Who remembers the good old ' Open Days '

[Mollington St]

Been doing some sorting out and have come across my collection of old Open Day Programmes , a right real mix , from small Depots to BREL Works
thought I would share a few images .
I have found some duplicates , so I have listed them on my website - Transport Past Times

 

[ricoblade]

Good stuff - i reckon I was at that Barrow Hill one in 1979, we went to them every year with my late dad.

 

[Ashley Hill]

My first open day was at Laira in the early 80s (82?). It was great fun being able to climb in and around locos. At the 1985 one I was told off for singing The Good Ship Venus over the PA of an HST, the joy of youth . The 1991 one was outstanding for the like up of hydraulics.

 

[Ken H]

Coalville ones were good. Also went to Kingmoor & Bescot ones.

 

[SargeNpton]

Old Oak Common - with shuttles from/to Paddington.

Stratford in the early 1980s, including a demo of re-railing a Class 25 that was lying on its side.

 

[d9009alycidon]

My first was the "new" diesel depot at Kingmoor in 1971 followed by Crewe Works in 1973. Did Crewe a further twice, Glasgow Works, Eastfield, Polmadie, Haymarket, Shields Electric, Longsight and Doncaster Works

 

[pdeaves]

If you want to remember what was on display, http://www.bropendays.co.uk/ might be of interest (no connection).

 

[Mollington St]

Seeing the number of views to this little thread , thought I would just add a few more scans, hope they will be of interest and stir those memories.

As requested by a few directly , I have listed all my spares at Transport Past Times , my own website

 

[Ianno87]

I did Crewe Works in 1996, and Toton in 1998.

Unfortunately, probably a Health and Safety / logistical nightmare these days. Credit to the likes of DRS who still do it at Kingmoor etc., but must be pretty disruptive to normal operations for several days to do it.

 

[JustPassingBy]

Coalville ones were great - as well as the depot (which was fairly small admittedly, but always a good show of locos inc. steam) there were 1st Gen DMU services from Coalville to/from Burton/Derby and/or Leicester/Nottingham. As in many places, pit closures led to the depot closure and the end of the open days.
When you look at the amount being spent on HS2 it's a great shame the Leicester to Burton line is still forgotten about.

 

[yorksrob]

I remember Chart Leacon in about 1983 as a child with my dad. There were various EMU's open in the main shed and we decided to try out first class. Only, naive as we were, we'd got the standard class compartment by accident until someone in the know told us otherwise (and we moved down a compartment.

BR were selling ice cream cornets from the clocking on offices on the way in to the depot !

Fast forward about ten years and my dad and my more knowledgeable self visited the Chart Leacon open day in 1992.

What an amazing line up.

EPB 5001. The preserved SUB and BIL units owned by BR and the NRM. And to top it off, Hastings Diesels had one of their motor cars in action.

Also a weed killer train, complete with operative in his towel complaining about people trying to get into his living quarters !

 

[Sm5]

My dad was on the organising comittee for Coalville (and Longsight).
A number of BR Parcels (later RES) folk from Derby were too.

Used to recall various stories of planning getting various BR locos in / out using planned freight moves where possible, plus arranging conductor drivers I recall something about 50008/15 took about a week to move.

I think quite often what turned up on the day wasnt always what was planned, and some occasions even the preserved diesel drags brought a different consist than expected.

Upside for me was just about everything that was used in the freight photo run pasts I got a cab ride in.

Anyone remeber the “Ding Dong Cab Company” ? Advert.. huge sign on the retaining wall by a railway / road bridge just off the yard, I spent a good two hours one thursday night ahead of time sat in my dads car looking at it, (no internet then), as he didnt want me moving around site whilst stuff was being positioned… whilst he said I could watch trains it was no comfort that he parked against the gate wall so I couldnt see them!.. just the taxi company, and the chippy selling pukka pies.

