Manchester-ECML line in the south of the area somewhere. I gained like 1000 miles that night but it was in 2011!
 

VTPreston_Tez

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Well I've been on one, someone who works at Preston station had his daughter on it afaik, she was diagonal from me.
 

45041

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Also have some fond memories of the Buxton stone 37s and nb 37s on the Cambrians.....think they used the Cobbler sets. Plenty of farces and riots were the norm at the time lol.
 

CosherB

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Oh, crikey. Being lifted up into the cab of Jubilee 'Tobago' at Manchester Exchange when I was about 6.

Riding in the cab of a Manchester Ship Canal tank engine in Trafford Park when I was about 8.

9Fs and 8Fs on the Buxton to Northwich stone trains.

'Cabbing' a DC emu Altrincham to Sale in the '60s coming home from school.

Driving an S160 2-8-0 on the Churnet valley.

Lots more!
 

Polarbear

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For me;

  • A cab ride in a 503 round the Liverpool Loop sometime around 1980.
  • Another cab ride - this time from Chester to Holyhead & back.
  • Having a class 84 fail on me 3 times between Crewe & Birmingham on the same journey.
  • My first HST journey in 1977 from London to Reading. Waiting on Reading station listening to a screaming Paxman Valenta compete against Concorde taking off from Heathrow.
 

Arglwydd Golau

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mine would be:

....travelling on the last steam-hauled train from Southampton to Waterloo in 1967 behind 35030
....the 'Aberdonian' railtour in June 1966, 48 hours on a train from Waterloo to Aberdeen and back, I was zonked the next day, couldn't get up for school (aged 11)...
....many other memories but those two stand out, I was lucky enough to have a steam mad father.
 

ATW Alex 101

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when i was younger about 5 a merseyrail driver let me in the cab at ellesmere port, being able to go in the cab from falmouth docks to falmouth and back and getting to go in a cab of a 91 in kings x
 

LE Greys

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Getting to drive a Pannier up and down the Didcot demonstration line after young volunteers' week.

Then doing the same thing on a larger scale with an O4

My first sight of a Class 91, coming into Stevenage with a hybrid set

Last days of Valenta bashing, including an entire TF to myself on a Weekend First

Being scared out of my wits at four years old when an immense green Pacific (probably Duke of Gloucester) had her safety valves lift right next to me

Rumbling through a snowy night on the Deerstalker, or a warm summer's night on the Ocean

The feeling you got when departing Westbury on the last day of summer term, six whole weeks at home! :D :D :D
 

Erniescooper

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It would have to be travelling behind a pair of 20's on a Blackpool North to Blyth Bridge in the late 80's . It had been a incredible run from Preston and somewhere around Winwick Jct we had managed to reach three figures, not soon after that a linkage fell off one of the bogies on the leading 20 and began spraying the train with ballast . Someone in the front coach pulled the chord and we came to a halt in the platform at Bank Quay.
 

DXMachina

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my dad talking himself and me onto the footplate of 34092 City of Wells and the driver running it up and down a siding for us while we stood there.

I have no idea when it was but I was very small so perhaps 1981-ish.. or where it was for that matter.

Separately, my first ride on a HST which would have been about 1983, when all I was used to was slam-door EMUs before that.
 

lyndhurst25

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So many cab rides!

Can someone remind me of the big railway accident that happened, the one where all those people got killed, probably most of them children, and some kittens too, that led to cab rides being banned.
 

CheekyBandit

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Two whole afternoon cab rides in the early 1980's in the Ashford (Kent) area (including on one occasion entering the station) in a shunter and on a passenger service from Ashford to Hollingbourne. Railtour on a Saturday during April 1980 (possibly Easter weekend) from Maidstone East (starting Margate or Ramsgate?) to Severn Valley Railway (possibly a 33 to start with, AC electric from somewhere to Birmingham, then steam). Some of the railtour details maybe slightly wrong (anyone here who was on that train?) - I am more certain about the month, year, where I boarded and its destination. Running away to Bristol Temple Meads to see my then girlfriend 1986 (first ever HST journey).
 
