Hello from East London.
 

Hi. I've just joined. :)
My name is Mike, I've just qualified as an Old age perisher.
I've been interested in trains, ever since I first went train spotting, with friends, on East Croydon station, in 1953.
From 1954/60 I attended a boarding school in Dorset, which, six times a year, entailed a journey to/from Waterloo to/from Dorchester south. Invariably, behind a Bulleid Pacific. On rare occasions, a Lord Nelson. Hence, my love of the Bulleids.
I don't make dedicated train spotting trips. But I always carry a micro cassette recorder with me, for whenever I make a train journey. Or spot a train, whilst driving around.
Last thursday, I drove my daughter from London, to Birmingham New st. To catch a connection to Glasgow, Because she didn't book early enough to get an economical through ticket.

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

Best wishes,

John H-T.

Hello Mike and welcome to the forum, enjoy and all the best.

Thanks for the welcome guys.
I should perhaps add, that my son is a driver on the Metropolitan line of the London underground. He has already served on the Jubilee and Northern lines.

Hello
 

Hi Mike, hope you enjoy the forum,welcome on board.
regards

Once again. Many thanks. :)

Hello Mike and welcome to the Railway Forum. In 21 months and 12 days I'll be an 'Old age perisher' too, but then who's counting?

hello
 

welcome to the forum Mike, there seems to be a lot of OAPs on here.

Yep and I am one of them ! But I am only 21 really (Plus V.A.T.) :D
So you are in good company Mike and it is great to have you aboard.enjoy the forum, a great site with very nice people.
I have officially been an OAP now 2 years, but age is only a number, you are only as old as you feel mate.

Have a great day.

48111

I've just got to the pre-OAP stage (60) so at least my pills won't cost me anything from now on.:D

Pills
 

Yes. It's a curse. Suffering from Over Average Personality. But I survive. ;)

do you remember steam on what is now the Gospel Oak=Barking line
I used to live 2 houses from the viaduct near Wanstead Park station
used to watch the trains from my bedroom window instead of goint to sleep like a good little boy
ahhh the good old days

No, sorry. That was before my time. I only moved to East London, when I got married, in 1970. They still had the old 'post steam' DMU's then. As they also had on the North Woolwich line

New Member
 

Another old perisher I'am afraid but at least I was around during steam days.
Peter

That sounds nice! I can remember being woken up by diesel trains coming along very late at night (about 10 years ago) with extremely heavy loads which use to shake the foundations of my house which backed onto Queens Rd Station on the Gospel Oak / Barking Line. Does anybody know what those heavy loads might have been? I always thought it might be materials going to the Dagenham Ford Car Works. I only come to this conclusion because the Ford closure seemed to coincide with a reduction in the heavy trains going past.