Most vivid childhood railway memory

[EssexGonzo]

Not Coventry or Rugby as no wires. Might be Taunton...

Could be. Used to have relatives in Taunton. And my memories of Coventry are returning.....as you say all electric even when I was a nipper.

 

[ScottMathew]

Some good posts in here. Most vivid memories of the railways when a child for me are when my older cousin used to take me and my brother to Wellingborough train station (he and my nan lived right around the corner) and do some trainspotting there - vividly remember that was the first time I saw a HST; pass through the station without stopping, I loved it ! But must admit it scared me too!

 

[Ivo]

I know I've posted this before, but mine is of a 312 (I assume) in May 1997. I was returning from a camping holiday in Hastings and got to travel in the guard's van back along the LTS as my father was a guard at the time - and at Pitsea I got to pull the bell chain thing indicating "clear for departure"!

 

[317666]

I have many vivid memories of the railway when I was a kid, so I'll post what is probably the oldest:

My Dad took me to London when I can't have been more than 3 or 4 (so this would've been around 1999-2000), and I remember standing on Platform 1 at Cambridge with the train being a pair of 317s. One was in NSE livery, and the other was a freshly refurbished /6 in the WAGN 'red doors' livery. (Obviously I didn't know at the time what type of train it was or what all the liveries meant.) I remember asking my Dad if we could go in the one with red doors, and we did! Probably explains why 317s are my favourite trains - if only they ran the non-stops to Kings Cross as often now!

I remember on the same day when heading back to Kings Cross to go home, my Dad lifting me on his shoulders at Farringdon to watch the pantograph on a 319 raise.

 

[Harlesden]

In addition to some fascinating posts, this thread has made me realize how lucky I was to have been born in the last decade of steam as opposed to only knowing DMUs and EMUs

 

[yorksrob]

In addition to some fascinating posts, this thread has made me realize how lucky I was to have been born in the last decade of steam as opposed to only knowing DMUs and EMUs

You're welcome to your Kettles. I was quite happy with my Southern EMU's and DEMU's

 

[ryan125hst]

I think for me, it has to be watching the Valenta HST's and the 225's speeding through Retford back in GNER days (sadly, i'm not old enough to remember the days of BR )

My mum often took me to a local play park which has a fantastic view of the ECML with the added bonus that there are swings and slides that kept me entertained between the trains!

Then there were the walks along the cinder track in Tuxford with my Grandparents that gets increasingly harder to walk down every year as it always seems to be overgrown. I've got many fond memories of seeing trains racing past from down the track and at the old level crossing by The Fountain pub.

And then there were the times that we used to go to Retford station to pick up a timetable if we were planning on going on a train ride. Sadly, we don't go on trains very often as both of my parents have a car, but I can still remember the sound of those Valenta's and the smell of the diesel exhaust now.

A final memory that has just come to me that I have to share was when I was with my Mum at the park I mentioned above (I think my sister was with me as well). I said that I could hear a steam train, to which she replied that it can't be. To our suprise, a burgandy coloured steam engine (I believe it had a full rake of coaches as well but i'm not sure as it must be over 10 years ago, likely longer) went past heading north. I still don't know which engine it was and as I don't even know the year for certain, I might never find out.

It's only now that I know just how frequent steam rail tours are!

 

[LE Greys]

I think for me, it has to be watching the Valenta HST's and the 225's speeding through Retford back in GNER days (sadly, i'm not old enough to remember the days of BR )

My mum often took me to a local play park which has a fantastic view of the ECML with the added bonus that there are swings and slides that kept me entertained between the trains!

Then there were the walks along the cinder track in Tuxford with my Grandparents that gets increasingly harder to walk down every year as it always seems to be overgrown. I've got many fond memories of seeing trains racing past from down the track and at the old level crossing by The Fountain pub.

And then there were the times that we used to go to Retford station to pick up a timetable if we were planning on going on a train ride. Sadly, we don't go on trains very often as both of my parents have a car, but I can still remember the sound of those Valenta's and the smell of the diesel exhaust now.

A final memory that has just come to me that I have to share was when I was with my Mum at the park I mentioned above (I think my sister was with me as well). I said that I could hear a steam train, to which she replied that it can't be. To our suprise, a burgandy coloured steam engine (I believe it had a full rake of coaches as well but i'm not sure as it must be over 10 years ago, likely longer) went past heading north. I still don't know which engine it was and as I don't even know the year for certain, I might never find out.

It's only now that I know just how frequent steam rail tours are!

Did you ever wave to the trains? I seem to remember that park, often flashing past looking out of the window to see if I could work out where the local stations were. If anyone waved, I always waved back.

The 'burgandy coloured steam engine' sounds like crimson lake livery, and the loco most likely to be found on the ECML in that livery ten years ago is LMS №6233 Duchess of Sutherland (see my picture of the same from Halfpenny Bridge near Hitchin). Does she look familiar? (Note, it's either a bit underexposed or she was painted black at the time, as happened before her last overhaul).

 

[ryan125hst]

Did you ever wave to the trains? I seem to remember that park, often flashing past looking out of the window to see if I could work out where the local stations were. If anyone waved, I always waved back.

I'm sure I did as I would have been 8 years old (or younger as i'm not 100% sure of the year) at the time. If it helps, the park is just south of Retford station, between the station and Grove level crossing.

The 'burgandy coloured steam engine' sounds like crimson lake livery, and the loco most likely to be found on the ECML in that livery ten years ago is LMS №6233 Duchess of Sutherland (see my picture of the same from Halfpenny Bridge near Hitchin). Does she look familiar? (Note, it's either a bit underexposed or she was painted black at the time, as happened before her last overhaul).

Yes, i've just looked up crimson lake livery and the Duchess has come up. I would have tried to find a more offical livery name if I had more time but my dinner was ready so I had to be quick!

I remember trying to work this out a few years ago and I believe that I guessed it was Duchess of Sutherland then. It was quite a shock at the time because we didn't know how often steam railtours ran. It has only been in the last six or seven years that I have become a true rail enthusiast and learnt about the classes etc. and know of UK Steam. I was very suprised when I first saw how many steam railtours there are every year across the county!

I can remember seeing Flying Scotsman at that park (and also have vague memories of seeing it at Retford station) as well. I wonder how long it will be before I see her steam through Retford again?

I wonder which railtours they were on? I've got a photo of Flying Scotsman somewhere as well, but it isn't dated as far as I know. As for the "burgandy colour steam engine" (or the Duchess as I believe it to be), it will be even harder to work that one out.

 

[tsr]

I remember a single glimpse of my first train journey.

It is of a 4VEP, or something similar in the eyes of a small child, pulling in to stop at Merstham, heading North. I was sitting on the footbridge steps with my Dad, waiting for the next Southbound service. I was fascinated by the fact that we could just watch the train arrive and depart without us doing anything. I guess I've been curious about railways and transportation systems of all sorts ever since that moment!

Most of my other childhood memories are of various bits of the Brighton Mainline.

My first ride on a Tube train was probably C or D Stock from Victoria to somewhere West of there.

 

[Kali]

I can remember my dad holding me up while I was standing on the table in a Mk2 so I could stick my head out the little window opening - was on the way to Paddington so it would probably have been a Western up front ( in the 70s ) but I was too small to remember that much. I can remember Red Cow crossing at ExD being manually operated, the smell of Tiverton Jct, inside the box at Tiv Jct, and driving an 08 at Taunton(!) when I was barely tall enough to see out...