rail regrets

[tadhatter]

Some thoughts that have bugged me over the years about things I wish I'd done, been to etc. but which now can never be repeated.

So here's some things that I regret:

being far too selective with my first camera in the 80s. I took the rail blue era for granted now wishing I'd been far more liberal with my shots. I now basically photo everything I see!

wishing I hadn't lost interest in the railways during the 90s. I regrettably admit partly to being influenced by not wanting to be associated with trainspotter image (now I couldn't care less) but also going away to university in remote Wales where lifestyle changed and hours away from any vaguely decent rail centres. My recent resurgence has only been since 2006 when I moved within a stone's throw of Stratford in East London.

I regret not pestering my parents more to take me to places if rail interest such as seeing trains on the woodhead route before closure.

Carry on...

 

[Techniquest]

My biggest regret that comes to mind right now is not using my camera enough during the Silverlink era, and leaving my camera behind at home when I was down in London the same day the North Woolwich branch was finishing. No photos of that whatsoever and I'm gutted

Never having had the chance to do the 37s on the Settle and Carlisle, or the 101s into/out of Manchester Piccadilly due to not getting properly into the scene until it was too late.

Not having kept proper records in the early years of my enthusiast lifetime, drives me mad. Should see what my moves book for 2003 - 2006 looks like on some trips, it's beyond bad :cry:

Being unemployed at the time, so naturally too skint to do owt about it, missing my last chance to do the Rosslare to Waterford route in Ireland. That very significant gap in my atlas will always annoy me!

Due to a queue at the ticket office at London Liverpool Street that morning, I got my return to Ipswich finally but missed an 86 to Norwich by less than a minute. That was the first, and so far only, time I've ever even got close to getting on a train with an 86 on it. One day yes but it's not the same on railtours or whatever!

The same day as the missed 86 I ended up buying an Anglia Plus (sometime in 2005 we're talking here) day ranger and, after spending forever nattering with a couple of local spotters - I didn't know many enthusiasts whatsoever at the time - I went to Norwich and back, that was it. Granted, I did get to watch an 08 dragging stock next to the station, and making a massive cloud of clag regularly (not a clue where the footage is or any photos I'm afraid), but I look back and wonder what I could have had on the branches back then.

There's been a ton of workings I've missed over 10 and a bit years, and to be perfectly honest as I type this I'm starting to wonder how much longer I'll be sticking with the hobby. Circumstances and reasons for this would fill a book long enough to outshine Pride and Prejudice for length, long story short I'm having similar issues to those endured in Q3/Q4 2012. What I'll do about the situation I don't know yet. It's very possible the stuff listed above will no longer be a concern by Q1 2014, strange how things can change in a 14 day period...

 

[fowler9]

Not using my camera to take more photos of things that seemed mundane in the 80's and 90's.

 

[Cherry_Picker]

I regret nothing!

 

[Condor7]

Not trainspotting more when I was young.
Although it was common for younger boys to train spot in my day, none of my friends were particularly into it, so although some of my happiest memories are when I was at a track side, I never did it enough and never went on adventures to other locations or engine sheds etc.
I also regret not keeping the limited notes I did take at the time.

 

[Whistler40145]

I wish I had been old enough to have been around when the Woodhead line was open.

 

[musicman]

"That was the first, and so far only, time I've ever even got close to getting on a train with an 86 on it." - I regret not having a clue what these numbers mean. I've always been interested in railways (especially steam ones), but I don't know some of the basic stuff that people on here obviously take for granted. I feel a bit stupid. But where do I get some pics that help me to identify these locos? (During the war, there was a poster that showed different planes, surely someone has done something similar for the train?)

 

[rf_ioliver]

I guess for me that would have been visiting Dover Marine, considering I was in Brighton in '92...ironically I travelled out to Ashford that year to experience the Marshlink line.

Other than that, it really comes down to age and being born after the Llantrisant and Taff Vale Junction lines were closed...

t.

Ian

 

[pablo]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJvI0WNihyM

 

[Buttsy]

Not keeping my old spotter's books, particularly the 1973 locoshed book with the renumberings and the Westerns I'd seen (though I have a feeling my Dad was doing more of the spotting with me there when I 'saw' a number of locos).

