Rolling stock that you regret not riding

[ChiefPlanner]

I suppose it was a train 'of the night' after all.

Same applied on the various night paper trains on the Southern ....I beleive - bar the Pompey which was in the day , always busy with returning RN staff ....can you imagine a 73 and a train of say 4 vans now doing the small hours down the Chatham ?

 

[yorksrob]

Same applied on the various night paper trains on the Southern ....I beleive - bar the Pompey which was in the day , always busy with returning RN staff ....can you imagine a 73 and a train of say 4 vans now doing the small hours down the Chatham ?

I suspect that it would be quite popular with clubbers.

 

[route101]

If I'm not careful, it'll be 314s for me!

Still plenty of time .

 

[route101]

For me it would be MK1 services in the SE . And Loco hauled XC .

 

[cambsy]

Someone mention Concorde, which I Did, London-New York return in 2002, with 2 day days in New York, was amazing, best trip of my life by far, so fast 1350 mph and smooth, main stock which I wish I’d done is the APT P, would love to have been around for the Southern last days of steam when Bullied Pacifics hit 105mph between Basingstoke and Woking, the flyers of the late 30’s.

 

[themiller]

Class 151 as mentioned already - does anyone have any pics of the interior?
Class 303 / 311. Anything side-corridor - the first 442 first class interior was great

http://www.traintesting.com/images/diagram.jpg shows the side elevation of a cutaway coach. The site refers to the drawing coming from Modern Railways May 1985 so you may get more info from that but, as the site author is asking for interior pictures, I doubt it but there may be a lead in the article if you have (or can find) a copy.

 

[matacaster]

Broad gauge GWR stock.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Broad gauge GWR stock.

You can do that at Didcot...

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Definitely regret not doing the 37s on the S&C in Arriva Trains North days... did Skipton to Appleby and return on compartmented mk1s behind a 47 while on a summer holiday but as I was only 6 or 7 I didn't really appreciate it!

 

[AY1975]

For me it would be the SR design HAPs/SAPs with a full length side corridor DTC (may have been taken on one as a child, but if so I don't remember it), Merseyrail 502s and 503s, Manchester-Hadfield/Glossop 506s (remember seeing them at Manchester Piccadilly but never went on them), Scottish Class 126 inter-city DMUs, 151s, and Mark 1 sleepers (though I have seen the inside of the one at Peak Rail from outside - probably one of the last surviving Mark 1 sleeping cars that is still largely in as-withdrawn condition internally).

Also the Class 411 CEPs in as-built condition (though I was probably taken on them a few times as a tiny tot before they were refurbished, and I can vaguely remember travelling in a compartment on an unrefurbished unit going on holiday to Margate in 1980, when I was 5).

 

[ChiefPlanner]

For me it would be the SR design HAPs/SAPs with a full length side corridor DTC (may have been taken on one as a child, but if so I don't remember it), Merseyrail 502s and 503s, Manchester-Hadfield/Glossop 506s (remember seeing them at Manchester Piccadilly but never went on them), Scottish Class 126 inter-city DMUs, 151s, and Mark 1 sleepers (though I have seen the inside of the one at Peak Rail from outside - probably one of the last surviving Mark 1 sleeping cars that is still largely in as-withdrawn condition internally).

Also the Class 411 CEPs in as-built condition (though I was probably taken on them a few times as a tiny tot before they were refurbished, and I can vaguely remember travelling in a compartment on an unrefurbished unit going on holiday to Margate in 1980, when I was 5).

The original Kent Coast 411 sets were rather fine - grey upholstery but had reading lights , curtains and were toasty warm. Ironically - the refurbed standard opens were not much liked for "hard seats" ....

The work was given to Swindon to keep , or try to, keep the works open - much like the 4EPB's were sent to Horwich...

 

[yorksrob]

The original Kent Coast 411 sets were rather fine - grey upholstery but had reading lights , curtains and were toasty warm. Ironically - the refurbed standard opens were not much liked for "hard seats" ....

Trojan is so much more attractive than just 'grey' !

 

[Taunton]

The original Kent Coast 411 sets were rather fine - grey upholstery but had reading lights , curtains and were toasty warm

Alas the higher level main lights were a bit of a poor location, as I found out one day (point 2) ...

https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/trivia-railway-journey-confessions.117074/#post-2201919

 

[BR Boy 125]

Any rolling stock that you wish you rode more before they were withdrawn?

For me, I wish that I rode the A Stock more before they came off the Metropolitan line - I still remember waiting for an S Stock as they were being introduced while countless A Stock went by. I also don't remember riding the 465/1s before they were remotored, even though I remember the 465/2s, so wish I rode one of those instead.

I would do absolutely any to ride in the Intercity APT-P

 

[BR Boy 125]

I would do absolutely any to ride in the Intercity APT-P

Anything: typo, sorry

 

[PeterY]

Over the years I've ridden in a large amount of stock but I never kept records. I used to like the 501's with their lovely soft seats that you literally sank into.
I've not done a 442 strangely.
Being from the deep south it was nice to have my first pacer ride last year (Exmouth) but this year I went to pacer heaven and tried some Northern ones, only regret, although I saw a couple, was I never rode the bus seat interior ones.

