Train porn

[Guy Profumo]

What station is that?

York?

[Sits]

um,

Definitely York..

[Logan Mountstuart]

Not forgetting, the “Peaks“. Class 44-46.

I lived in Stonehouse, nicely triangled between the Bristol to Birmingham line (The Mid), and the Cheltenham to London line. Passenger trains on The Mid were invariably pulled by Peaks whereas the London line had Wessies which were gradually replaced by the bland class 47s, or Brush 4s as we used to call them.

I was always impressed with the peaks because they used to go past Stonehouse at top speed.

Like the Deltics, the class 44s had a semi - mythical status. Geographically difficult to get to, there were only 10 of them and they were all based at the enormous Toton depot somewhere between Derby and Nottingham. They only really pulled freight trains but had brilliant names like Helvellyn and Great Gable.

Despite the nerdy connotations, I had a fantastic time trainspotting. I remember at the age of 13 sneaking through the fence at Toton depot, 120 miles from home, trying to find the 1 to 10ers. My parents thought I was playing football down the rec, but we'd cycled to Gloucester (there were no trains on Sundays)and used the last day of our Midland runaround ticket to get to Long Eaton from Gloucester. Being out all day didn't seem to worry your parents back then

We went all over the country, roaming London on our own. We had so much freedom.

When the appeal of trains wore off, around the age of 15, we satisfied our senses of wanderlust and danger by roaming late 70s England, getting our heads kicked in following Bristol City away.

[Capybara]

So much of this chimes with me, though I was at the opposite end of the country. It was always a thrill to see a locomotive out of its normal range. I remember D9 Snowdon making it to York once and a couple of years later a Western turned up at Derby. I have an Instamatic slide of it somewhere. But it was to Chesterfield that we went most often to see the Peaks. 44s were scarce even there but most visits yielded one or two. Towards the end of the 70s I moved to work in Cheltenham but the Westerns were all but gone by then as had the interest. Though mention of the Stonehouse triangle is interesting, as there was a cricket pitch there between the two lines where we played a few games in the 80s.

[Logan Mountstuart]

So much of this chimes with me, though I was at the opposite end of the country. It was always a thrill to see a locomotive out of its normal range. I remember D9 Snowdon making it to York once and a couple of years later a Western turned up at Derby. But it was to Chesterfield that we went most often to see the Peaks. 44s were scarce even there but most visits yielded one or two. Towards the end of the 70s I moved to work in Cheltenham but the Westerns were all but gone by then as had the interest. Though mention of the Stonehouse triangle is interesting, as there was a cricket pitch there where we played a few games in the 80s.

Oldens Lane rec was a child's paradise in the 70s and early 80s. I played Cricket there for Cainscross Exiles from 1978 to 1981 and football for Robin /Stonehouse Rovers for a few years too. Stonehouse football ground was a really good amateur ground back then too. In the early 70s, they were poor but proper rivals for Forest Green.

Somewhere I have a picture of me with my first Deltic (Pinza) at Kings Cross in 1971, aged 7. My dad took me to London for the day. Western Buccaneer there, Western King back home. We had one of those second class compartments with the green seats to ourselves both ways. I'd never been further than Swindon before.

He took me to Euston as well. I remember being hugely disappointed because it was all electric. I didn't collect leckies at that time.

I remember the exact date because when we got back to Paddington my Dad bought a Pink'un and we found out that Ray Crawford's Colchester had knocked Leeds out of the Cup. I couldn't believe a result like that could happen. I was distraught.

Perhaps it was this sort of 70s day that pre - programmed me to inevitably become an OTFer?

[Third rate Leszno]

I realise units aren't the most exciting thing on rails, but the TPE Nova 2 sets are quite a pleasant looking thing (when they're not parked up in a siding somewhere). This one was ticking over next to me while I was eating my chippy tea at Carlisle last week.

[ursus arctos]

Basque style there.

CAF has quite the varied output

[Sporting]

I thought i was heading for a link to the Central African Republic for a minute!

[Moonlight Shadow]

The new dual-mode Hitachi trains of TPE are pretty cool, lovely to travel with and they switch mode at Victoria. I have only been on when they run as electrics

[jdsx]

My trainspotting days were about 1974-76. In the summer of '76, aged 13, I bought a 7 day rover ticket (at half the adult price, which you had to pay from aged 14 in those days), and organised 7 days of travel from my home (Charlbury - near Oxford) round pretty much the whole of England - only one overnight stay in Plymouth needed with some friends of my mum's. Those were the days when you had to use the 'Passenger Timetable' book. None of this internet nonsense. Deltics were king, though. Happy days.

