So, what got you interested in railways?

[27vet]

Originally Posted by klordger1900

I cant believe that this thread has been running for so long now, is it any kind of world record thread does anyone know?? Will it reach 20K and beyond!!

There is a topic on unxeplained-mysteries.com that had something like 36,000 replies. It was quite mind boggling. I can't find it right now, but you can see one with 3,600 replies and 128,000 views if you follow the link.

http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/forum/index.php?showforum=7

[Gare du Nord]

Been away to long.
After all the usual coming of age distractions I lapsed back into an enthusiasam for rail without noticing. It sort of crept up on me again, then the realisation you're hooked again.
Great to see and search for the stock and power from the eighties, suprised to see so many surviving. Just enjoying the number crunching for now with the some inklings of possible future specialised interest probably based on European rail stock and photo skills. Just now have patience in the forum for what may seem some dum questions but a little catching up is needed, so it's thanks in advance for the obvious answers from you all.
Gare Du Nord

[oldrailbug]

My interest in trains goes back about 60+ years I think I was about 6 years old, my Mum and Dad took me on a holiday somewhere in the South of England, I can still picture the waiting room on this little station, the fire was burning and our suitcases were standing near a wall, it was a cold and dark night and I kept running to the waiting room door to see if the train was coming, sure enough out of the darkness the train arrived and was blowing steam and smoke as it chuffed through the station and eventually stopped, that was it I have been a train nut all of my life.

From about 1952 to 1957 when my parents chucked a mighty big spanner in the works and moved to Australia I was a fanatical train spotter, most of my spotting was done along the B'Ham - Bristol main line with frequent visits to Naw Street Station and Tamworth.

Train spotting got me into all kinds of trouble at school as I used to wag school and write my own notes, I could not bare the thought of all the trains I was missing while wasting time in school, I did pretty well really but felt awfully guilty when I went home and pretended that I had been at school all day, that ended with a clip across the ears when my Mum found out what I was doing but a couple of weeks later I was at it again.

[Trawlerman]

I've always had a bit of an interest in railways. Over the past 25yrs or so i've done quite a few visits to local stations to photograph Loco's and DMU's. But admittedly my main interest has been in photographing shipping. When visiting docklands I often get a chance to see freight loco's in operation.

Just recently I haven't had much chance to do a great of photography as there has been a real downturn in shipping to Hull where I live. So i've decided to diversify a little and visit some of the local stations to see what's going on in the Rail scene.

Living in Hull places me in an ideal position to visit many really spots within an hour of travelling. Barnetby, Donny, Selby, York, Lincoln, Colton Jnctn are easily accessed.

My 3yr old is train obsessed at the moment so I can spend some time with him looking at my photos. My missus gets rid of me for a time so everybody is happy

[Tony]

I was about 8 years old staying at a farm on Carrington Moss, East of Warrington. The Cheshire Lines Committee (CLC) main line from Manchester to Liverpool ran close by and a friend and myself used to watch the trains. The one engine which imprinted on my memory was a D10 number 62655 "The Earl of Kerry", I can trace my love of railways back to seeing that engine fresh from Gorton works having been repainted in British Railways colours. That was in 1949 and that love has never died.

[sab6024]

Girls and beer have never taken over me, as I am a female teetotalist lol. I was born into a life of railways, steam especially and rail events. My Dad saved 6024 from Barry and when I was growing up we would venture up to Quainton most weekends during the Summer Holidays to see the Kings rebuild coming on. Then while me and my brother were small we were taken to all the Railway events around the country with my Dad and his bookstall. Then we would spend the day making friends with the other kids. That's when I discovered Deltics......mmmmm Deltics!!! To us it was just a way to have fun, playing on the locos, I remember all the Steam weekends on Salisbury Station, they were great, but kept losing my little brother. Found him on the footplate of Sir Nigel Gresley telling people what everything did. He was only 7 lol. It sorta took hold from there. Found him at Coalville having a picnic with a random family in a coal truck, my Mum went nuts when he eventually came back to the stall. God only knows how we got away with it really, anything could have happened. I have so many memories of those days at the different Railway sites that it has never left me. Now it's me dragging my Dad and boyfriend around the country to go "trainspotting".

[becks]

My dad. Hes mad on them!

[old popsider]

My grandfather was an engine driver in the great days of steam. He worked his way up from fireman to driver, and drove all kinds of engines from small shunting engines right up to some of the famous ones. He drove Mallard, Sir Nigel Gresley, and some of the other greats. He also crewed on the Flying Scotsman at some point. Grandad lived in Doncaster from about 1898/1899 having moved there from rural Suffolk, and loved to take myself and my younger brother to the engine sheds and shunting yards at Black Bank, Doncaster. The days before the health and safety brigade and transport police!!

My Dad took us trainspotting at Doncaster station and to the Black Bank yards, great days out - sandwiches, flask of tea, numbers books, numerous pencil stubs, pacamac and hanky to wipe off soot and assorted grime!!

When the first diesel/electric trains were introduced, Grandad said he wasn't going to be brainwashed into 'new-fangled' trains because they wouldn't last!! He retired on the day he was supposed to start training on a diesel train. Let the young 'uns have it he said.

One little tale to add, when WW1 was in progress, my Nan decided she would try railway work because Grandad said it was hard but honest work. One day she was driving a little shunter in the sidings when she felt a lurch and the engine ended up off the rails. It turned out the the lady who was operating the points lever hadn't fully moved the points, and as a result Nan's engine left the rails!! She said no harm done but just embarrasment for her and the points lady!

[locojoe]

Originally Posted by old popsider

My grandfather was an engine driver in the great days of steam. He worked his way up from fireman to driver, and drove all kinds of engines from small shunting engines right up to some of the famous ones. He drove Mallard, Sir Nigel Gresley, and some of the other greats. He also crewed on the Flying Scotsman at some point. Grandad lived in Doncaster from about 1898/1899 having moved there from rural Suffolk, and loved to take myself and my younger brother to the engine sheds and shunting yards at Black Bank, Doncaster. The days before the health and safety brigade and transport police!!

My Dad took us trainspotting at Doncaster station and to the Black Bank yards, great days out - sandwiches, flask of tea, numbers books, numerous pencil stubs, pacamac and hanky to wipe off soot and assorted grime!!

When the first diesel/electric trains were introduced, Grandad said he wasn't going to be brainwashed into 'new-fangled' trains because they wouldn't last!! He retired on the day he was supposed to start training on a diesel train. Let the young 'uns have it he said.

One little tale to add, when WW1 was in progress, my Nan decided she would try railway work because Grandad said it was hard but honest work. One day she was driving a little shunter in the sidings when she felt a lurch and the engine ended up off the rails. It turned out the the lady who was operating the points lever hadn't fully moved the points, and as a result Nan's engine left the rails!! She said no harm done but just embarrasment for her and the points lady!

Nice story about your Nan and Grandad, old popsider

[navahoe]

the Thomas the tank life size engines at Newby Bridge in the lakes, does anyone know if they are still there