So, what got you interested in railways?

[KingtonTramBasher]

Welcome back to the hobby! Always nice to hear of people returning to it after years away from the scene.

For me, I really got hooked in autumn 2003 when I had just started university in Swansea. To this day, I don't know why I went, but I had popped to the station. As a kid I liked trains but wasn't a spotter or owt. Anyway, I watched a HST leave for London and that was it. The noise, the clag and the looks of the magnificent beast grabbed me and I've never looked back.

In 2005 I had for a while considered giving up at the end of the year. Thankfully, almost 4 years since then, I'm still going at it and refuse to give up until I'm too old to get out of the house on my own. Well, I might after the final HST run on the mainline retiring to railtours and such like, but that's a long way off.

[45685Barfleur]

I know what you mean Kington TramBasher. The thrill of the powerful engine accelerating away is superbly exciting.

I was travelling across America two years ago and was equally excited by the locomotives that hauled us. These were the P-42 Genesis class which worked the intercontinental trains on Amtrak. There were two on the California Zephyr since it had to cross the Rockies and the Sierra Nevada. Total HP in excess of 8000.

Regards.

[Utter]

I loved travelling around Hampshire and surrounding areas by train as a kid and teenager. I had a friend who's father was a driver on Southern and he knew all the best, most out of the way places to visit on the network.

I recently bought a station house that was originally part of the Reseau Breton network in Brittany. The station is still live and sees about 5 or 6 trains stopping a day. It's pretty delapidated at the moment but I have high hopes for it.

[Deltic55]

The influence of my wife and the father in law (who used to work at Lime Street in Liverpool) and moving to the wirral played a big part.

I've been on a few steam train trips on the Duchess of Hamiliton and the Sir Nigel Greasley and Union of South Africa (The Duchesses and A4s are my all time favourite steam engines along with the 9F), a couple of Black Fives and some diesels - the Deltic class being my favourite along with the Class 37s.

The reason I enjoy the railway as a hobby, is because it encompasses alot of my interests such as modelling (i'm currently attempting my first proper railway layout), photography, history, reading about the subject and nothing beats the sheer presence of steam engine in full steam or the roar of a diesel engine.

I'm also interested in the modern stuff such as the EMUs as Lime Street station is across the water.

[Casey Jones]

For me its the sight and smells of old steam locomotives thundering down to track. My Great Great Grandfather was a steam locomotive engineer for the AT&SF Railroad

when standing at grove park station when i was 6,a 4-cig passed me at speed and was in NSE livery and it was mid summer,the sound of the traction motors and the beutiful sound of it just made me fall in love with trains,and thats where it all started,and i was upset when the slammers were withdrawn but since loving trains ive always had somthing for the class 465 'networker'!the thrill i still get when im standing on a bridge and a 465 passes me at speed with the sound of the loud traction motors just sets me off!

It all started in 1988 for me after my dad telling me about when he
used to trainspott at tweedmouth depot 52d when he was a kid sadly
tweedmouth is all gone now. but he did get me hooked on trains and
after all these years later i love it now as the first day i started

[fireboxchaser]

My grandad lived in Plymouth and me and my sis would run along to the end of the road which overlooked the line near The Friary to see the steam locos running along there. We also used to spend hours in the park watching them running along the embankment there.

Steam has never left either of us, and we are avid steam fans.

FC

[Western SMT]

Childhood memories are strong as there was a marshalling yard virtually opposite us and steam trains and coal wagons were a common sight. One day there was a constant convoy of trucks all heading towards the pit and at age of 7 or 8 it was a sight I won’t forget, the problem I was told was the pit was flooding and don’t think it ever reopened.

[kernowfem]

My darling grandfather-who was, alas, blessed with only two grandaughters not grandsons!! He was adamant i would be a woman driver, and would take me out every weekend on one train trip or another. My first memory is being at steam town at carnforth, i remember looking at a great steaming beast with a friendly chap waving at me from the footplate-i was fascinated-and completely hooked from that point on!!!