[Third rate Leszno]

I went to Newcastle with my Dad to watch the Deltic Scotsman Farewell pass through on it's northbound journey. There'll be photos in a box upstairs somewhere.

[Diable Rouge]

Doubtless you all saw the BBC Four slow TV documentary following the train journey along the length of New Zealand last Sunday?

[Paul S]

Last week they started scrapping the first Class 60 - 60006 - although it hasn't turned a wheel in service for a number of year. The first in its class to be cut up.

[Snake Plissken]

I was on the Nova 2 coming back from Glasgow to Piccadilly last week. The ride was pleasant enough and we were in first which was nicely comfortable. But the electrical systems are fucked. Three toilets randomly locked out of use, the PA feeding back all over the place, the display screens were blank and the wifi not working.

Also went on the new Northern trains (Class 331, I think.) Really liked them. And they are rapid when accelerating out of stations.

[Sits]

Not forgetting, the “Peaks“. Class 44-46.

I lived in Stonehouse, nicely triangled between the Bristol to Birmingham line (The Mid), and the Cheltenham to London line. Passenger trains on The Mid were invariably pulled by Peaks whereas the London line had Wessies which were gradually replaced by the bland class 47s, or Brush 4s as we used to call them.

I was always impressed with the peaks because they used to go past Stonehouse at top speed.

Like the Deltics, the class 44s had a semi - mythical status. Geographically difficult to get to, there were only 10 of them and they were all based at the enormous Toton depot somewhere between Derby and Nottingham. They only really pulled freight trains but had brilliant names like Helvellyn and Great Gable.

Despite the nerdy connotations, I had a fantastic time trainspotting. I remember at the age of 13 sneaking through the fence at Toton depot, 120 miles from home, trying to find the 1 to 10ers. My parents thought I was playing football down the rec, but we'd cycled to Gloucester (there were no trains on Sundays)and used the last day of our Midland runaround ticket to get to Long Eaton from Gloucester. Being out all day didn't seem to worry your parents back then

We went all over the country, roaming London on our own. We had so much freedom.

When the appeal of trains wore off, around the age of 15, we satisfied our senses of wanderlust and danger by roaming late 70s England, getting our heads kicked in following Bristol City away.

Lovely. Peaks were another we never saw. Sulzers (24-25-26) Brush 2s (31s), Slugs (33s), Ingie Threes (37), Brush 4s (47), 50s <spit>, Westerns and then HSTs. 08 shunters and Bogs (DMUs) obviously.

Talking of visiting depots, Dad once parked up across the road from the legendary Laira in Plymouth but it was bitterly disappointing if I remember correctly. A few Brush 4s and 08 shunters, and lots and lots of carriages.

[Big Boobs and FIRE!]

Yeah, the 397s are extremely shoddily made.

Incidentally, the 397 and the 331 are the same train, the CAF Civity. The 397 just has End doors and an enhanced interior for intercity work.

[Patrick Thistle]

Closest we got were the Class 37 “Ingy Threes”:

There's a 37 currently hauling old BR coaches on the valley lines. I've seen it on the Clare Road bridge a few mornings as I've been driving to work. It's in an old BR blue livery with a giant white logo on the side. The other day it was passing a 66 in GBRF livery that was idling outside the station. Very weird juxtaposition.

[Various Artist]

Nothing useful to add, but I feel I have to point out that I'm halfway through reading this page and Holly Johnson's 'Love Train' has just come on the radio. One could hardly think of a more appropriately-named song right now.

[Various Artist]

Doubtless you all saw the BBC Four slow TV documentary following the train journey along the length of New Zealand last Sunday?

Across the width, to be more precise, but yes I for one saw that!

[Third rate Leszno]

There's a 37 currently hauling old BR coaches on the valley lines. I've seen it on the Clare Road bridge a few mornings as I've been driving to work. It's in an old BR blue livery with a giant white logo on the side. The other day it was passing a 66 in GBRF livery that was idling outside the station. Very weird juxtaposition.

Probably one of the ex-West Highland line locos that spent a few years hauling Barrow to Carlisle services along the Cumbrian Coast line - they stopped running that route last year and I think they moved to the Valleys and East Anglia.

[Diable Rouge]

https://twitter.com/joncstone/status/1230393094379638785

[Capybara]

Thanks. I've been watching the thread all day. He's there now.