 

[yorksrob]

Over the years I've ridden in a large amount of stock but I never kept records. I used to like the 501's with their lovely soft seats that you literally sank into.
I've not done a 442 strangely.
Being from the deep south it was nice to have my first pacer ride last year (Exmouth) but this year I went to pacer heaven and tried some Northern ones, only regret, although I saw a couple, was I never rode the bus seat interior ones.

There are plenty of them around (bus seat pacers) so you've still got time !

 

[KevinTurvey]

Some of the rarer DMU classes I never rode on 103, 120, 123, 124 etc, missed these both due to being withdrawn such a long time ago and I just wasn't interested in them at the time.

Again due to lack of interest I rarely rode on the 504, 506, 309. There was just so much change going on in the mid 80's to early 90's some stuff just got overlooked.

 

[PeterC]

Over the years I've ridden in a large amount of stock but I never kept records. I used to like the 501's with their lovely soft seats that you literally sank into.
I've not done a 442 strangely.
Being from the deep south it was nice to have my first pacer ride last year (Exmouth) but this year I went to pacer heaven and tried some Northern ones, only regret, although I saw a couple, was I never rode the bus seat interior ones.

I haven't kept records either and as a fellow southener I have never ridden in a pacer. My main regrets are never having used the Brighton Belle or the Night Ferry.

 

[hassaanhc]

Classes 411, 421 and 423 before they went. Sadly I was way too young at the time to go out alone, and my family very rarely used any National Rail trains, let alone those in the areas that they operated. I believe they called at Hounslow regularly near the end, but we never used that line (nor did I have any interest in National Rail, only the Tube. Although occasional experiences, usually megatibe, of the DMU services to/from Southall didn't help either).

 

[delt1c]

For me the 123 & 124, saw them but never used them

 

[nlogax]

APT. Always wanted ride it since seeing the Horizon 'Race Against Time' episode and it wasn't technically withdrawn until 85/86 - just wish I'd had the opportunity to experience it as a kid.

 

[Mikey C]

The Night Ferry service from London to Paris would have been a fascinating one to try, and was only withdrawn in 1980 so more recent than I had thought.

I've taken train ferries between Germany and Denmark, and that was an amazing experience

 

[Taunton]

Those old Merseyrail units were superb - hand waxed apparently , with superb comfy seats and wood panelling.

We had moved from Somerset to West Kirby in their latter years. The Wirral units (Birkenhead North depot) were indeed maintained notably better than the Southport units (Hall Road depot).Not quite the way round you would expect, one being among the grim housing alongside Birkenhead docks, and the other being in quite an elegant outer suburb by the beach. Both were overhauled at Horwich, using the same interior paint and upholstery, so must have been something in the way they were looked after. The Wirral units were indeed hand-waxed every month in the depot, and after first class was abolished, but the seats stayed the same, the old first class seats, which hadn't got a lot of wear over time, were indeed better than long distance stock of the time (or now). For short metro-type journeys. I've seen photos of the Wirral 503s being broken up for scrap, and they still look very presentable. Incidentally, I never had a single minute of delay, for any reason, from their services in all the time we were there. Which certainly cannot be said for their replacements.

 

[AM9]

OK, these were a long time ago but I didn't really venture outside the SE before 1962 and then was too poor/busy:
1) Manchester-Glossop-Hadfield (Class 506) EMU. I'd been travelling a few times on the GE Liverpool St-Shenfield equivalents before the GEML was converted to ac., and I can vaguely remember that quieter progress they made without the transformer hum in the centre car. Travelling on the Glossop line before they were withdrawn would have been interesting, (and nostalgic).
2) In the same area, to travel behind a class 76 of even better a class 77 across to Sheffield under DC. Sadly all just history now. I did however go on a school visit to Germany and Austria in 1963 which meant a slog through Belgium to Liege before a hauled steam climb over the Ardennes to Aachen and 16 2/3 hz land.

 

[Polarbear]

During my time, the contenders would be;

Blue Pullmans
The Manchester Pullman stock
Deltics in mainline service
The APT P

 

[hexagon789]

Scottish Class 126 inter-city DMUs

You can still ride one of those. An Ayrshire 3-car set is preserved in working order at Bo'ness.

 

[Ash Bridge]

You can still ride one of those. An Ayrshire 3-car set is preserved in working order at Bo'ness.

Quite a beauty is that one judging by the pictures!

 

[hexagon789]

Quite a beauty is that one judging by the pictures!

The interior looks a treat as well! Very impressed by the job done on it when I saw it at Bo'ness a few years ago. Just need to get the surviving Buffet car done too and then we'll be able to enjoy a cuppa complete with 1950s DMU interior decor while meandering along on a very charming heritage line

 

[Flying Phil]

I get to ride on HSTs for the short Market Harborough to Leicester journeys when I go to Loughborough - there are "no change" 222s but I would rather change at Leics! I would also love to have ridden on an APT.....Could the Crewe set run again, even loco hauled, if the APT Power cars were unuseable?