 

[Towers]

I remember visiting an Eastleigh event as young lad, and my father and whoever else had joined us gravely telling me with straight faces that the juice rail was live!

A Class 56 and a burnt out Slammer were exhibits that stick in my mind.

 

[Ken H]

My dad was on the organising comittee for Coalville (and Longsight).
A number of BR Parcels (later RES) folk from Derby were too.

Used to recall various stories of planning getting various BR locos in / out using planned freight moves where possible, plus arranging conductor drivers I recall something about 50008/15 took about a week to move.

I think quite often what turned up on the day wasnt always what was planned, and some occasions even the preserved diesel drags brought a different consist than expected.

Upside for me was just about everything that was used in the freight photo run pasts I got a cab ride in.

Anyone remeber the “Ding Dong Cab Company” ? Advert.. huge sign on the retaining wall by a railway / road bridge just off the yard, I spent a good two hours one thursday night ahead of time sat in my dads car looking at it, (no internet then), as he didnt want me moving around site whilst stuff was being positioned… whilst he said I could watch trains it was no comfort that he parked against the gate wall so I couldnt see them!.. just the taxi company, and the chippy selling pukka pies.

the platform for the DMU shuttles was a scaffolding and plank job. Quite short so a lot of drawing up. lots of hand signals.

 

[Rescars]

I remember visiting an Eastleigh event as young lad, and my father and whoever else had joined us gravely telling me with straight faces that the juice rail was live!

A Class 56 and a burnt out Slammer were exhibits that stick in my mind.

Similar memories of Selhurst depot - and similar uncertainties about the status of the third rail too☺. This followed a visit to the old power signal box at Waterloo, where our S&T guide demonstrated the use of the switch which reduced the intensity of the signal lights during air raids! Health and safety was less popular in my youth!

 

[JustPassingBy]

the platform for the DMU shuttles was a scaffolding and plank job. Quite short so a lot of drawing up. lots of hand signals.

Especially when generally each open day had one or two railtours that went there, e.g. from London. Took a while to unload/load those on that tiny platform.
My dad used to hire a camcorder once a year and video all the locos arriving the day before - then do a few videos of the family too, probably the only reason we have videos of us as a children!

 

[warwickshire]

Remember longsight aylesbury crewe and newton Heath open days very well.

 

[55002]

Crewe Works in about 81 or at least early 80s, was insane. huge numbers on the ends of Crewe station platforms

 

[Mollington St]

Some more images to prompt those memories .

Many more to see on my website - Transport Past Times

 

[D6130]

My first open day was the first one in Scotland - Eastfield in September 1972 - where I was delighted to be able to cab my favourite class 27, 5355 (later to become 27 009) and my schoolfriend @McRhu took a photo - which I still have - of 15 year old me sitting in the driver's seat with my hand on the power controller!

After moving South, I attended the Eastleigh depot open days in 1974 and 1975....and also a memorable Brighton open day in the mid 'seventies, when all the National Collection steam locos - plus the tiny Waterloo & City line electric loco DS75 - had been hauled out of the Preston Park Pullman sheds and lined up in the station platforms. IIRC, the preserved 2-BIL unit no. 2090 was operating a shuttle to and from Lover's Walk depot, where you could have a go on an EMU power controller which had been connected up to an electric fan to show how the different stages worked. There was also a demonstration of traction motor armature rewinding and a 4-CEP motor coach had been jacked-up with its motor bogie wheeled-out for inspection. Everything was done in aid of railway charities....in the case of the Southern Region open days, the Woking childrens' homes.

 

[Forty29]

Remember Crewe open days in the seventies. First open day ever was Reading my home town shuttle from station can't remember what year, also seventies though. Went to Bescot 1990?, shuttle bus driver got lost because of a 6'6' width restricted road which is still there today!
Gutted l missed the 2000 Old Oak Common mass fire up was waiting for bus at the same moment. Don't think an open day would be the same today unfortunately.