Techniquest
Veteran Member
Seems fitting that I'm starting this thread off while I listen to some music nostalgia, although it's a bit cheesy so I'm not going into that! Only those who know me very well at all will have any clues, if they can remember my YouTube viewing history...
Anyway, while I wait for Sony Movie Studio Platinum to do its thing and finally get some more video clips imported from a DVD I had done from my old 8mm camcorder tapes, I couldn't help but post this thread after reviewing just some of the footage so far. I'm in a really nostalgic mood at the moment as it is, as I've not been able to get out and about on the rails lately. Getting sent down Memory Lane recently for completely non-rail reasons (but let's not go there...) has seen me enjoy the benefits of a little over 10 years of railway nostalgia too. So here we go, that's the backstory to the origins of this thread so let's talk nostalgia from the so-called 'Noughties'
I'm not sure if this is 2004 or 2005 on my 8mm tapes, I have no records to indicate which it was, and eventually there will be uploads to YouTube to go with this thread, but a non-exhaustive list so far:
Alphaline liveried Wales and Borders and Wessex Trains 158s
Wessex Trains and their colourful liveries on 150s and 153s
Central Trains
FGW's 'Flying Fag Packet' livery
FGW's revised 'Barbie' livery, probably my favourite of all HST liveries ever, or at the least the one I'm most familiar with
Valenta-ised HSTs
Midland Mainline
Early days of 222s
The 'mm's bar on MML
Godfrey Road, Newport
Ginsters liveried 158s
No doubt plenty to come along later too, but oh the memories! Recording a Passenger Eye View (no doubt heart-of-wessex will remember those!), for which I assume it was to show the route at the time. Can't honestly remember, found one from Derby to Long Eaton on 222008 when it was still virtually brand new. Then of course there was the teal livery on MML, and still Valentas running in their HSTs. Think it's 43053 making an enormous racket leaving Leicester for London on my footage so far Oh yes, I do remember my HST bashing days fondly, been nearly 4 years since I packed that in 
Of course, Godfrey Road is long gone and I remember too well keenly looking through the window on a journey passing through or trying each and every way possible to get my 66s ticked off. Even managed a 37 I needed once! Standing on the Cardiff end of the platforms at Newport watching stuff going into and out of there, doubt I've got a LoadHaul 37 growling loudly into Godfrey Road on tape but that was a fun sight for my very tired state after a multi-day trip with no sleep Talking of that, nostalgia for me definitely with many trips on the overnight trip to/from Fishguard Harbour out of/into Swansea. Of course, that was back when it was hard to get the line done with just the overnight and lunchtime trip getting it in, unlike today where there's a significant number of trains going up the branch. Remember rather too well getting a stinking headache from 150281 on that overnight once, was glad to bail at Swansea for the HST on the ridiculous-o-clock to Paddington!
heart-of-wessex will remember it better than me, indeed I still need the dates for it, but me, him and one other nutter were in South Wales and we all got the Maesteg branch done on a 142, then came over to Swansea for tea from Pizza Hut before doing a single 153 on a Swansea to Milford Haven in the late evening. Then it was off it at Johnston for the station grice, back to Clarbeston Road (ensuring the guard got in touch with the driver of the Fishguard train to stop for us!) to get a 158 to Fishguard, for the same 158 back to Carmarthen where we did a thriller filler to Tesco and me scaring the living daylights into the other nutter during the walk, coming back for the 153 at absolutely-insane-o-clock on its own up to Shrewsbury via the Heart of Wales line. I did that all the way to Shrewsbury on the ex-FNW 153, the other two leaving me behind as they were on ALRs if memory serves correctly, so I came back on it all the way to Swansea dossing almost all the way. Need to get the numbers and dates from heart-of-wessex!
He'll no doubt also recall the beast of a bash that was the trip to Dublin in December 2004, and me telling him not to forget his passport in case it was needed on the ferry. Only for me to forget it and remembering on the HST from Cardiff to Swansea! Plans were made to do London instead if I couldn't do the ferry, but we sure could do it and it made a change to go to Fishguard with a purpose (as I lived in Swansea at the time, I would often do the overnight to Fishguard to avoid the more expensive taxi at screw-it-he's mad-o-clock. A bus into town and the return to Fishguard was a significant amount cheaper than a taxi at half 3 in the morning!)
Then we had the 2700 Class trio to Dublin, with the constant horn soundings over crossings waking us out of a deep sleep. So tired were we the trolley guy was assumed to be a gripper! Then of course I left my bag on the train which was thankfully recovered quickly. I could go on and on and on...
Finally for now, the other bit of nostalgia that comes to mind is when the 175s first came down to the Marches line, and the step change in quality they brought with them. I remember once having one from Cardiff to Hereford on a Holyhead service and the at-seat radio thing was still working. Some tune came on and I had wanted to carry onto Holyhead! Oh yeah, and of course who could forget the clockface timetable we got on the Marches, finally no need to miss a train because you didn't have a timetable on you!
