[mrg2507]

To all.

Thought it only polite to say hello to all at Railway Forum.

I am a proud son of a retired Gateshead-based driver, and an ex driver myself, having had spells at Norwood Junction SR (as a traction trainee), Cambois (Blyth), Gateshead (52A), and finally Newcastle.

Joining the railways in 1980, I had a super career, and had the pleasure to drive all types of train, with the Hawker Siddeley being the first loco I learned. With a life of driving 'bendy busses' to look forward too, I 'retired' in 2006 to follow a new career path in aviation journalism/photography, which I am enjoying immensely.

I watched the railways go from hero to zero in a short space of time. Privatisation was the final nail in the coffin of a great industry. I was lucky enough to have a route card & traction card that today would be the envy of many, but towards the end of my career, the thought of driving 142's to Carlisle & Middlesborough until I was 60 just didn't have any appeal to me.

My memory of my last day of railway service...... a moron cheap suited 'DTM' giving a newly passed out driver a real dressing down on the platform infront of his passengers..... this same DTM had a VERY short career as a driver himself, a career littered with station over runs, SPADS, and disciplinary things that even I would have been proud of...... oh how things have changed from the days of highly respected traction inspectors.... In the days before you went from interview to MP12, when you 'served your time' as a secondman, I wonder how this same chap would have faired coupling vacuum pipes together.......

End of last paragraph rant!

Cheers all.