Hello from the southwest

[Sawicki20]

Hiya I'm Andy from totnes in Devon, now I was once a train spotter when I was younger, I've traveled on many of class of diesels in my lifetime but as a grew older the love of the train started to fade properly due to the fact of priverting the network & withdrawing loads of great diesels.... Any way as you do, you go mad in your teens & twenties then you grow up, I'm now 31 & got two wonderful boys ones coming upto 3 & enjoys nothing more than going down to Newton abbot station to watch the trains & loves going to buckfastleigh station & seeing & walking around there, he loves Thomas the tank, I've got him shed loads of Thomas & track to play with, this is why I've joined up today as my love has come back plus when I get my own space the train set what I played with will make a return but this time like you see in Hornby mags!! As for my other little man he's only 3 months so no chance of getting him into anything yet!! Lol, I'm sure there must be on here your fave engine or class, well I've got a few starring with class 20's, 37's, 47's, 50's top of my table other classes are near there but nothing like a hover & tractor thundering up a nice gradient!!
Hope I haven't bored you guys & gals but you get these one liners which are just borring, with me & given you guys some background on why I'm here today!! Many thanks & I hope to read some of your comments, just one last thing it's dear to my heart some may of met him or may not but my partner in crime when I was young who had trains like me & spotted with me is no longer with me who died two years ago & is still missed by all, Peter denham was a great friend!!
Thank you guys once again & speak to you soon ; )

[G6 UXU]

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

[John H-T]

Welcome to the Forum Andy. Hope you enjoy it.

Best wishes,

John H-T.

[Madcaravanner]

Hi Andy

You NEVER get too old or too young for trains I still train spot bu make it interesting by collecting stock and track plant numbers too add to that I try to get a photo of every train I see makes for a HUGE gallery of pictures
AND I have a layout in the loft so I've got lots of space but still not enough if you know what I mean - and I don't buy many buildings as I do modelling using card and printed out paper which is certainly cost effective and enjoyable and as I get better it's easy to discard an old building and replace it with a better one.

As for kids we have now got 9 grand-kids (yes the last one is 4 days old and ealr one more to come too) and all those that come ALL want to get into the loft and see the trains they don't touch they just watch some of the older ones help out making stuff and laying scatter and LOVE IT

Enjoy yourself and keep the flame going

[davat]

Hi, and welcome to the forum, I hope you enjoy all that you see.
You have the South Devon Railway on you doorstep and they have a good selectikon of both diesels and steam engines.

[Tony]

Hello Andy, welcome to the forum. You will find people that are interested in all aspects of railways from spotting to "proper" railwaymen on here. You can ask anything you like and will always get an answer (or 50). Several members live in South Devon, I live in Paignton and up to last year used to go spotting at Newton Abott, now age has caught up with me and stopped me travelling. Enjoy your membership.
Regards, Tony

[DSY011]

Hello Andy and welcome to the Railway Forum.

[Sawicki20]

Thank you all for the warm welcome, I'm sure I'm going to settle in nicly here!!

[Silver Fox Phil]

Hi Andy, just seen your post, must have missed it first time around. Anyway welcome from me too. I was like you in respect to my early years back in the 50's and early 60's being a spotter. Mostly enjoyed steam and then saw the change to diesels later on in my mid teens. I then joined the Army at 16 and left my spotting days behind. Like you got married had a lovely daughter and now I have two beautiful grandkids.
A few years ago I went to Pickering and had a trip on the NYMR. Well that did it for me and now I love nothing better than to spend all day from dawn to dusk and beyond on a heritage railway back with steam! Brilliant. I dont tend to spot anymore but love to photograph. Needless to say I have thousands and have put a few on the gallery. (very good on this forum, with lots of class shots from members willing to share their "sometimes hard fought" photos!)
Anyway I hope you enjoy and look forward to your contributions.
All the best
Phil

[Sentinel]

Welcome to the forum, Andy.