If you could travel back in time, what service would you like to travel on?

[Batman]

Mine would have to be the inaugural service from Hednesford to Walsall on April 7th 1989, presumably operated by a Class 120.

 

[34087]

Behind a 9F on the S&D, Bath to Bournemouth with Don Beale and Pete Smith on the footplate (better yet, to share the shovel with Pete!).

This for me too. Return trip Pines Express, Bournemouth to Bath. Ten minute late departure from Bath on the return, get to Poole with a few minutes to make up, blast up Parkstone Bank, forcing anyone on the platform at Parkstone to cower in the waiting rooms. Pete Smith mentioned this in one of his books and I can vouch that, on occasion, it was true.

Finish it off with five minutes in the cab at Bmth West.

 

[DiscoStu]

When I was a kid, I always wanted to travel in a first class Pullman, with full restaurant service. I was always gutted when we got on a train that had the service, but we'd be sat in bucket class.

Cross Country Grill in the old mk1 buffet with plastic orange seats was the closest I got.

 

[Welshman]

I echo your sentiments!

When I was a child, the nearest I got to a restaurant car meal was afternoon tea at 2s.6d! And that was a luxury!

I would love to have been able to go from West Yorkshire to London on the steam-hauled "South Yorkshireman"

Not a fast train, taking 5.5 hours or so from Bradford Exchange to Marylebone, but a fascinating route through Halifax, Huddersfield and Penistone to Sheffield Victoria, then up the GC to Aylesbury and John Betjeman's Metroland to London Marylebone.

And lunch in the restaurant car on the outward journey and dinner on the return.

 

[John Adams]

As others have mentioned, it is the "Pines Express" for me. As a young apprentice I used it once from Birmingham to Bournemouth. Behind a Stanier "Black Five" to Green Park, then a Clayton/Fowler 7F 2-8-0 across the Mendips.

 

[Whistler40145]

So much to choose from, but mine would be:-

Steam Heat Splitbox 37 Glasgow Queen Street-Fort William in 1980s
St Pancras-Glasgow Central behind a 40 or 45
Roarer out of Euston
Pairs of 25s or 37/0s on the Cambrian
Pairs of 50s Crewe-Glasgow Central
Kings Cross-Edinburgh Waverley non-stop with 4472 Flying Scotsman
Pairs of 31s Birmingham NS-Norwich
Pairs of 33s/50s Waterloo-Exeter St David's
Pairs of 50s Paddington-Penzance
Pairs of 20s to Skegness
Pairs of 26s or 27s anywhere in Scotland


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[DiscoStu]

Roarer out of Euston

It's amazing that out of all the diesel hauled stuff I had years ago, I still think there aren't many better rail experiences than Euston to Glasgow behind an 81/85 in mk1 stock.

One of my most memorable was when I dropped on a Euston - Glasgow relief at Euston formed of an 81 and Network Southeast MK1's in about 1988 at about 8pm. It was right away Preston, practically nobody on it (we were the only ones in our coach at the front), and we managed to turn the carriage lights off too .... we took it all the way to Glasgow, arriving at ******take o'clock in the morning, and caught the first train back south.

So yes, I agree, roarer out of Euston is on my list too

 

[swj99]

I'd go back to 1983 and go on the old Sealink Isle of Wight ferry, with the BR logo on the funnel. And a bar.

 

[43074]

If I had a time machine I would

• Go back to 1842 and travel from Paddington to Bristol on one of the 7' guage locos, preferably ''North Star''.
• Go back to the 4th October 1976 and the first HST from Paddington to Weston-super-Mare.
• Do the ''Atlantic Coast Express'' in full, from London Waterloo to Newquay behind steam.
• Try the ''Blue Pullman'' from London St Pancras to Manchester
• Travel on the first Eurostar in public service through the Chunnel.
• Go back to the 1970s and experience roarers in BR Blue on ''The Royal Scot''
• And more recently, to travel on the 15:00 London to Edinburgh in GNER days, when it was timed for 3 hrs 59 mins and experience proper restuarant cars on the ECML

 

[infobleep]

Didn't know it was possible to get to Edinburgh from London in just under 4 hours.

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[Tim R-T-C]

Travelling from Inverness to Kyle of Loch Alsh back when it was a real adventure, even in the 1970s it feels incredibly remote. Somehow doing this trip in a 158 wouldn't feel the same.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xEXM6E_LAI

 

[fishquinn]

The ones I would do.

Back to 1978 and bash the XC 47s.
Back to 1977 and a day out on the SR 26s, 27s and 47s.
Back to 1985 and take the Scot Rail Push Pull sets between Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Those were the days...

 

[Hadders]

Didn't know it was possible to get to Edinburgh from London in just under 4 hours.

IIRC there was also a southbound service that left EDB at 0600 arriving at KGX at 0959. I think it called at York and Newcastle only in both directions and at the time was the fastest train in the public timetable.

