rail regrets

[yorksrob]

Wish I‘d become a rock star/dot com millionaire in the late nineties and bought EPB 5001 to save it from scrapping (and a few other bits and bobs, but that one stands out).

 

[Condor7]

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?

I am not sure why you felt the need to even mention this.
In life we regret all sorts of things, some important some not, just because they cannot be changed does not mean we don't regret them.

I changed queues in a supermarket because the other one was moving quicker, and then the person in front of me had an item where the bar code had come off and I had to wait for someone to get the price, so I regretted changing queues. I did not however loose any sleep over it or worry about it for the rest of my life.

My dad died minutes before I got to him in hospital, I regret I did not get there quicker, and that is something I will regret for a long time.

I regret not being at Kings Cross for the last ever scheduled Deltic run, that ranks somewhere in between.

This is a very heavy response, I may regret this soon.

 

[Bevan Price]

Not being born 10 years earlier!

Then I could remember the last days of BR properly

I think most of use probably wish we had seen the railways long before we were born --- but still had the bodies iof 18 year olds......

 

[fowler9]

I think most of use probably wish we had seen the railways long before we were born --- but still had the bodies iof 18 year olds......

Ha ha, can I be added to that list!

 

[MrTin]

It seems odd to me...everybody is going on about diesels! I saw loads of them and couldn't tell you what they were apart from Deltics and what I always called A1As. Then there was the Co-Bo that used to hump shunt proper English wagons in Romford yard.
But for me, train spotting was all about steam locos, my Spar Groceries 3/6d camera, an Ian Allan ABC and a pen. Diesels and the endless electrics that ran on the Brentwood/Southend-Liverpool Street lines just got in the way. But at least the diesels were in that very attractive two tone green, not the hideous nondescript blue...ugh!
I lost all interest in trains when the blue seemed to coincide with the featureless ugly Continental-looking wagons.
But regrets? Only that I never owned a camera when the Brittanias and A4s were belting through on the fast platforms or the one occasion I was steam hauled from Southend Central back to Upminster behind a BR Standard 2-6-4 and then my mate's Grandad was the driver of the DMU from Upminster back to Romford. Electric, steam and diesel all in one day and all on BR. I later drove that DMU myself with the same mate and his Grandad and I overshot Emerson Park Station!
Regrets though? Only the drab standardisation of our railways into something mid English Channel in appearance, but I rarely bother looking these days, so I don't much care any more.
MrTin

 

[Drsatan]

I have a few regrets too.

Rather like Techniquest, I regret getting into the hobby too late, which meant I missed out on 37s on the S&C, 37s on the North Wales Coast line, 101s out of Manchester Piccadilly, 86s out of Liverpool Street, 86s, 87s and 90s out of Euston (I did travel on an 86 hauled service back in 2000), and 'Thumpers' (205s and 207s) along the Marshlink line. I also not regret recording any journeys on my various trips on Mk1 DC EMUs, although I remember my last trip on one was in April 2005.

More recently, I also regret not being able to travel on 57 hauled services between Cardiff and Taunton, and missing out on a chance to travel behind a 67 on a Bristol TM - Weymouth service in 2010. I was doing a Freedom of Severn and Solent rover and saw such a service waiting at Westbury. However, I decided not to jump on it since I'd already ridden behind one from Cardiff to Newport the previous day and didn't want to mess up my plans for the day.

 

[flymo]

I did try my best to travel on all the Friday night overnighters from Newcastle to the south-west and regret the fact that some days I simply couldn't make it. These were the most amazing trips ever which necessitated staying awake for a 30 hour railfest including, but not limited to, loco changes at Birmingham New Street, megathrash behind a 50 down to Exeter before further gricing activities at the end of P4. From Exeter there was the mandatory head out the window along the seawall, a thoroughly filling brekkie at some greasy soon in Paignton before being back on the 09:20 to Newcastle in time for tea an medals.

 

[fowler9]

I did try my best to travel on all the Friday night overnighters from Newcastle to the south-west and regret the fact that some days I simply couldn't make it. These were the most amazing trips ever which necessitated staying awake for at least a mandatory 30 hour railfest including, but not limited to, loco changes at Birmingham New Street, megathrash behind a 50 down to Exeter before further gricing activities at the end of P4 thereat. From Exeter there was the mandatory head out the window along the seawall, a thoroughly filling brekkie at some greasy soon in Paignton before being back on the 09:20 to Newcastle in time for tea an medals. Trainspotters today, bah they don't know they are born.

Now that sounds like brilliant mate. Did a few similar trips myself.

