How or why did you develop an interest in railways?

[Halwynd]

Lovely story. Yes always liked the electric noise and smell there. And a Casey Jones beefburger!

Yes, very much so - and I've never forgotten that drivers kindness all these years later. He'd probably been up all night, driven from at least Crewe and ready for a break and a brew - but he still had a few minutes to show a youngster around the cab.

Yes, Casey Jones too - my first burger and milkshake! Happy days!

 

[nw1]

Commuting to school from autumn 1982, using Southern Region EMU stock (CIG/VEP/BIG/BEP/HAP) daily.

I guess I was always pre-disposed to being interested in trains, but even though I lived around 3 miles away from the same railway in the years immediately prior to that, the interest only developed from actually travelling on them.

My very first train journeys were occasional trips on what must have been 304s along the Altrincham line in perhaps 1976 or 1977 (?) but was too young to take much notice then. Also travelled once or twice a year on the Underground from late 1979 and I did take an interest in the map and the network (a sign of things to come) but didn't take a strong interest in the stock itself.

 

[52290]

I started trainspotting in Leyland in 1953 aged 9 when I acquired an Ian Allan LMR book. At that time the BR standard locos were only included at the back of the Eastern region book so I couldn't collect these until I could afford the extra volume.
Prior to this I had been brought up on the Rev Awdry books and also on the Jimmy and the little old engine books in which young boys and a monkey ran the railway in a place called Boyville. I think this gave me my interest in narrow gauge railways which I first encountered when my parents took me on holiday to the Isle of Man, also in 1953.
In 1955 I went with the school for a week in Nutbourne, Sussex where I experienced ancient 3rd rail Emu's, Bullied Pacifics , the Hayling Island branch and the Isle of Wight network. I had bought a Combined Volume by this time. When I returned to school I was able to show the boys who didn't come on the trip what they'd missed.

 

[beardedbrit]

A Hornby 'O' gauge clockwork train set was my gateway drug in the early 1950s, along with frequent travel on Southern Region suburban trains. Fast forward to a new home in north London in the mid 1950s, which meant I could happily spend hours on the footbridge at Hornsey station on the ECML or on the then platform 10 at Kings Cross with Ian Allan in my pocket. Parents somewhat enabled my habit with a subscription to Railway Magazine.

By then I admit to being in the grip of a serious addiction - shed bashing whenever possible (Old Oak, Camden, Willesden, Cricklewood, Kentish Town, Neasden....) plus membership in the Home Counties Railway Club for more distant places. The icing on the cake was a gap year job with British Railways in their research lab at Alexandra Palace, which was good for many months of cheap privilege travel around the country.

Recovery was very hard, but was aided by the disappearance of steam in the London area. I guess the end came when in early August 1968 I was traveling in Czechoslovakia with my first serious girl friend (just a few days before the Russian army decided to pay a visit), completely missing the end of steam back home - and it just didn't seem very important any more.

Not sure if this topic has been done before, but can't find anything similar.

Most of us on this site will have some sort of interest in railways, but why did we develop this interest?

For me it was a Christmas present from a relative when I was 4 years old. It was the 1967 Ian Allan Locospotters Annual! I still have it somewhere. My parents said this book was something I looked at for hours, then I asked for a model railway.

 

[YorksLad12]

1986, when I started college in Horsforth. Until then I'd used trains once in a blue moon as an adolescent and didn't know much about them as a babe-in-arms.

In 1987 I did a six-week placement at WYPTE (Metro), around the time they introduced the FWT-designed MetroTrain diagram... which probably explains the parental care I have for it, and maps I draw of other things (aside: Lincolnshire Stations is "coming soon").

Then I joined Leeds PCC in 1991, moved across to work for the PTE from 2000 (Leeds 1st, hurrah!), opened a few stations and got roped into the Northern & TPE franching in 2013-2016 until I left (and both franchises were working fine when I left them...) so my interest was really my job. I'm more interested in the railways as a thing rather than a number-taker, but I think there's room for all of us

 

[FrodshamJnct]

Perhaps unusually this way around, but OO modelling first, then the real thing, coupled (pun intended) with getting a job that required daily weekday rail travel. My interest in modelling has decreased (time mainly, as the children arrived) but still a big railway enthusiast!