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AlterEgo

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So many cab rides!

Can someone remind me of the big railway accident that happened, the one where all those people got killed, probably most of them children, and some kittens too, that led to cab rides being banned.

Unauthorised persons in cabs have been cited as aggravating factors and secondary causes to a number of accidents. More than you'd think. Just have a look at the Railway Archive.

Here's a pretty nasty one:

http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/documents/DoT_Preston1986.pdf
 

12CSVT

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Too many to list them all but here's a few

5th March 1977 - first railtour (pair of 20s over several freight only lines in Glasgow / Edinburgh area)

Various summer Saturdays in 1988 bashing 37s on the Cambrian

23rd & 24th July 1999 - 'Tiberius Kirk' railtour

20th April 2002 - first time I saw a diesel hydraulic where it belongs (ie travelling at line speed on the Berks & Hants with the 'Western Sunrise' railtour)
 

rdwarr

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Earliest memory that sticks was a trip to Bristol Bath Road open day in 1965. I was four bur remember exploring a "Brush 4" and a cab ride in a Warship.

I also have fond memories of milk machines on station platforms. Used to be 4p for a half-pint carton of chilled homogenised milk. Lovely.
 

Michael.Y

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My first "long journey" in summer 1993 to Kent and back with the family (HST NWP-PAD, Circle line to Cannon St, NSE to Grove Park)

37s on the Ebbw Vale line thundering past my back window

A diesel gala at NWP

Riding the Tal-y-llyn and Ffestiniog railways in my early childhood.

And of course the first day when I set foot upon a nondescript French tin box built in Birmingham with an American engine as a bona fide member of the train crew. October 7th/8th (training) and 10th (solo) 2011. (PS - Just passed my 6 month probation assessment - woohoo!) :D
 

Gathursty

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Last September, pulling the blind up to witness the sun rise over Arrochar & Tarbet on the Deerstalker trundling it's way ever further north! :D
 

Ivo

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Another one from me:

Thursday March 12th 2009

Returning to Southend from a University Interview in Ormskirk, I decided to return via Preston. I missed the preferred bus from Southport and instead reached PRE with just two minutes to go! And, sure enough, a Pendo was waiting - for Glasgow. I then found out that a signal fire had caused the area to ground to a complete halt! I was eventually carted onto a coach bound for Manchester, making my brother jealous in the process (:D), and then on a Pendo from there instead. I finally got to Thorpe Bay 191 minutes late and thus received £39 compensation - for a journey my College paid for! :D

By the way, shouldn't this be in the Nostalgia section?
 

ex-railwayman

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Memories, far too many to mention, but, here are a few.

Curled up sarnies and Maxpax coffee from Travellers Fare buffet cars.

Class 20's on the Summer Excursions from Derby - Skegness.

All nighters on various stations in the summer months of the 70's and 80's.

My first ever visit staying in the Lochalsh Hotel at Kyle of Lochalsh, opening my bedroom window and listening to the 26's and 37's ticking over.

Driving with my BR mate on the spur of the moment to Healey Mills depot at 3am in the morning to cop my last Class 40 before she was withdrawn, only to see her at Crewe Works Open Day a week later. :oops:

Cheerz. ex-railwayman.
 

507 001

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Wyvern

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Turning out with the rest of Duffield village to see number 10000 come through on its maiden run.
 

scarby

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Scarborough station on summer bank holidays when the station, which then had 9 platforms, was completely chock full, as was the stabling area: class 31s, 40s, 45s, 46s, 47s all there on the same day plus two 08 station pilots and sometimes an 03.

On top of that, at the same station, the variety of DMU stock - Metro-Cammell, Birmingham RCW, Cravens, even the occasional cross-country set.

Scarborough early mornings, hearing the rumble of the approaching train through the now bricked-up Falsgrave Tunnel, and then a class 20 would burst out of the tunnel with the pick-up freight.
 
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