Hello everyone.
I am Lee from Leeds and in my youth i was a trainspotter/rail enthusiast from 79-86.
I found this site through Google this evening as i was watching "Trainspotting" on Sky channel 523.
I decided to have a look on Google earth at some of the old haunts that i used to frequent as a youngster. I was suprised to see that the majority of the old engine sheds that had loco's in abundance are now defunct!!!!
I started my love for trains through some friends in my street as a 9 y/o and we used to stand my the line at east Garforth.
I can remember to this day how chuffed i was when my father bought me my first ever "Locoshed" numbers book, it has the green class 40 standing in Chester depot. I was so proud of this book and my love for diesel loco's grew from here.
MY main haunts were Garforth, Leeds, Holbeck sheds, York and Doncaster. Now and agin my dad and i would get the early morning train via Stalybridge and Stockport and visit Crewe which was a real highlight for me.
Times were differant then in the 80's and in September for my birthday i would save all my money and a friend and i would have a big day out somewhere like Cardiff, Scotland or London. They were great times as young teenagers going around the country, it was great.
My proudest moment as a trainspotter was watching 55 018 "Ballymoss" rumble into York station.....i had classed my Deltic's (seen them all) including Nimbus and St Paddy.
I still have my old Platform 5 spotter book in my bedside drawer which i still look at from time to time to bring back some old memories.
Lee