 

[AM9]

For me it happened in three distinct phases:

1) Grew up in the '50s in south-west Essex, where days out started on the Central line, or Shenfield electrics at Ilford. When Twin Rovers came out, on unaccompanied days out, managed to travel over most of the Underground network. Note, all of it on electric trains.​

2) Early seventies, First three houses in Chelmsford, Colchester and Billericay, commuted on GE trains to Ilford, was fascinated by the intricate workings of the GE mainline and sometimes enjoyed travelling on the 309s before they hacked around.​

3) Having lived in Hampshire until 1993, less opportunity for rail travel so on arriving in St Albans in the early '90s, found that the Twin Rover had grown into a Travelcard so had plenty of leisure time spent workingthrough all those places that I knew about but never had the chance to visit. Once again was fascinated by the contortions of the operating timetable, this time the MML (south). Eventually, in retirement, stumbled onto RUK and after a 2-3 years of lurking, subscribed. Here I discovered that not all railway enthusiasts just wanted to log numbers to say that they had eyeballed every example of a class, and that studying railway operations was a pastime on its own. Since then have had several enjoyable day trips, partiularly into Lancashire meeting other RUK members, East Anglia and whilst on holiday, throughout Devon and Cornwall, making good use of Day Rangers.​

So now, just hoping that Day Travelcards don't die before I hang my Senior Railcard up for good.

 

[Revaulx]

The 8F-hauled ICI hoppers pounding through Alty and across Hale level crossing.

Holidays to the Isle of Wight. The elegant interior of the 4-BUFs. Trains over the sea on Portsmouth and Ryde piers. The O2s and SR station colour scheme.

I always hated LMR maroon. While I loved steam, I found dreary stations depressing.

Edit: oh and the Bulleid Pacifics at Waterloo. I always thought the rebuilt ones were MUCH older than the air-smoothed ones.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Born in 1971 my grandparents lived next to the GWML where they babysat me on weekends. I remember waiting at the bottom of the garden waiting for trains only to run away when they got too close,Westerns were very noisy and they were going uphill too. I soon got braver and remained at the bottom waving at the drivers. Yes there was Thomas at home at bedtime too. Some years later encouraged by my grandfather I started writing down loco numbers, “to know which ones I’ve seen” he said. This culminated in a copy of a 1979 Ian Allen pocket book for Xmas. By then railways were firmly in my blood.

 

[The exile]

How do you stop a small child from becoming intolerable to all on an early 1970s duration journey from Edinburgh to Exeter - answer: get him interested in what you’re sitting in and what’s going past the window. It worked! For me, for years, passing Stoke Gifford meant the start of the holiday proper (“here be Western Engines!). In some ways it still does as it’s now the start of my homeward commute.
Some might argue that the bit about stopping me being intolerable met with only limited success. I couldn’t possibly comment!

 

[BwniCymraeg]

Growing up relatively poor in a family of non drivers in the Valleys, going on a train was a fairly special thing that usually meant something exciting like a trip to a castle or to Barry Island, so I suppose I just naturally connected trains with excitement and from there became excited about the railway network and the possibilities it held.

 

[birchesgreen]

I had a bit of an interest as long as i could remember but mostly because i had a train set. I became a train spotter when i was at school in the mid-80s, one lunchtime i went down to the railway line near the school (i went to Hodge Hill so the railway line was the one next to the M6 in Bromford). I watched various locos (31s, 58s though i didn't know it at the time) go past and something clicked. That weekend i bought an Ian Allan ABC (which you could get from WH Smiths in those days!) and the rest is history.

Nearly 40 years later my first book on the railways will be published next year...

 

[satisnek]

Very simply, I grew up next to a railway line. It was mostly weirdo stuff running on three rails but it seemed to work as an introduction. Yes I had some model trains and a small number of the Rev. Awdry books, but I'm sure that these were secondary.

