Types you regret missing out on.

[ChrisCooper]

I'm sure we all have certain types of trains we regret never travelling on. Perhaps drivers have certain types that they regret never managing to drive.

In my case it would be the early AC EMUs. Whilst 302s, 303s, 304s, 305s, 309s and 310s were all around at a time when I could have travelled on them, I never managed it. 303s and 305s were a little hard due to being in up in Scotland, but the rest of the types were fairly close, Bimingham, Leeds, London. Only Slam Door AC EMU type I did was the 312. Oh, almost forgot the 89 too. Pretty much every other type I've missed out on was withdrawn before I started travelling by train a lot on my own.

On the other hand a few lucky single journey ones were the 1983 tube stock, the 50s on Fishguard (lucky in that I expected them to be around longer than they were, so would have missed out if I'd gone later) and the 306 on London-Shenfield specials (it's last trip out), and mainline 117s (both times to Skegness, once vice 20s on the Fisherman, once just a lucky catch on the normal Nottingam-Skeg working, made up for by an unlucky catch of a packed single 153 back). Suppose a 141 would have been nice too. I'm sure I'll get a 155, 314, 318, 320 and 322 before they are withdrawn (some years yet).

 

[BestWestern]

Not such a 'missed type' but I regret the passing of the dear old SR Slammers :-/ Wish I'd travelled on them more, although I did manage a final trip on one the Lymington Pier duo. The Desiro might be a good train but it's as dull as dishwater...

 

[Daimler]

This doesn't fit the theme of the thread perfectly, but I always regret never having been able to take a trip on GNER's Class 373s...

 

[Kneedown]

I've always had a thing about the 76's, and regret not nagging my dad more to take me up and see them before they went.

From a Drivers point of view, i've had a good few cab rides on 85's, 86's and 87's, but never actually had a drive. It would've been nice to have had a go with a tap changer, especially on a roarer. I've also always fancied a go on a 304 and 310. Perhaps i should have got a secondmans job at New St instead of Derby? But then i'd have missed out on all the 45's!
As it happens the only leccy i've ever had a drive of was a 323 from Soho to Allerton sidings.

 

[Oswyntail]

As a certified aged creature, I have seen examples of most types in my time. What I wish I had known more of was that period when almost every station had its own collection of small engines, pottering around doing what engines do. All those strange 0-6-0s scattered around the UK must have made any journey interesting.

 

[gordonthemoron]

TEE and the Blue (pullman) units on the western region

 

[4SRKT]

Even though I made enormous numbers of journeys on thumpers (both on the SR and on NIR), I wish I'd made enormous numbers more. I'm ensuring that in this, most likely their last year, I make as many as I can.

 

[scotsman]

Class 117s, thought they were heaps of rubbish when I was young - bashed one yesterday and can't believe what I missed!

 

[4SRKT]

Class 117s, thought they were heaps of rubbish when I was young - bashed one yesterday and can't believe what I missed!

I thought you were young? And Scottish, so you were hardly that close to Paddington to miss them in the first place

 

[Juniper Driver]

Westerns,Hymeks and as another poster quite rightly said class 76's...Probably a lot of Scottish locos as well.I was around at the time of Westerns and Hymeks but they passed me by.

I even saw class 76's before they were withdrawn...and Scottish locos (26/27s) for that matter.

+252001

Suppose I have been lucky though as I have driven 302,305,307,308,310,312 and 315's as well as many SR Slammers and pigs.

I will never forget my trip behind 55007 Pinza up to York in 1979.

On a side note...when I was in Malaysia last year I was waiting for a train...usually it was emu's and I had also seen a few freights with locos on...Suddenly a loco came into the platform towing an emu and it stopped (I have a picture somewhere)...I was so surprised I nearly fell off the bench on the platform...Got into the train and was in the ladies coach (by accident) had to get out sharpish (which I did).The train took us to Batu Caves.

Probably the first time I have been loco hauled since my pig broke down at Woking and was assisted by a class 73.

 

[12CSVT]

I think it's a common problem among railway enthusiasts - no matter when you were born or became interested in railways you always regret missing out on something that went before your time. In my case I suppose it is being too young to remember loco classes such as 15, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23, 28 and the Western Region hydraulics (although I did see a long line of withdrawn claytons outside St Rollox works in 1972 when I was 4 years old !).

 

[Wally]

I regret not seeing many claytons westerns and warships.spent my early days just spotting on Leicester station in summer holidays,plenty of 20s and double headed 25s on freight,peaks and 47s on London-sheff,cravens and met-camms and gloucesters on birm-Norwich,those were the days! When we got a bit older we ventured out 2 Nuneaton,peterboro and Nottingham.can remember the blue Pullman and 27s at leic but wasn't taking numbers at the time,doh!

 

[Bittern]

Pretty much every single class of Steam loco that's not a:

D49
Terrier
CR 812.

