Hello folks
 

Just joined this forum and looking forward to being a member. Long-time railway enthusiast; can remember trainspotting at East Croydon when Standard Tanks were two-a-penny. Lost interest when steam disappeared. Got involved again when the North Downs Steam Railway started up near my Kent home around 1983; messed around at Southfleet, Rochester, Chatham Dockyard then decided industrials weren't for me and joined the Bluebell Railway. Eventually became a fireman and still visit whenever I can to do my turns, though I have now moved a long way from Southern territory. Have recently joined the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway, where I turn up for duties in the loco dept once or twice a month. Also a member of the Kinlet Hall support group, going to Tyseley now and then to help prep the loco for its main line turns.

Hello and welcome to the Forum, have a good look round and enjoy. All the best.

Hello boilersuit welcome to the Forum from an ex BR fireman. Looking at your Avatar it seems you like your beer as do I.

Hello and welcome

Hi there boilersuit - beer,ex-railway and the Gloucester Warwickshire too - excellent pedigree.Welcome to the forum.
http://david-j-smith.fotopic.net

Hi Boilersuit,

Welcome to the Forum. Hope you enjoy it and look forward to your contributions.

Will you be with Kinlet Hall on her trip to Ely later this month? I am booked on it so might see you.

Best wishes,

John H-T.

Hi there Boilersuit. Welcome to the forum. :)

Blimey are we related?????!!!:eek: :D

I too was in the NDSR at Chatham, and am now with the Bluebell and I used to live for a while in Cheltenham, but wasn't involved with the then fledgling GWR.....small world huh?!

Do you have any pics from the NDSR Chatham days? I have some, but not many as my photos have got decimated over many, many house moves over the years. If you have, then please PM or e-mail, it would be good to chat!:)

Hi Boilersuit and welcome to the forum. I like your Avatar. I am a real ale man and have tried a good few hundred beers over the last 10 or so years.
Enjoy the site and having had a good look around, start posting photos and stories of your experience's on the railways.

Welcome. Looks like we are going to need a real ale sub-group.

Old Speckled Hen, Adnans Broadside, or anything by Shephard Neame for me please.

Thanks everybody for your kind messages, makes me feel very welcome! Yes I'm a real ale man, weaned on Shepherd Neame but it's hard to find here in remote Herefordshire. Wye Valley Brewery turns out some decent ale though. Put me down for the real ale sub-group!

I have loads of pics of the old NDSR when it was at Chatham Dockyard, having miraculously managed to hang on to my photo collection through upwards of a dozen house moves (not to mention two divorces). Just have to find them... they are around here somewhere...

I will be helping to get Kinlet Hall ready for her main line trip to Ely later this month, but I can't go with the support crew this time – I have to be in Portsmouth at the weekend to be with my daughter (it's her graduation). Goodness that makes me feel old!

Hi Boilersuit, welcome to the forum.
The beer bottles have made me thirsty.
Paul.

Great! When you get time would love to see them. My best mate and I were 14 in 1984/5 and got involved just after closure of the Yard with the NDSR and spent many an hour there cleaning Ajax, cleaning the two Tube carriages, riding around in wagons and generally revelling amongst the filth and industrial decay of that place....:D

We even had jobs on the underground stock on the couple of odd open days that where held, operating the doors, etc. I have some odd pics, one of the Fowler DM 0-4-0 (my favourite, now sadly gone loco there), the underground train with Ajax at the head, and a postcard produced by the society after the first open day and that's it! Would love to see more....