 

[317666]

Various little things really, I regret not taking down moves properly before 2011, particularly when abroad - I know I've been on trains in Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, Spain, France, Switzerland, Slovenia, Croatia etc but have absolutely no idea what their numbers were - in that sense I suppose I could regret not becoming more interested in continental railways a bit sooner.

Another thing that annoys me is that I missed 57s on the WAG by literally a few days, turned up at Cardiff to see an unexpected 67 in the platform!

 

[RichmondCommu]

From Exeter there was the mandatory head out the window along the seawall, a thoroughly filling brekkie at some greasy soon in Paignton before being back on the 09:20 to Newcastle in time for tea an medals. Trainspotters today, bah they don't know they are born.

Good old Blackadder!

 

[Techniquest]

I have a few regrets too.

Rather like Techniquest, I regret getting into the hobby too late, which meant I missed out on 37s on the S&C, 37s on the North Wales Coast line, 101s out of Manchester Piccadilly, 86s out of Liverpool Street, 86s, 87s and 90s out of Euston (I did travel on an 86 hauled service back in 2000), and 'Thumpers' (205s and 207s) along the Marshlink line. I also not regret recording any journeys on my various trips on Mk1 DC EMUs, although I remember my last trip on one was in April 2005.

Oh gosh yeah, 37s on the NWC, would have been fun to do that. Not sure if I've had 90s out of Euston with Virgin pre-390 days, but plenty of times into/out of there with the Scottish sleepers and twice with Virgin on the Pretendalino Only 87 I remember having is 87002 from Euston to Milton Keynes, although when I cannot recall.

Missing the Thumpers on English soil, I'll never forgive myself for not getting down there for them before they went. The 'slammers' were good fun I must admit, although my logs on those are beyond awful and I didn't really appreciate them enough.

More recently, I also regret not being able to travel on 57 hauled services between Cardiff and Taunton, and missing out on a chance to travel behind a 67 on a Bristol TM - Weymouth service in 2010. I was doing a Freedom of Severn and Solent rover and saw such a service waiting at Westbury. However, I decided not to jump on it since I'd already ridden behind one from Cardiff to Newport the previous day and didn't want to mess up my plans for the day.

I can't honestly remember if I've had a 57 into/out of Taunton, done more than enough leaps between Bristol Temple Meads and Filton Abbey Wood though Had 57s a couple of times between Cardiff and Newport, the rest to Bristol a few times too. 67s to Weymouth, did that a long time ago (2005 or 2006 I think) with 67005 and 006 (latter only for part of the trip) and might still have a photo of 67006 at Weymouth somewhere.

Talking of Weymouth, I'm really glad I didn't completely flag the trip with 57604 on that last day of loco haulage (in recent times at least) to Weymouth in 2010. I had been going to not bother, then a last minute change of heart came to bat and now I don't regret it at all. I'm also VERY glad I was able to do the 37s to Weymouth in 2009 Had a good bit to/from Weymouth come to think of it all in (37, 57, 67, 150, 153, 158, 442, 444), and all on service trains too. I'm happy

I've missed stuff before for not wanting to wreck plans for the day before, I forget what right now but I know it's happened.

 

[fowler9]

I feel I've been lucky on the whole. I've had 20's, 31's, 33's, 37's and 47's all from Lime Street to my local station. Also had 56's out of Lime Street along with 40's, 45's, 81's, 85's, 86's, 87's and 90's on other services as well as HST's.

Heading further south I've had 50's out of Waterloo and Paddington and double headed 73's on the Waterloo to Weymouths before the 442's got brought in. Shove Duffs on the Glasgow to Edinburghs and Tractors up the West Highland line.

I've spent entire summers on North West Day Rangers where the only multiple unit I set foot on all day was to get me from West Allerton to Lime Street.I feel bad for people doing similar now.

 

[Techniquest]

Quite the variety there hock:

Ahhh don't feel bad, some of us grew up on second-generation DMUs and HSTs (not a lot else through Hereford!), and it is these we'll miss when they're gone. Admittedly, I had a weird spell in 2010 when GC finished using Valentas and didn't make the effort to go, despite them being what got me hooked on the railways in the first place. Now that is something I regret looking back, but it was also on when I had just started working again I believe. Awkward timing! When the HSTs go altogether, which won't be that many more years I suspect, that's when the railways will be very different for me.

Same, mind, for when the 150s, 156s and 158s finish their working lifes. Might finally get them all in the book by then, pending any further renumberings!

