The frieghtliner Terminal was on the old Willesden MPD site

What got me interested in Railways? From my childhood home in I could see the railroad tracks and I still remember the first time I was allowed to stand beside the tracks to watch a passing train up close. I was hooked from then on. There is still nothing more impressive than seeing a westbound freight wind it's way up the famous "loops" just west of my hometown.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wX5H4...eature=related

What a fantastic response and interesting reading. For me my mother told me that she used take me to a bridge over the loco shed at Guildford before I could walk properly, I would insist from my pushchair to go there! I made a journey to the west country when I must have been about two (I have no memory of this) and apparently was enchanted by it and spent my time just taking it all in, no crying or fussing - completely out of character! Railways are in blood I never lost interest.

the way i got intrested in to trains was:-

my friends were having a clear out in there loft before they moved to ireland, and they found an old train set (in working order) and all they was going to do with it was through it out, so i spotted it just before got rid of it and i asked if i could have it, so they said yes and i took it home and it expanded and expanded etc. and still expanding to this day, and that is how i got in to trians.

this all started when i was 4 1/2 and i am now 14 and it is still going

daniel budd
(railwaybuddy)

How I became interested in railways.
 

I blame my parents. This all began even before I went to school - and I ought to say I started school in September 1948! My Mum used to take me to meet Dad as he came out of work. He worked at Rolls-Royce, Derby. We used to wait on a footpath running parallel to the Derby-Birmingham line near Pear Tree station. Dad used to come over the bridge and join us but by the time he appeared I had usually watched, enthralled, as one or two filthy, run-down 0-6-0s or 2-8-0s with "LMS" on their tenders had struggled past with trains of clanking loose-coupled wagons. I have never recovered from those early experiences. JohnH

Hi,
i am an "ex" german living in south Africa - well hmm maybee still some german in me :-)

i am interested in - hmmm i don't know what its actually called - it's the manmual pusched wipping thing where they went out to repair the steamlocks with - where could i find any pics of these waggons or info on them

thx Rob

Among my first memories were those of a Summer spent in a cottage at Corfe Castle just after the war. My father was still in the RN and involved in the decommissioning of submarines at Swanage. That summer seemed to last forever and the sun shone day after day. Some days my mother would take me, by train, from Corfe Castle to the beach at Swanage and then back home when my father finished work. I can still see those glorious little tank engines with just a couple of carriages that used to meander along through the glorious Dorset countryside and the sounds and smells of that summer will remain with me forever. Although I was only a nipper at the time that summer was, probably subconsciously, the start of my interest in railways and "the rest is history" as they say.

i used to love thomas the tank engine (5 years old??) then my dad took me to the West Somerset Railway and we saw a GWR manor and that started my love of steam. We went not much longer afterwards to a place near somerton to watch the HST's scream past in the 125mph zone! that got me to love diesels. And i first encountered electrics on th ECML what fun :P

Thomas The Tank Engine, and blue/grey HST's seen from The Metro at Chillingham Road :)

A humble appology
 

I feel like an intruder on sacred turf, my experience and knowledge of trains is limited to taking the tube in london, going by eurostar to france twice, travelling accross Europe on ex communist trains and previously owning a Hornby trainset.

what got me interested
 

one thing...

hornby

Hello,

I am Rev David Heathcote. I live at present in Gloucester, but could be moving soon.

I am leading a multi faceted community project in the Berkeley Vale in the south west of Gloucestershire (not South Gloucestershire which is another county.

Most of those who follow UK railways have probably heard of it. It runs under the holistic banner of Proactive Vision. The railway is a part of the project, a part we call Berkeley Vale Railway or BVR or even BeaVeR line.

I was one of the three initial directors back in 1981 of the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway in the north east of the same county. I left that organisation back in 1989 partly due to an illness as well as other discontentments.

I effectively took a double decade sabbatical, only to return to the land of the steel wheel and road when asked to by a number of folk who saw what I had done in the past, realised what I was doing then and saw fit to encourage me to join it all together.