 

[dannypye9999]

id go back to 1980s for the Eastbourne to Manchester service via Milton Keynes then a late night return to Brighton at around 23:00 arriving 05:00 on a loco hauled set of MK1s

 

[cambsy]

If I had a time machine I would

• Go back to 1842 and travel from Paddington to Bristol on one of the 7' guage locos, preferably ''North Star''.
• Go back to the 4th October 1976 and the first HST from Paddington to Weston-super-Mare.
• Do the ''Atlantic Coast Express'' in full, from London Waterloo to Newquay behind steam.
• Try the ''Blue Pullman'' from London St Pancras to Manchester
• Travel on the first Eurostar in public service through the Chunnel.
• Go back to the 1970s and experience roarers in BR Blue on ''The Royal Scot''
• And more recently, to travel on the 15:00 London to Edinburgh in GNER days, when it was timed for 3 hrs 59 mins and experience proper restuarant cars on the ECML

I have done the 15.00 London KGX - Glasgow and the 14.00 Glasgow - London KGX, which formed the trains you mentioned.

I travelled in first class and had meal on it a few times, was quite to rare to do it in the 3 hrs and 59 mins booked.

I would go for a pre production APT run, any of the record attempts at speed and fastest journey time, any of the race to the north services, going hell for leather all the way to scotland and Aberdeen, at speed, and so many more things would like to have done to mention.

 

[Hornet]

All lines that were closed before 1976. Did two that I thought I would never do. One was a diverted Manchester to Sheffield train through Woodhead Tunnel shortly before it closed and the scheduled Channel Island Boat Express from Baisingstoke to Weymouth Quay in the late 70's. A very lively ride in Mark 1 stock hauled by a Class 73 down to Bournemouth, then the delights of a walking pace crawl down the Tramway to Weymouth Quay behind a Class 33. The Train was heavily ladened with holidaymakers heading for Jersey and Guernsey, (no cheap flights to the C.I. in those days). Most could not have cared less that they were travelling down the middle of main road in Weymouth. (Also remember the long line of people going through the 'Nothing to Declare' channel on the return from the C.I. at Weymouth Quay. Customs were strict in those days). Also the joy of paying Port Tax for Ship travel in those days!

 

[EbbwJunction1]

Just a few real ones ...

1. The "Cheltenham Flyer" between Paddington and Cheltenham & return.

2. "This is the Night Mail, crossing the Border ......"

3. "City of Truro", 1904

4. "Mallard", 1938

and some filmed ones:

1. "The Ghost Train"

2. "The Titfield Thunderbolt"

3. "The Last Journey"

 

[Bengt Mettyl]

A number of possibilities come to mind - Marylebone to Stratford on Avon via Byfield - the Midland & Great Northern Joint - the Bishops Castle Railway - the Midland & South Western Junction Railway.

 

[backontrack]

I'd go back to Wrexham & Shropshire days. I never used them so I'd need to see what they were like.

 

[fishquinn]

I'd go back to Wrexham & Shropshire days. I never used them so I'd need to see what they were like.

I used them all the time. They were brilliant!

 

[N Levers]

The train I missed home from work on Tuesday...

 

[bigdelboy]

Struggling to find a specific route. So many :P but it would have to be something Network South East. I'm thinking Victoria to Brighton on Slammers

Well I on this route did it once and i'd do it again ... circa 1967 brighton to vic on the 5-bel ... 50p ... or was it 10s supplement. Beware of unfettered pepper pots when sitting rearwars and the thing stops.

 

[kermit]

Semi Fast Manchester South Junction to Altrincham in the 1930s by 1500v 1931 emu, with a view of a Test Match as we sped through Warwick Road on the "fast" lines..........in one of the then-rare non-smoking compartments!

 

[Busaholic]

Nunhead to Crystal Palace High Level: then as a First Class passenger through the special passageway under the Parade to view Paxton's glorious creation, so would have to be pre-1936.

 

[sprinterguy]

I'd go back to Wrexham & Shropshire days. I never used them so I'd need to see what they were like.

Wrexham and Shropshire were superb. It's a real shame that they're gone now.

 

[Yew]

I'd like to try an old GNER restaurant car, unfortunately I got into the railways as soon as they where being phased out. a MK4 with the BREL bogies would be good also

Oh, and a ride on the BREL International Train.

 

[rf_ioliver]

Easy...just as far back to travel on the Llantrisant and Taff Vale Junction and Barry Railways... IMHO, criminally closed by you know who...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llantrisant_and_Taff_Vale_Junction_Railway

t.

Ian

 

[talltim]

Rendezvous on Champs Elysées
Leave Paris in the morning on T.E.E.
In Vienna we sit in a late-night cafe
Straight connection, T.E.E.
From station to station
back to Düsseldorf City
Meet Iggy Pop and David Bowie

 

[Busaholic]

Rendezvous on Champs Elysées
Leave Paris in the morning on T.E.E.
In Vienna we sit in a late-night cafe
Straight connection, T.E.E.
From station to station
back to Düsseldorf City
Meet Iggy Pop and David Bowie

Entirely off-topic, but when I got married in 1969, got flat in Beckenham about 100 yards from where Bowie and his then-girlfriend lived, saw him a couple of times, including at the Free Festival which led to his song 'Memory of a F.F.' Decades later, after moving to Cornwall, got to know his cousin who now lives in Greece.

 

[SpacePhoenix]

I'd possibly do:

* The last BR train on the Swanage branch
* The last 442 operated train on the Weymouth-Waterloo line
* The first ever 442 operated train on the Weymouth-Waterloo line
* One of the boat trains to Weymouth Quay