if only i had a tardis
 

I have been a rail fan all my life now nearly 50 but i would love to go back to the days of bashing on a sat morning 40s out of man vic etc if any member could go back in time in a tardis what and when would it be myself it would be inverness late 1970s steam heat pair of 26s to thurso or class 76s over woodhead around 1969 arghh happy days.

I'd love to spend a day watching some of Gooch's masterpieces on Brunell's broad gauge...

Just one for me, May 3rd 1975, Maiden Newton-Bridport final day of the branch, up and down the line all day, alas i was just 7 at the time...

id love to be able to go spotting and photting in the late 70s early 80s but with todays technology ie digital cameras, mobiles, email gen etc, knowing what I know now.

If I could have just 30 mins anytime, any place, with a modern camcorder / microphone I'd choose the southern end of Newcastle Central station in 1959/60 between about 12:05 pm and 12:35 pm to take in the arrival/departure of the Flying Scotsman followed by the departure of the Northumbrian. If I were very lucky I may also catch a freight by-passing the platforms but I doubt they'd schedule any for that time! But I'd really want at least 1 year.

mine would be man vic too,in the mid 60s-before i was born,to see the once massive station with steam-soon to end,and the first gen dmus,i remember victoria as a child of the 70s,i didnt really appreciate it though as was too young,when i got into trains it was the early 90s,i passed that station many times..how i wished i would of gone in and looked around the station with its 17 platforms still in situ,iwent in there 95 onwards,dead in the day and busy at rush hour,you dont realise how much you miss something until its gone.

I would love to travel back to the days of the 'Big Four' when they were at their best. At least a year on each of them (that is possible with a Tardis) with a modern 3D camera/camcorder.

I started my days at Man Vic in 1959 as a youngster. 1d for a platform ticket,stayed all day, the place was brilliant.Went back a few months ago, sorry sight now though.

Manchester Victoria seems to be featuring prominently here. I only ever had one experience of it (in 1966 it was). I took a very late Black Five hauled train from Lime Street (about 11:30 pm) over Standedge to York - and thence to Newcastle & Sunderland. I'm pretty sure we passed through (& probably stopped at) Victoria at some ungodly hour. I slept most of the way but woke up here and at Huddersfield.

Quite a few instances I'd like to go back to, hurtling through Leicester on the Night Mail on the footplate of a good steaming Black Five at around 80mph, any of the times spent firing up Camp Hill, or on the Kingsbury branch with the loco barking, or any of those shed turns where I got to drive, especially the night I put 70049 away. Happy days, and only just turned 16 at the time.