 

[MarkWi72]

C 1979/80. My Dad's insistence that he took his camera everywhere on holiday and scooted off to the nearest railway line. Then, we lived close to the Stour Valley lines at Dudley Port. I was hooked on the WCML and tributaries after that. A few trips to the Severn Valley too. Then my Dad got matey with a bloke in Watery Lane signal box and we used to go up for a few hours. This was around 1981. I was allowed to set the route and I also set down the old Level Crossing Barriers at Owen Street, next to Tipton STation (now a dive under). We went to Stafford and Rugby a lot in my early teens too.

 

[contrex]

Born 1952; raised in a house in Norwood Road, Herne Hill, London, which backed on to the Herne Hill - Tulse Hill spur. From an early age saw and heard green augmented '3 sets' whining up and roaring down the bank, later replaced by new & shiny EPBs. Also great fun when steam locos hauling inter-regional summer seaside trains (blood and custard and maroon) slipped to a stand right behind our back garden, and have to be pushed by an EMU. Much whistling. Sometimes sparks would set light to dry vegetation, and the fire brigade would attend, running hoses through one of the houses. My father's mother lived at Castle Donington near Derby, so every summer, to St Pancras, to ride in LMS coaches hauled by Black Fives.

 

[Huntergreed]

This is a very diverse forum which contains many members with many different levels of interest, expertise and experience.

On such a diverse forum, I’m curious to hear about the different ways in which various members got interested in the Railways.

For me, it was my first full intercity journey to London from Scotland. For some reason, I found it quite exhilarating travelling at 125mph with no traffic jams at all as I had only ever travelled by car before this and my understanding of trains was entirely consistent of the Harry Potter films! I realised then that I had an interest in railways and have never looked back since!

I’m curious to hear about what got you interested initially and what your main areas of interest/enthusiasm continue to be!

 

[J-2739]

This probably isn't the best answer, but honestly, I don't know. For as long as I can remember, I've always been fascinated by the railways. It must be some deeply buried memory, or maybe I was just born this way.

 

[Trainguy34]

This probably isn't the best answer, but honestly, I don't know. For as long as I can remember, I've always been fascinated by the railways. It must be some deeply buried memory, or maybe I was just born this way.

Similar here, how odd...

 

[Ivor]

When I was a kid in the 60s every school holiday I was packed off to relatives in South Wales from Paddington.

To this day I remember being in awe at that time what seemed to me ‘gigantic’ locos, the steam (yes I’m that old ) the porters rushing around then the track noise en route.

I’m not a train enthusiast as such especially with today’s bland railway (on Southern network) I did after redundancy late in my career end up working as an agency railway worker for 4.5 years up until a year ago.

On occasion when I’m back in London I wander into Paddington, of course it’s modern now although still retains character from back in the day but it still holds memories for me, it’s the only station I feel an affinity to, then I wander back out for a pint which seems to complete the visit, no idea why as I obviously didn’t do that as a young kid

 

[Iskra]

As a child, I used to stay with my grandparents over the summer holidays. My grandad was always interested in railways, but what helped the most was that they live(d) in Oakworth, with the evocative station, level crossing and steam railway at the bottom of the hill from the village. Naturally, many trips on the KWVR were made as well as walks alongside it. Eventually, in my early teens I’d trainspot or ride on the national network. This would be mainly on the scenic lines of Yorkshire/Lancashire/Cumbria which at this point had ATN 37’s and Virgin 47/HST/86/87/90’s as well as MML/GNER HST’s, 91’s and even Eurostars. I left the hobby for a while but it’s got me again

 

[Edsmith]

I'm another one who doesn't know, I just become interested in railways as a child and I can't really pinpoint any particular reason for it.

 

[Enthusiast]

This probably isn't the best answer, but honestly, I don't know. For as long as I can remember, I've always been fascinated by the railways. It must be some deeply buried memory, or maybe I was just born this way.

Similar here, how odd...