Ahhhhhh, memories! Disclaimer: Your experience may differ!
Anyway, while I wait for Sony Movie Studio Platinum to do its thing and finally get some more video clips imported from a DVD I had done from my old 8mm camcorder tapes, I couldn't help but post this thread after reviewing just some of the footage so far. I'm in a really nostalgic mood at the moment as it is, as I've not been able to get out and about on the rails lately. Getting sent down Memory Lane recently for completely non-rail reasons (but let's not go there...) has seen me enjoy the benefits of a little over 10 years of railway nostalgia too. So here we go, that's the backstory to the origins of this thread so let's talk nostalgia from the so-called 'Noughties'
I'm not sure if this is 2004 or 2005 on my 8mm tapes, I have no records to indicate which it was, and eventually there will be uploads to YouTube to go with this thread, but a non-exhaustive list so far:
Alphaline liveried Wales and Borders and Wessex Trains 158s
Wessex Trains and their colourful liveries on 150s and 153s
Central Trains
FGW's 'Flying Fag Packet' livery
FGW's revised 'Barbie' livery, probably my favourite of all HST liveries ever, or at the least the one I'm most familiar with
Valenta-ised HSTs
Midland Mainline
Early days of 222s
The 'mm's bar on MML
Godfrey Road, Newport
Ginsters liveried 158s
No doubt plenty to come along later too, but oh the memories! Recording a Passenger Eye View (no doubt heart-of-wessex will remember those!), for which I assume it was to show the route at the time. Can't honestly remember, found one from Derby to Long Eaton on 222008 when it was still virtually brand new. Then of course there was the teal livery on MML, and still Valentas running in their HSTs. Think it's 43053 making an enormous racket leaving Leicester for London on my footage so far
Oh yes, I do remember my HST bashing days fondly, been nearly 4 years since I packed that in Of course, Godfrey Road is long gone and I remember too well keenly looking through the window on a journey passing through or trying each and every way possible to get my 66s ticked off. Even managed a 37 I needed once! Standing on the Cardiff end of the platforms at Newport watching stuff going into and out of there, doubt I've got a LoadHaul 37 growling loudly into Godfrey Road on tape but that was a fun sight for my very tired state after a multi-day trip with no sleep
Talking of that, nostalgia for me definitely with many trips on the overnight trip to/from Fishguard Harbour out of/into Swansea. Of course, that was back when it was hard to get the line done with just the overnight and lunchtime trip getting it in, unlike today where there's a significant number of trains going up the branch. Remember rather too well getting a stinking headache from 150281 on that overnight once, was glad to bail at Swansea for the HST on the ridiculous-o-clock to Paddington!heart-of-wessex will remember it better than me, indeed I still need the dates for it, but me, him and one other nutter were in South Wales and we all got the Maesteg branch done on a 142, then came over to Swansea for tea from Pizza Hut before doing a single 153 on a Swansea to Milford Haven in the late evening. Then it was off it at Johnston for the station grice, back to Clarbeston Road (ensuring the guard got in touch with the driver of the Fishguard train to stop for us!) to get a 158 to Fishguard, for the same 158 back to Carmarthen where we did a thriller filler to Tesco and me scaring the living daylights into the other nutter during the walk, coming back for the 153 at absolutely-insane-o-clock on its own up to Shrewsbury via the Heart of Wales line. I did that all the way to Shrewsbury on the ex-FNW 153, the other two leaving me behind as they were on ALRs if memory serves correctly, so I came back on it all the way to Swansea dossing almost all the way. Need to get the numbers and dates from heart-of-wessex!
He'll no doubt also recall the beast of a bash that was the trip to Dublin in December 2004, and me telling him not to forget his passport in case it was needed on the ferry. Only for me to forget it and remembering on the HST from Cardiff to Swansea! Plans were made to do London instead if I couldn't do the ferry, but we sure could do it and it made a change to go to Fishguard with a purpose (as I lived in Swansea at the time, I would often do the overnight to Fishguard to avoid the more expensive taxi at screw-it-he's mad-o-clock. A bus into town and the return to Fishguard was a significant amount cheaper than a taxi at half 3 in the morning!)
Then we had the 2700 Class trio to Dublin, with the constant horn soundings over crossings waking us out of a deep sleep. So tired were we the trolley guy was assumed to be a gripper! Then of course I left my bag on the train which was thankfully recovered quickly. I could go on and on and on...Finally for now, the other bit of nostalgia that comes to mind is when the 175s first came down to the Marches line, and the step change in quality they brought with them. I remember once having one from Cardiff to Hereford on a Holyhead service and the at-seat radio thing was still working. Some tune came on and I had wanted to carry onto Holyhead! Oh yeah, and of course who could forget the clockface timetable we got on the Marches, finally no need to miss a train because you didn't have a timetable on you!
Ahhhhhh, memories! Disclaimer: Your experience may differ!