Instead of the usual PLC or Society led preservation railway, I decided that funding would be as multi faceted as Beaver's 'aimed at' future modus operandi.

I am intending to fund all of this community project chiefly by the deployment of my own international industrial endeavours, however, I wish to offer to loco and stock owners a place to reside and enjoy their hobby in the bargain. This applies also to the creation of an exclusive membership scheme, as applies to most if not all other private railways. (A regular democratically elected support body)

The Proactive Vision Group however, is made of an non democratic body of private companies, both altruistic and purely commerical.

We have carried out a very complex and deeply refined study on the branch, the docks, the availability of resources and the tourist potential. The findings where staggering, as this particular project, (in its entirety not simply railway based) seems to have been cocooned in a time warp. We exposed a potential which created a tsunami of interest from many quarters internationally, one of the 'prime movers' deserving of a mention, is the intense mixing of marine, wildlife along with rail transport. It also exposes the massive potential for commercial allegiance from industry outside of our own, (that is already built in)

The basic ethos of the whole of the Proactive Vision mission is Christian, with a built in training college for youth between 16 and 26 years that have undergone difficult upbringings that have created low self esteem. All of the projects different activities (including the BVR) are tools, NOT goals in their own right. Our motto is simply, "EVERYBODY BENEFITS BY EVERYBODY BENEFITING"

We will be training these young people, not as they do in the normal technical college for instance by building a brick wall for marks out of 10, then knocked down and all cleaned off for the next candidate, but to see the brick wall then left up to serve a useful function in the community at large, possibly with a small brass plaque attached to state who built the wall and who did the teaching.

Tourism potential and other forms of commerce is also being very seriously examined regarding BVR, in an attempt to created footfall and jobs in the said community.

Our organisation is called Proactive Vision, our aim is POSITIVE WHOLESALE COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION!

We naturally have a few critics also our negative "You'll never achieve this" cynics, but they aren't doing it are they?? We have always, coming from the realms of intellectual property, know to look for the hidden meaning or agenda. By enlarge we experience massive support and are humbled by this. In relation to the support, we hear very little negative criticism (We do welcome and look for positive criticism though, especially when it carries offers of help to create remedy!

Thank you all for reading, please feel free to get back all of you as I would like to engage with you, especially in a positive manner.
Indeed can you help us in any way with this mission?

Rev Dave

My interest in railways was being taken off the dole in 1981, and been given a job as a guard on BR.
This was the best move I ever made.
Regular pay, eg £75 per week, on a 42 hour roster, cheap rail travel, and being able to support my young son and my wife in times when thing s were tough.
Then a side ways move which increased my wage to £124 per week and 8 miles a day less to travel.

Welcome to the Forum Rev Dave. Look forward to more news of your project.

Best wishes,

John H-T.

Hi, I more or less forgot about steam engines at about 16 Yrs old when I discovered girls. Many years later I was sitting at the barrier crossing in Egham waiting to cross when low and behold "Flying Scotsman" came flying across the crossing,I could not believe what I was seeing. I recognized the number straight away. Ever since I have been trying to see as many steamers as I can, and enjoying it no end. Regards Peter.

My excuse is family related, that and growing up next to steam.
In my family, the men either went to sea or joined the railway, indeed some did both (at sea first and then joined the railway when they married etc).
As a result a I was perennially being dragged up and down the system by both Grandfathers to look at rare locos/special events etc, and that as they say, was that!

I lost interest in steam engines at about the age of 15, girls don't you know. Many years later I was waiting at the level crossing in Egham when to my amazement the Flying Scotsman flew over the crossing leaving me in total disbelief. I of course recognised the number on the cab side. Since then I have tried to spot as many steamers as possible and wish that I had never given them up. "Ah Well". Regards Peter.

Peter, did you forget you had posted an almost similar post earlier this evening ?

to be truthful i dont know. i am only 15, but have a keen entusiasm in sydney cityrail.

Watching the goods trains at Feltham yard, with those massive G16's hump shunting. And many trips "Up Town" with Dad. For visits to Londons mainline stations. Mainly Waterloo or Paddington..

What got me interested?
 