Ignoring 'D' numbers in the mid 70s (more Westerns missed).

Not doing Tunbridge Wells - Eridge (I was 16 when it closed) & Elmers End - Sanderstead (I was 14 when this one went), even though I was allowed to go on such trips in the early 80s.

 

[telstarbox]

"That was the first, and so far only, time I've ever even got close to getting on a train with an 86 on it." - I regret not having a clue what these numbers mean. I've always been interested in railways (especially steam ones), but I don't know some of the basic stuff that people on here obviously take for granted. I feel a bit stupid. But where do I get some pics that help me to identify these locos? (During the war, there was a poster that showed different planes, surely someone has done something similar for the train?)

This list has a photo of each locomotive type (click on each small photo to view a larger version):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_British_Rail_modern_traction_locomotive_classes

If you go to www.flickr.com and type in the search box "Class 37" or similar, there will be plenty of pictures of each one.

 

[Buttsy]

I guess for me that would have been visiting Dover Marine, considering I was in Brighton in '92...ironically I travelled out to Ashford that year to experience the Marshlink line.

Other than that, it really comes down to age and being born after the Llantrisant and Taff Vale Junction lines were closed...

t.

Ian

That's another one I should have done and had planned it on a number of occassions to enable me to do both routes, but never got around to it.

On a 'sea-link' basis, I should have done Folkestone Harbour as well, but a big 'cock-up' on my part was being in Bournemouth in 1986(?) and working out on one Sunday I could do Lymington and Weymouth Quay the same day and misreading my watch. I went to do Lymington and then found out I'd missed the boat train in and couldn't get to Weymouth in time to get the boat train out...Arrrrrrrrggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

A trip to Guernsey in 1983 saw us on a through train from Oxford to Weymouth, so I couldn't do the Quay branch then and our return was to Portsmouth, not Weymouth. My uncle, who'd gone back a week earlier, caught the boat train from Weymouth Quay and changed at Bournemouth for Oxford... Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

 

[MrTin]

I did a Railtour when I was 14 that started at Stratford and took us to Wisbech, via March, thence to Lynn, Hunstanton, Swaffham, Watton and Thetford line on which we were the last ever train and the TV were there. When I got home the evening news had me sitting on the crossing gates at Watton!
I now live just a mile from one of those barely discernible tracks. My main regret is never having a camera at Yarmouth Beach on the old M&GN. I used to go to the top of my Nan's road and watch the the Ivatt Moguls cross the level crossing just beyond.

MrTin

 

[ryan125hst]

"That was the first, and so far only, time I've ever even got close to getting on a train with an 86 on it." - I regret not having a clue what these numbers mean. I've always been interested in railways (especially steam ones), but I don't know some of the basic stuff that people on here obviously take for granted. I feel a bit stupid. But where do I get some pics that help me to identify these locos? (During the war, there was a poster that showed different planes, surely someone has done something similar for the train?)

Following on from what telstarbox has said, you can also find out about Diesel Multiple Units and Electrical Multiple Units on Wikipedia if you are interested. The pages include both first generation units that are all but scrapped (other than some preserved examples), and the second/third generation units from the 1980's to present, and even ones that aren't built yet!


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_British_Rail_diesel_multiple_unit_classes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_British_Rail_electric_multiple_unit_classes

 

[507 001]

Not being born 10 years earlier!

Then I could remember the last days of BR properly

 

[DarloRich]

Non, je ne regrette rien - what is the point? You cant change the past, it is gone.

If you are going to regret something at least make it something important like you didn’t spend enough time with loved ones before they died rather than something to do with trains! Does it really matter you didn’t take enough pictures of a class 37?

 

[Alan1310]

Darlorich The thread is called rail regrets mate not life regrets

Mine would be missing the last kings cross to Glasgow on a 225 in intercity livery
And not going to see the nightstar stock tests on the wcml

 

[Buttsy]

Darlorich The thread is called rail regrets mate not life regrets

Exactly my thinking. I regret missing the opportunity to travel the Weymouth Quay branch, but on a scale of 1-10, 10 being one's biggest regret in life, this regret would only score a 2 at most.