I'm another one who doesn't know, I just become interested in railways as a child and I can't really pinpoint any particular reason for it.

Me too. I wonder how many answers we're going to see in this vein.

 

[dakta]

I have absolutely no idea. I don't even use railways that much (as in the last time I used a train was 2 years ago). Always been a fan, always wanted to drive them, likely always will.

I also don't know what it is about driving them either, trains are completely inaccessible, you could get in the front seat of a (small) plane much easier but it just aint the same.

*I exclude driver experience days somewhat as fun as they likely are it's not competency oriented, whereas spend the same money at a flying/gliding club you'll have to learn the rules, andwhether you have a few taster sessions or go on to do it as a hobby/career - competency, independent flying and good airmanship is baked in*

 

[Strathclyder]

Most likely an interest I was born with and one that has flourished/evolved as I went through my childhood/teenage years headed into young adulthood. Can't really explain it to be honest.

 

[Huntergreed]

Perhaps a slightly different question.

For those who aren’t sure, which aspect of the railways maintains your interest?

 

[pokemonsuper9]

I grew up around railways, living a short walk from a train station and only renting a car for holidays (we own a car now since late April 21) I travelled by train a lot, the enthusiasm was probably earliest noticeable in my interest in (at the time) Virgin's fleet, seeing Pendolinos was reward enough to young me (I would often end up in Wigan Wallgate, not North Western, so seeing a Pendolino up close was even rarer).
As much as that was the earliest sign train travel has always been a draw for me, even for journeys as short as 2 minutes I always asked (and still do) if we can get the train instead of walking or travelling by any other means.

After joining these forums I started tracking my mileage since I found out that was a thing (fortunately I joined right near the start of 2023 so have started counting from there).
One of some children's dreams is to become a train driver, and that dream is still alive in me.

I find an interest in Modern units way more than old ones, and I have a massive spreadsheet of most active units made by hand because I didn't realise things like spotlog existed (but it's worth it to be able to do it my own way).

 

[John Webb]

There is a slightly older thread on similar lines to this at https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/how-or-why-did-you-develop-an-interest-in-railways.251610 Might be worth merging?

 

[Calthrop]

A Hornby 'O' gauge clockwork train set was my gateway drug in the early 1950s, along with frequent travel on Southern Region suburban trains. Fast forward to a new home in north London in the mid 1950s, which meant I could happily spend hours on the footbridge at Hornsey station on the ECML or on the then platform 10 at Kings Cross with Ian Allan in my pocket. Parents somewhat enabled my habit with a subscription to Railway Magazine.

By then I admit to being in the grip of a serious addiction - shed bashing whenever possible (Old Oak, Camden, Willesden, Cricklewood, Kentish Town, Neasden....) plus membership in the Home Counties Railway Club for more distant places. The icing on the cake was a gap year job with British Railways in their research lab at Alexandra Palace, which was good for many months of cheap privilege travel around the country.

Recovery was very hard, but was aided by the disappearance of steam in the London area. I guess the end came when in early August 1968 I was traveling in Czechoslovakia with my first serious girl friend (just a few days before the Russian army decided to pay a visit), completely missing the end of steam back home - and it just didn't seem very important any more.

It would seem that I'm at a loose end tonight; but, @beardedbrit, responding very belatedly here -- I can't help feeling struck by the content of your final paragraph above; partly because of similarities, these some six and a half decades ago: with the experience then, of a rail and steam enthusiast friend of mine. My friend had avidly followed steam to its last gasp, in Britain; then got into the realm of "relationships", which he had hitherto put on hold -- "steam's death-throes, more urgent". In summer 1969, he toured Eastern Europe (including Czechoslovakia) by car, with his first serious girl friend. Although he hadn't been a big fan of railways outside Great Britain; he couldn't help but be struck by discovering the quantity and ubiquity then, of everyday steam working in Eastern Europe -- again, including Czecho. He was fascinated; but at the cost of considerable suffering, he concealed his interest -- fearing that his lady's discovering that he was a train-spotter: would mean, from her, instant utter scorn and rejection. Not something, I feel, which I could in those circumstances, have done -- not even with the girl of my dreams, with her fully reciprocating my feelings; and although my friend's relationship with this lass, didn't last many years -- she subsequently became aware of his hideous secret, i.e. being a railway enthusiast -- and she was totally "cool" with it.