I don't remember not being interested in railways! Steam disapeared from British Railways when I was ten but before that I had the occasional train journey with my parents, I remember being excited about seeing a class 37 diesel on the front of our train rather than an old fashioned steam engine. Nowadays I still like class 37s but I would rather be steam hauled.

I worked for British Rail Divisional Civil Engineers for three years in the mid '70s after leaving school, I loved working for BR but it became boring as we were overstaffed and had to look busy when there was not much to do.

I still have quite an interest in the main line and always travel by train when possible, however in the last ten years or so my greater interest has moved towards railway preservation.

I also like model railways, mostly assisting other people with theirs at the moment.

im gonna post again, in australia we have the zig zag railway, and also that all of us that want a history lesson happen to travel 3hrs to lithgow, to get on 1049 and go to clarence and back to bottom points. the funny thing is that its all original stations.

Visited The Zig-Zag Railway about four years ago. Really enjoyed it. There are some photos in my Gallery.

Best wishes,

John H-T.

Being dragged along to East Croydon station, in 1953. Mostly green southern EMU's. Except for the Brighton Belle. Plus M7's shunting in the goods yard. C2X's, Q1's and U1's on short goods trains. The occasional Standard class short passenger service. And, of course. The regular appearance of 10000 or 10001.
A platform ticket only cost a penny

I would be fascinated to know. All that I do know is that I have had a deep interest in trains for as long as I can remember. My first recollections are of Underground trains in London.

Having worked for BR for 14 years (Traction & Traincrew, General Manager [LMR], Crewe) the interest simply grew.

Kind greetings to all.

N.

Welcome to the Forum "The Linguist." Look forward to your posts.

Best wishes,

John H-T.

What a lot of interest this question has raised.
For my part I lived in Market Rasen in the 50's and went to a school in Lincoln every day on a steam hauled engine and back again. I would let my imagination run wild with all the boyish adventures one could muster as the train delivered its power with the gentle rocking to and fro and of course the rythem of the wheels over the track joints. Oh what bliss. My dad worked on the railways and I would often meet him at the sheds by the Brayford Pool in Lincoln and we would ride home together.
I did become a spotter in my teens but left it all behind with the arrival of the diesels. I use to bike to Tuxford on the east coast main line to see the occasional "Streak" fly by or an A1 or other Pacific. Names like William Wordsworth, Kestral and Silver Fox are completely etched in my mind, so too the boat trains we used to catch over to Belgium in the 50's, the green arrow!
Well now I am 60 and have found a revived interest in our wonderful Heritage railways. Yes it takes me back to the "good old days" but more than that our country must have the best of steam anywhere in the world with over three hundred preserved Steam engines and new ones being bulit for the young comming through. Its good to see all the revived stations with all the nostalga attached.
I could go on; it gets in your blood and never goes away.
Long live our heritage lines and all the people involved young and old.
I love it!

My first introduction to the railway hobby was as a 10 year old back in 1963 when my mate, the late Stan Roberts, asked if I wanted to go trainspotting with him to Preston station on a summer Saturday morning. OK I said in a non-commital way - I was more interested in kicking a football around at the time - but it was when he suggested on the morning of the adventure that we "bunk" Preston shed that it all came home to me. As we crept under the foreman's office II came up against the driving wheels at ground level of Coronation pacific "City of Salford" which had recently been withdrawn and stored. I stood in awe and just couldn't believe just how big the b****y thing was, then after noting all the numbers we came out and a Jubilee went by with a holiday express for Blackpool, I was hooked. Although, got to admit it was never the same after 4 August 1968.

I now live in Cornwall, in GWR territory, but was born in barnet, living in
East Barnet about 100 yards from the great LNER. Use to stand on the foot bridge after school, going home as black as the bridge I was standing on. 1pm was shunting time in the small yard at Oakleigh Park. Happy Days.

Welcome to the Forum hintonmanor. Look forward to your posts.

Best wishes,

John H-T.

Started for me at age10/11 when my spotter friends persuaded me to visit our small town station to cop the 9-20 pm train from Blackpool to Manchester.

