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

[DFG237]

Probably a trip around Devon and Cornwall in 1966 with North British Type 2's to Ilfracombe, through coaches to Padstow on Saturdays or visit Kingmoor shed early in 1967. Its a pity that you couldn't have all that as a 13 year old then. But at least there were 2-6-4 tanks at Chester and Warships/ Westerns visited Crewe to mention a few. There's so much to wish for or a trip on the Cromford and High Peak before it closed.

 

[GatwickDepress]

I wouldn't mind going on the Scottish sleeper out of Eastbourne when it was steam hauled.. A Black 5 along the East Coastway must've been quite the sight contrasted to all the Southern EMUs.

(Railtours excluded, of course!)

 

[Bishopstone]

Crook of Devon to Rumbling Bridge.

To see whether the ride was as interesting as the station names. Would have been worth acquiring the totems, too.

 

[Met5141]

Id love to do a few lines that are now consigned to the history books.

The original Dalston Jcn-Broad St on a 501, the Croxley Green branch and also the line from Peartree to Sinfin Central.

Going further back in time to the Beeching era, the Buntingford branch, Audley End - Saffron Walden - Bartlow, Sudbury - Clare - Cambridge & the two lines out of Haverhill. I could go on with loads more closed lines in east anglia and the midlands but i will stop there !!!

 

[Bricktop]

The Marks Tey to Cambridge Line through Clare and Bartlow

 

[ThePannier]

If I had to pick, I'd like to do Kings Cross-Edinburgh on the East Coast Mainline behind a Deltic.

 

[backontrack]

Mallaig/Glasgow-Spean Bridge-Fort Augustus would be great, especially if pushed through the Great Glen to Inverness.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Huddersfield to Leeds on a Class 141 (any of them except 141113).

Masochistic a bit, there... I'd have quite liked to ride a 141 in Iran though.

Mine would probably be the Kirkburton branch, closed to passengers in the 1930s, though I'd rather like to double back round to Clayton West via Huddersfield to relive a journey I've made but was too young to remember, being only a few months old at the time. If I could do it in wooden-bodied L&Y carriages behind my namesake locomotive, all the better! Maybe I'd sneak the Meltham and Holmfirth branches in there too as a Huddersfield "Buffer-puffer" tour!

 

[ThePannier]

On second thoughts, I wouldn't mind travelling on ''The Flying Scotsman'' from end to end, back in the heyday of the LNER.

 

[ScottyStitch]

What an interesting thread.

Mine, I think, would have been Perth to Waverley (in that direction) over the Glenfarg route, behind a Princess Coronation Pacific.

A close second? Dunblane to Chrianlarich, via the Glen Ogle route behind a pair of 21s (Time Between Failures permitting!)

ScottyStitch

 

[Percy Trimmer]

My first post - so a kind of test, but an honest reply:

the Border Counties Railway Newcastle to Hawick.

 

[Calthrop]

My first post, also. Since PPs have already picked the Lynton & Barnstaple, and the Manifold -- and since I gather that the Irish Republic is admissible in this thread -- my no. 1 wish would be the Listowel & Ballybunion Monorail.

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

Either of these two:

A) Hull - London by Deltic

B) London - Edinburgh via the Penmanshiel Tunnel

 

[Whistler40145]

I like both choices.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I'd love a steam heat 37 on the West Highland Line or a pair of 26s from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh or the Far North line.

 

[neilb62]

The Royal Scot with the LMS Twins...

 

[Whistler40145]

Pair of BR Blue Class 50s out of Glasgow Central on a Euston service also routed over the Settle & Carlisle line.

 

[duffers2324]

my ideal journey would be the port road but maybe with a bit more up to date stock like a 37 or a 156 or 158.

 

[Traveller54]

Crook of Devon to Rumbling Bridge.

To see whether the ride was as interesting as the station names. Would have been worth acquiring the totems, too.

I have the haziest memories of travelling this line as a wee boy in the late 50s from Perth to visit relatives in Tillicoultry. I would love to ride the Alloa-Alva line, My granny lived in Alva and have fond memories of playing in the derelict station building, now a private house.

 

[Skipness]

My "back in time" journey would have to be Clay Cross to Ashover Butts and back behind a Baldwin (perm any one from five) in a Gloucester coach one way and a Wembley the other.

Above all I need to have my present day camera equipment (video and still) with me to record it all for posterity. As far as I know there is only one example of the Ashover Light Railway recorded on cine film.

 

[Skipness]

My "back in time" journey would have to be Clay Cross to Ashover Butts and back behind a Baldwin (perm any one from five) in a Gloucester coach one way and a Wembley the other.

Above all I need to have my present day camera equipment (video and still) with me to record it all for posterity. As far as I know there is only one example of the Ashover Light Railway recorded on cine film.

Within 48hrs of posting the above I have become aware (via YouTube) of a second Ashover clip.

 

[70014IronDuke]

any would do, even a short hop, like the Abingdon branch, or Northampton to Towcester I'm sure would be an eye opener revealing a million things I've forgotten. If I had to choose, ... The S&D? Plymouth Friary to Waterloo on a summer Saturday c 1960? Barry to Sunderland on the Ports express via the Cotswolds? Miserably difficult. OK, if I had to choose, I'd plump for Marylebone to Manchester London Rd in the late 50s, before the run down of the GC, with an EM2 through Woodhead.

 

[colchesterken]

A C E in the 50s behind an unrebuilt Bullied- all the way no 1/2 measures

 

[TheEdge]

The more I think about this, staring out of the window at the remains of wayside stations and junctions, I would love to spend some time with a 1930s 14 day ALR trundling along all the nondescript rural branch lines scattered across the country while they were still important and long before Dr Beeching got his hands on the.

 

[exile]

I travelled on the Forres to Aviemore line in 1964, just before it closed.... I'd love to repeat that journey.

 

[gordonthemoron]

Trans Europe Express

 

[60017]

No contest for me... 50's The down 'Elizabethan' with 60017 on the front.

 

[DerekC]

Grand tour of the CDRJC and Londonderry & Lough Swilly - and maybe a quick trip on the Tralee & Dingle in cattle fair days as well, if I'm allowed!

 

[D841 Roebuck]

Lots of great suggestions on here - most of which I'd like to do myself!

My number one choice, though, would be a trip on the Isle of Axholme Joint railway. Many of my ancestors are from that area, so I can almost certainly claim the line via DNA, but it would be nice to do it in real life!

 

[Calthrop]

Grand tour of the CDRJC and Londonderry & Lough Swilly - and maybe a quick trip on the Tralee & Dingle in cattle fair days as well, if I'm allowed!

Thinking along with you here, particularly re the bolded: I have rather a "thing" about Northern Ireland -- if those in charge of time-travelling would permit it, I'd love to have a few days there in 1929: long enough to cover all the 3ft gauge lines in the Six Counties (getting from one to another on the broad gauge). All said narrow gauge was then still running, with passenger services; except for the Portstewart Tramway which had already gone, but I think I could live without that one. I suppose it would be greedy of me to request inclusion of County Donegal as well...

 

[ChiefPlanner]

I suppose a journey on the Welsh Highland or Ffestiniog in the mid 1930's would be an experience worth having.