 

[fowler9]

Quite the variety there hock:

Ahhh don't feel bad, some of us grew up on second-generation DMUs and HSTs (not a lot else through Hereford!), and it is these we'll miss when they're gone. Admittedly, I had a weird spell in 2010 when GC finished using Valentas and didn't make the effort to go, despite them being what got me hooked on the railways in the first place. Now that is something I regret looking back, but it was also on when I had just started working again I believe. Awkward timing! When the HSTs go altogether, which won't be that many more years I suspect, that's when the railways will be very different for me.

Same, mind, for when the 150s, 156s and 158s finish their working lifes. Might finally get them all in the book by then, pending any further renumberings!

Ha ha, I remember when the 142's, 150's and 156's first started operating our local trains and I was really excited. They were normally on the earliest train in to Liverpool from Warrington or Manchester it may have been. We still had 304's at the time and I wish I paid more attention to them. After school I would get a Leyland Atlantean in to town and got one of the Welsh 37/4s home on the Cardiff to West Allerton which was at the end of my road, all on my school bus pass. That was where the odd 33, or unrefurbished or freight based 37 or 47 would turn up. And once or twice a pair of 20's.

 

[181]

I regret not having seen any of the remaining 'real' non-preserved industrial steam in the 1980s. When I first became aware of it I'd probably have had to pester my parents very hard to get taken all the way to South Wales or Yorkshire to peer over the perimeter fence of a coal mine. By the later 1980s I might have been able to get myself to some of the last remnants, but we didn't get regularly get any of the specialist publications that might have had news of it, so I was only dimly aware that there was any left by then.

(Does anyone know when and where the last industrial steam working was? I believe a fireless locomotive lasted till 1991 at Ulverston, but I don't know about 'proper' locomotives).

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

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

Being 68 years of age, I was indeed fortunate to see the Class 76 (EM1) fleet working that route and to visit the depot at Reddish. My main regret was not to have travelled upon some of the now-closed rail routes in West Yorkshire.

 

[47403]

My one biggest RAIL regret was leaving some old photos, spotting books and notebooks that contained spotting records that covered absolutely everything I'd ever seen, depots visited, trips or bashed, were in them notebooks, However when i left my ex's, the bitch hoyed them all in a bin and burnt the lot. All i got out of 20yrs records and everything else was a Deltic drivers manual, which i'd been given by a retired driver my dad knew, which I'd fortunately tucked into a box, stored away with some old payslips and stuff. I couldve cried

 

[43167]

For me, wouldn't say its a regret, but wish had started logging the Locomotives I was been hauled by much sooner.

 

[fowler9]

For me, wouldn't say its a regret, but wish had started logging the Locomotives I was been hauled by much sooner.

Ha ha, spoke to a mate about the exact same thing earlier on.

 

[12CSVT]

For me, wouldn't say its a regret, but wish had started logging the Locomotives I was been hauled by much sooner.

I bet every haulage basher says the same. But the big question is when (or at what age) do you wish you started ?

In my case if I'd started when I was about 8 (about the time I started spotting) I'd probably have about a dozen class 40s and peaks, and probably quite a few 81s to 85s in my haulage book. But at the time I didn't have any concept of bashing, although by my early teens I would put a 'H' next to any loco I had for haulage in my 'Platform 5' books.

 

[fowler9]

I bet every haulage basher says the same. But the big question is when (or at what age) do you wish you started ?

In my case if I'd started when I was about 8 (about the time I started spotting) I'd probably have about a dozen class 40s and peaks, and probably quite a few 81s to 85s in my haulage book. But at the time I didn't have any concept of bashing, although by my early teens I would put a 'H' next to any loco I had for haulage in my 'Platform 5' books.

Probably the same as you mate. Oddly enough it is the 40's and Peaks I am gutted I never recorded along with a particular 85 from Euston to Lime Street. I remember a good number of 50's and 33's from Waterloo to the likes of Woking and also a couple of pairs of 73's from Waterloo to Southampton. A few 50's from Reading to Paddington and Birmingham to Leamington. I seem to have a really good record of the 37's, 31's and 47's around the north west along with a pair of 20's and a 56.

 

[40135]

Being born in '92, I remember the arse end of British Rail; Sectorisation liveries, as such, have left a huge imprint on me. Those memories are almost tangible. I can still smell it, hear it, feel it. The entire atmosphere was different.

As such, I wish I'd taken more notice of those liveries as they died just as my interest entered 'enthusiast' territory in around 2003/4, taking a short break, and coming back again in 2006.

I took a video of a Reggie Rail 150 with Northern decals, and it seemed normal to me at the time. What I wouldn't give to see the familiar blue stripe once again...