As soon as I heard her coming up the incline I felt a bit of a tingle. As she accelerated on the straight prior to her run-through I could feel the excitement mounting and then she burst into view from behind the trees on the curve.

A few moments later accompanied by a piercing whistle she thundered through the station and that was it for me - I was hooked.

Her number - 45642. Her name - Boscawen.

Over fifty years ago but I remember it as though it was yesterday.

For me it's following in my Dad's footsteps. He and I have always enjoyed looking at motorcycles and trains. Dad's strictly a steam man - he does love his kettles! I'm into both steam and diesel traction - somehow electrics just aren't the same for me. But when it comes to the diesel, old and modern in equal measure - they all have their merits. Hope one day to have the space and finance to get back into model railway building too. My favourite place to get away for a few minutes and find relaxation is the level crossing at Astley Moss. Just to spend an hour or so there, watching the Manchester to Liverpool trains coming back and forth, helping the locals with the gates on the crossing, watching the signallers at work in the signal box. It's a great way to de-stress for me - aided by the pleasant ride on the motorbike to get down there! :D

For me it was as a Kid when we used to slide down the Railway bankings on bits of old "Pit Belting". Loved it when the trains came along and we had to scamper to the top of the bankings. Gradually started spotting and loved it :)

I started getting interested in railways after doing research on what the railways used to be like in the steam-age. My father has always been an avid railway-modeler, modeling the era he was brought up in (40s), so I guess that was the root of my research.

I found myself moved by just how much of our railway heritage was wantonly destroyed in such a short time, so-called in the name of progress.

How ironic then that 21st century thinking proves the great pioneers to be correct: it was very obviously more environmentally friendly to use one train rather than 40 or 50 cars vans or lorries to transport the same mass of freight or quantity of people.

The Hooter at the Barry Loco works governed the life of the town, an uncle was a main line driver, when getting close to school leaving age there wasn't much choice for me and my school mates five or six went to the Loco works as apprentices, I and a few others went to the docks as apprentices. We all learned heavy engineering, steam engines and boilers, of all types. The boys in the Loco shop were all converted to diesel as BR and Beeching swung their axes, by this time I was well at sea and one day I even got one of my old school friends to come to sea with me.

Steam locos are great machines, but you don't know them until you've taken them to bits, cleaned and reassembled them, cleaning the boiler can be interesting also, before one even thinks of shovelling twenty tons of good Welsh steam coal on the run from Cardiff to Newcastle!

My brother got me into the hobby. Most children in my brother's generation (myself too)was into Thomas The Tank Engine. But instead of growing out of it like most kids did, my brother's enthusiasm for the hobby just blossomed!
As for me, I started off spotting in the early 90s and got into the 'bashing' cult around '95, Class 37s did it for me!

My brother is no longer into the hobby as he has settle down with a Wife and Child but the interest is still there.
Of course, I'm still into railways myself!

railway interest
 

I always had a bit of an interest in railways because my Dad and Grandad both worked at Newton heath depot as firemen and then drivers all their working lives.

My interest has slowly flared up in recent years... It started when I was delivering a parcel to Eccles Station ticket office and a class 47 "whooshed" through loved the sound... and again at Eccles two Deltic's passed through together light engine and sounded awesome.

After that I used to stand next to class 47's at Manchester Piccadilly while waiting for the football special.

Started going up to The ELR four years ago. Got myself a cheap little camera and started filming last year.

Like steam as well as diesel's... My Dad used to talk about Black 5's and 8f's all the time... and class 40, 45 and 47's.

I like electric loco's and HST's as well.

My recent peaked interest in railway goings on is great but it feels like I've missed the best years.

i like trains cos i use them a lot

We lived in Durban, South Africa until 1969, then Johannesburg. My dad used to take us on the train up and down the coast nearly every weekend on steam trains such as in the video. Eventually they electrified the lines. Once a year we did the overnight to Johannesburg and vice versa. That was electric. South African Railways was great in those days.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l62dTW1cvLU

The north london line and 501 emus, its as simple as that.