DMUs:

101
107

Both are still very do-able on heritage railways, thankfully.

 

[387star]

I wish I'd travelled on the 442s more when they worked with SWT. I mostly saw them from the outside.

I thing memories are a beautiful thing. They can never be taken away from me despite times chariot hurrying rapidly on. In my head I can remember the slammers as clear as yesterday. My family used to lunch in one of the private compartments it was bliss. However I remember the Portsmouth boat show one year when we were all squeezed in to one compartment- not so cosy!

I would actually cry if a slammer turned up on a Southern service it would fill like the years rolling back

 

[ChrisCooper]

I think it's a common problem among railway enthusiasts - no matter when you were born or became interested in railways you always regret missing out on something that went before your time. In my case I suppose it is being too young to remember loco classes such as 15, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23, 28 and the Western Region hydraulics (although I did see a long line of withdrawn claytons outside St Rollox works in 1972 when I was 4 years old !).

I suppose I was more thinking of ones that didn't go before your time, but you still missed out on for whatever reason.

Another one I've just though of, I wish I'd got a bit more milage and coverage on Cross Country before Voyagers. I never did do anything proper up the Lickey Incline, and my XC coverage was limited to between Birmingham and Sheffield (including to and from Leicester on diversions), and also a Liverpool and Lancaster to Birmingham run. Only managed 5 loco hauled runs, 3 47s, a 90 (which was unusual) and an 86.
Whilst on the Virgin theme, although I managed to cover the entire WCML south of Lancaster with loco haulage, except Stone to Colwich (did via Norton Bridge instead), I never got north of Lancaster. Never did Hollyhead either, or Blackpool.
Perhaps some of me regrets not getting a bit more Turbostar coverage on MML too. Although I did York and return once, the only time I got south of Leicester with one was a London to Luton run, just for the sake of it, before waiting for the following HST. On the same note, although it's more routes than the trains, Anglia Crosslink, I never did that, even if it was just a Turbostar.

 

[Peter Sarf]

Westerns,Hymeks and as another poster quite rightly said class 76's...Probably a lot of Scottish locos as well.I was around at the time of Westerns and Hymeks but they passed me by.

I even saw class 76's before they were withdrawn...and Scottish locos (26/27s) for that matter.

+252001

Suppose I have been lucky though as I have driven 302,305,307,308,310,312 and 315's as well as many SR Slammers and pigs.

I will never forget my trip behind 55007 Pinza up to York in 1979.

On a side note...when I was in Malaysia last year I was waiting for a train...usually it was emu's and I had also seen a few freights with locos on...Suddenly a loco came into the platform towing an emu and it stopped (I have a picture somewhere)...I was so surprised I nearly fell off the bench on the platform...Got into the train and was in the ladies coach (by accident) had to get out sharpish (which I did).The train took us to Batu Caves.

Probably the first time I have been loco hauled since my pig broke down at Woking and was assisted by a class 73.

Aw that more less sums up what I missed. I was on holiday near Oban summer 1974 and saw loads of trains and locos. Two months later a friend introduced me to the Ian Allan loco book (with a 50 on the front). I could remember seeing lots os 26/27s but, no matter how hard I tried, I couldnot visualise the numbers !. That hurts when you live at the other end of the country !.

Hymeks = class35 (and Warships =classes 41/42/43). I went to Old Oak Common (1975 ?) and I approached it along the canal from the East end - a very hot day (we had better weather in those days ?). I can remember seeing the long line of derelict Hymeks. I cleared the whole fleet of what was left, cabbed some. But never saw them running. Never saw Warships running. I was working hard to get as many Westerns as I could (my favourite).

Used to go to Birmingham a lot 1974-1980s (only relatives outside DC land :roll. Every Christmas break I would be there at the end of the platforms under the Rotunda (London end of New St). Thats where Westerns became my favourite loco as they fussed they way down the tunnel from the Paddington direction into platform 1. But I did not stray to Bescot much (got sunburn there though !) so missed a lot of freights. I went to Tamworth a few times (where I repeatedly used to get thrown off because trainspotting was a sin) and my first sighting of 20s was a double header !!!!! .

Cleared my 76s. At 15 years of age I wrote off to Manchester (City Council ?) and got bus timetables to enable me to find Reddish depot. I saved many months of pocket money and did it as a day return from Birmingham. First time I went I walked a lot and you guessed it - it was very hot. You would not let a 15 year old wander round the UK like that now maybe ?. I remember being at Guide Bridge one time (cannot have been Sunday ?). It was nose to tail freights 76s but a lot of 25s. I could not drag myself away as I could hear another one coming.

Bescot and Guide Bridge are dead nowadays. I went to Bercham in 2010 (Antwerp) and that was like the good old days in the UK. compared to the 70s we have a lot less freight. The HSTs, 56s and 58s also replaced a LOT of locos. Then 60s & 66s replaced the rest !!!. Its all gone now :cry:.