 

[fowler9]

Being born in '92, I remember the arse end of British Rail; Sectorisation liveries, as such, have left a huge imprint on me. Those memories are almost tangible. I can still smell it, hear it, feel it. The entire atmosphere was different.

As such, I wish I'd taken more notice of those liveries as they died just as my interest entered 'enthusiast' territory in around 2003/4, taking a short break, and coming back again in 2006.

I took a video of a Reggie Rail 150 with Northern decals, and it seemed normal to me at the time. What I wouldn't give to see the familiar blue stripe once again...

I honestly miss daft stuff like trains being back shunted at Lime Street and locos stabled between the platforms or in the sidings in the tunnels. Also when a train left you could watch the loco that brought it in trailing it up the platform. It i very dull these days.

 

[tadhatter]

Yes indeed. I also miss the general lack of locos!

 

[47403]

Yes indeed. I also miss the general lack of locos!

very true indeed, have a look at how many photographers turn out for Railtours hauling, with what is now considered classic traction. Thank God for the likes of DRS, West Coast, Colas, GBRF and Derby works, allowing us of a certain age, to cling to our diesel heritage, without such lumanaries, we'd have to endure endless ying yings on the rails.

 

[40135]

I honestly miss daft stuff like trains being back shunted at Lime Street and locos stabled between the platforms or in the sidings in the tunnels. Also when a train left you could watch the loco that brought it in trailing it up the platform. It i very dull these days.

100% agreed.

For my twelfth birthday we went to London - 87, DVT, and Mk3a stock.
Marvelous. Love the original Virgin livery. Didn't quite understand the significance back then.

We had a Pendo back - while I think they're excellent, it was a damn sight more cramped.

 

[fowler9]

I am sure the generation before me thought the diesel and electric locos where incredibly tedious after the days of steam but at least there was a lot more movement around major stations. Also we could go down to Allerton depot and the sidings in Garston and if you politely asked the manager they would let you have a walk around and climb in to the cabs of the locos that were stabled. Obviously today the manager would be sacked on the spot and the H&S people would have a fit. Ha ha. We also new a chap who was a top link driver and he'd always let us have a look in the cab where ever he turned up. I think its easier to get a cockpit visit in a plane than get in the cab of a train these days.

 

[40135]

I am sure the generation before me thought the diesel and electric locos where incredibly tedious after the days of steam but at least there was a lot more movement around major stations. Also we could go down to Allerton depot and the sidings in Garston and if you politely asked the manager they would let you have a walk around and climb in to the cabs of the locos that were stabled. Obviously today the manager would be sacked on the spot and the H&S people would have a fit. Ha ha. We also new a chap who was a top link driver and he'd always let us have a look in the cab where ever he turned up. I think its easier to get a cockpit visit in a plane than get in the cab of a train these days.

Well that's it, really. It's all subjective.

What concerns me is that one day we'll realise how good we have it right now - locos knocking around, HSTs, diesel traction, BR stock (second gen units for instance), 91s, DRS traction... one day it'll all be gone.

I dare say that one day we'll have freight multiple units - at the very least, everything will be electrified eventually and smaller lines will probably end up as some sort of mass transit.

Gotta say I've been allowed to cab a few units, though - did my first 185 at Manchester Airport about six years ago.

 

[455driver]

I am sure the generation before me thought the diesel and electric locos where incredibly tedious after the days of steam but at least there was a lot more movement around major stations. Also we could go down to Allerton depot and the sidings in Garston and if you politely asked the manager they would let you have a walk around and climb in to the cabs of the locos that were stabled. Obviously today the manager would be sacked on the spot and the H&S people would have a fit. Ha ha. We also new a chap who was a top link driver and he'd always let us have a look in the cab where ever he turned up. I think its easier to get a cockpit visit in a plane than get in the cab of a train these days.

Back in 1997ish I took my 2 young (at the time) sons to Plymouth, A HST came in (43198 on the back) and terminated, the driver changed ends asked if they would like to cab it so up they jumped. We had a little chat and the driver said "I am going to make a pot of tea, they can rev the engine or sound the horn as long as they dont touch that" (pointing at the brake) and off he trots leaving 3 strangers in the cab with the desk all set up ready for the off.

That was then, this is now. Things are so much better now, NOT!

A couple of weeks ago a platform bod tried to get me in trouble for having a child in my cab giving it the old security line, I told him to fu um go away because it was my own son (not the same one as in the above story).

 

[Blindtraveler]

I wish I had chased the last few valentas, done more XC bashing in the Virgin MK2 days and the list of routes and services I regret not doing is long!