In your summer '68 travels, were you minimally or not at all interested in / "turned on by" Czechoslovak steam -- which I'd imagine you would have seen in profusion? No adverse criticism meant by me, here -- it has always been the case that very many British railway enthusiasts have been interested in all aspects of railways, re Britain only; and per me: "each to his own" -- I've long tended here to be a "traitor to the motherland", more interested in railways abroad, than those in Britain -- happily, the railway hobby is a "broad church" in which, hopefully, we can each enjoy his own focus on the subject; accepting others' different focus-es -- no need for feelings of superiority / contempt.

 

[D1511]

This has been an enjoyable read.
My backstory is an aural one and started in my early teens, probably about 1976, when I swapped bedrooms with my sister to the front of my parents' house, where I could see the railway line on the other side of the canal. The house was on the Lanark Road in Edinburgh, between Slateford and Kingsknowe on the Edinburgh-Carstairs line.
There were actually 2 specific services that ignited my interest in locomotives!
Around 23.55 every night as it was time for me to get off to sleep, the night sleeper train to Bristol (I think) with 11 or 12 mixed Mk1s and parcels van would rumble up the 1 in 96 from Slateford and clatter off towards Kingsknowe. Immediately after it had passed, a mixed goods train probably headed for Kingmoor would be released from Slateford junction and would begin thrashing its way up the hill, sometimes with a few overloads. On a warm balmy night in the summer with the windows open, I could hear the goods train pulling off from Slateford well over a mile away and hear it for a good few minutes as the noise built and built up the hill towards the house. Then followed the clunking and squeaking of the assortment of old wagons, slowly diminishing into the distance. Once both trains had passed it was time to go to sleep.
I think the sleeper was mostly a 47, and the goods train was either a pair of 25s or a 40 most nights with occasional pairs of 37s, and the difference in their engine noises really interested me, so I bought an Ian Allan book to find out what they were. And that was that.
And it's still the noise that I love to this day.
I changed at Crewe yesterday on my way home, and 68013 came into one of the southern platforms so I dragged my bag on wheels about 150m all the way down the platform just so I could hear it pulling away

 

[Cowley]

This has been an enjoyable read.
My backstory is an aural one and started in my early teens, probably about 1976, when I swapped bedrooms with my sister to the front of my parents' house, where I could see the railway line on the other side of the canal. The house was on the Lanark Road in Edinburgh, between Slateford and Kingsknowe on the Edinburgh-Carstairs line.
There were actually 2 specific services that ignited my interest in locomotives!
Around 23.55 every night as it was time for me to get off to sleep, the night sleeper train to Bristol (I think) with 11 or 12 mixed Mk1s and parcels van would rumble up the 1 in 96 from Slateford and clatter off towards Kingsknowe. Immediately after it had passed, a mixed goods train probably headed for Kingmoor would be released from Slateford junction and would begin thrashing its way up the hill, sometimes with a few overloads. On a warm balmy night in the summer with the windows open, I could hear the goods train pulling off from Slateford well over a mile away and hear it for a good few minutes as the noise built and built up the hill towards the house. Then followed the clunking and squeaking of the assortment of old wagons, slowly diminishing into the distance. Once both trains had passed it was time to go to sleep.
I think the sleeper was mostly a 47, and the goods train was either a pair of 25s or a 40 most nights with occasional pairs of 37s, and the difference in their engine noises really interested me, so I bought an Ian Allan book to find out what they were. And that was that.
And it's still the noise that I love to this day.
I changed at Crewe yesterday on my way home, and 68013 came into one of the southern platforms so I dragged my bag on wheels about 150m all the way down the platform just so I could hear it pulling away

Excellent stuff and very atmospheric too.