 

[Whistler40145]

I wish I had been around when trains were hauled by diesel locomotives with steam heat.

Also, I didn't start bashing until Peaks & Rats were withdrawn, so I kick myself!

 

[RichmondCommu]

Allowing my mum to get rid of all my spotting books some years after I'd left home. I'd given up train spotting after leaving home to go to Uni in 1984 and so by the time I was 23 I didn't think anything of it. How I regret that now!

However, my biggest regret (that I can think of at the moment) was to turn down the offer of the Torside signal box sign on the day of the Woodhead closure. My mates and I were regular visitors to the Woodhead route and would sometimes be invited into the signal box for 'a warm' and a cup of tea. The 'bobby gave me first refusal on the sign but having always been the practicle type I didn't know how I was going to get it home :roll:

 

[DiscoStu]

Not taking the opportunity to do a 26 from Carlisle all the way to Barrow dragging a dead unit. I was on a Glasgow - Euston heading home and saw it over in the far platform, but had to flag it because I had to be home for a certain time. Can't remember the reason now. Gutted.

 

[Johnnie2Sheds]

No regrets per se, but I wish I'd bailed on that Hymek (D7029) into Padd instead of watching the chuffing thing pull out of Reading station load 16.

 

[ryan125hst]

Not being born 10 years earlier!

Then I could remember the last days of BR properly

Same here.

 

[DarloRich]

Darlorich The thread is called rail regrets mate not life regrets

Mine would be missing the last kings cross to Glasgow on a 225 in intercity livery
And not going to see the nightstar stock tests on the wcml

I understand the thread title- There are things i would have preferred to do, or see or go to but i dont regret not doing them as i cant undo what has already gone

 

[Techniquest]

DarloRich has a point, there's a lot that I regret not doing years ago, but the railway stuff I listed previously is small change compared to the other stuff.

Still, in whatever you do people will have regrets in their hobbies.

 

[neilmc]

One cold foggy day in November 1967 me and my mate Dave had decided to go from Leeds to Carlisle which had the final allocation of Britannia pacifics, but he'd had some argument with his dad and lost his pocket money so all he could scrape up allowed us to go to Goole instead. This wasn't entirely bad as we saw 20+ WDs awaiting the scrapyard but next month the remaining Brits (apart from 70013) had gone and I missed most of them.

 

[yorksrob]

I wish I'd coughed up for first class more when we still had compartments.

 

[DT611]

not being old enough to remember or be able to see/travel the irish rail network in all its glory before rationalisation, imagine the places one could go some i probably never heard of, specially to have been able to travel the west cork railway, i regret never traveling rosslare waterford also as its local to me (would have loved to have traveled it when the line was originally rosslare cork/limerick with trains running via rosslare waterford and then either the no longer existing waterford mallow line) or the still running waterford limerick line) or seeing the freight trains on the slightly local waterford new-ross branch before abandonment in 1995/96 (originally the branch continued to wexford but new- ross to wexford was lifted i believe after passenger services were stopped in 1963/4) mind you on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the highest and 1 being the lowest these would probably be at 1 or 2

 

[tadhatter]

Not being born 10 years earlier!

Then I could remember the last days of BR properly

But given that that isn't something you had any control over I'm not sure I'd call it a regret though!

That said I know what you mean as I'd love to gave been born 10 years earlier and witness deltics pounding up and down the ECML and see 76s on the woodhead route etc.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I understand the thread title- There are things i would have preferred to do, or see or go to but i dont regret not doing them as i cant undo what has already gone

No one is asking you to even try to undo what has already gone but I started this thread as a bit of fun just to get a flavour of people's "if only"s for want of a better phrase. And I totally agree that, in the grand scheme of life, a few "rail regrets" is hardly important but the context us this forum and not a philosophical discussion on God and the meaning of life!

 

[rogger13]

Not using my camera to take more photos of things that seemed mundane in the 80's and 90's.

Yup, film and development cost money..........so didn't take shots of 25s 40s 47s 76s....alas.