Why do you love railways?

[Up_Tilt_390]

Surprised nobody has been done a thread on this before (and I checked), so I thought I might as well do it now for the fun of it. What I want to know is, why do you as a member of RailUK Forums love railways and/or trains so much? Could it have been through your job? A family member introducing you to a hobby? Or was it even a natural interest from a young age? Maybe it was a combination of some of these, but here I want to know why you take interests in railways and what it is you love about them so much. Some of your thoughts and experiences would be appreciated.

 

[GusB]

For me it's probably a combination of things. My dad used to go spotting in his younger days, and he talks about a couple of uncles who worked on the railway and on the trams (Glasgow) back in the day. Maybe it's from when I received my first train set when I was four of five. We were a car-less household until I was in my mid teens, so any long distance travel was always by rail, and local travel by bus. Memories of taking the Clansman to go and see my grandparents during holidays etc...

 

[Strathclyder]

I guess it was mainly a natural hobby that was always there, coupled (ha) with the standard childhood ambition of becoming a train driver; an ambition which fizzled out completely by the age of 14-15, as it just wasn't going to happen for various (mainly medical) reasons.

I guess it only started growing properly once I was exposed to the Class 303s in their last year or so in service on the North Clyde/Argyle Lines in 2001/2002 & was firmly established by taking a GNER IC225 set from Edinburgh to Stevenage to visit relatives at the latter in 2003/2004. It's wavered quite a bit in favor of buses recently for various reasons (main one being variety), but the interest in the railways, as part of my being a transport enthusiast in general, is still there and is unlikely to ever disappear completely.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I was brought up in north Manchester and in my very early days up to 1950, we lived on the road that ran alongside the New Allen Street railway viaduct that took freight trains into the Manchester Oldham Road goods station.

 

[Howardh]

I live in Lancashire.

Are you absolutely SURE this is the best time to ask why do I love the railw..........???

 

[PudseyBearHST]

My interest in trains stems from my family. Both my father and grandfather have 30 years experience each in the railways and now I've just started with an Intercity company. I was fortunate to have a BR pass for the last 20 years and so I have always loved going on train journeys particularly on HSTs. The freedom you get with a BR pass is amazing and it's a shame I will be losing them.
My dad also helped fuel my interest as he used to buy me train sets from when I was a toddler. I started with the wooden/plastic ones for babies and then as I grew up, my dad bought me Hornby train sets. When I passed my 11+, I was rewarded with a Hornby Virgin Trains HST set (the one Pudsey Bear's holding in my avatar).
As I grew up even more into my teens, I started to want to learn about trains and the railways operationally hence I joined the Rail Forums. I enjoy playing train driver simulator games on my iPad and computer and hopefully, I will doing this in real life when I become qualified.
Oh and I remember I used to love watching Thomas the tank engine on TV when I was a child and have pictures of when I was a child wearing a Thomas the tank engine t-shirt

 

[hexagon789]

Kind of in the family - my grandfather worked for BR and my great-grandfather drove expresses for the LNER.

 

[Welly]

My parents told me that I was interested in trains since I was 6 months old!

 

[PeterY]

I've been interested since I was 4. I lived near what is now the WCML. Now being 60 and nothing has changed. I must admit my interest was sort of lost in my married years but I always took my daughter, by train to the sea and our holidays.

 

[Ianno87]

My Dad always had a passing interest, and also used to take me out on local trips (Chorley (for the market), Stockport and Glossop being the faves) before I started school. I guess he'd just point out things as we went around, and I must've just taken it from there and run with it...

 

[gazthomas]

For me it goes back to my childhood. My mother couldn't drive and as my father worked long hours it meant we used a lot of public transport. Trains were our gateway to the wider world - a day trip from North Wales to London was mind-blowing for an 8 year old. With the exception of a 15 year break (girls, beer, cars, amongst other things) I rekindled my love affair.

 

[gazthomas]

I guess it was mainly a natural hobby that was always there, coupled (ha) with the standard childhood ambition of becoming a train driver; an ambition which fizzled out completely by the age of 14-15, as it just wasn't going to happen for various (mainly medical) reasons.

I guess it only started growing properly once I was exposed to the Class 303s in their last year or so in service on the North Clyde/Argyle Lines in 2001/2002 & was firmly established by taking a GNER IC225 set from Edinburgh to Stevenage to visit relatives at the latter in 2003/2004. It's wavered quite a bit in favor of buses recently for various reasons (main one being variety), but the interest in the railways, as part of my being a transport enthusiast in general, is still there and it unlikely to ever disappear completely.

You're very brave visiting relatives in Stevenage. Just kidding

 

[Desiro360]

I was taken to Ipswich Station on the Great Eastern Main Line by my Dad when I was around 3 years old. Having initially watched Thomas the Tank Engine seeing real trains in action for the first time was a great thrill. It started off my interest in Railways and I still am interested today. I like seeing trains as well as the sounds they make.

 

[Merseysider]

For me, it probably began watching a video of the TGV hitting 357mph some years back and thinking how incredible it was.

Since then, I suppose I just see rail travel as a nice way to pass time now and again and watch the world go by.

I don’t do photography or collect numbers or anything like that, though. I’m not that invested in it

 

[Strathclyder]

You're very brave visiting relatives in Stevenage. Just kidding

No worse than visiting relatives in Clydebank lol

 

[Calthrop]

I was brought up in north Manchester and in my very early days up to 1950, we lived on the road that ran alongside the New Allen Street railway viaduct that took freight trains into the Manchester Oldham Road goods station.

Essentially the same kind of thing with me; only a very few years later, and in childhood home Spalding, Lincolnshire -- then the intersecting-point of three secondary main lines. I just fell in love almost from infancy, with the whole scene -- its then being all-steam, definitely a factor in same.

 

[AJM580]

My late father took me to see Flying Scotsman when I was about 18 months old and used to tell many tales of his time as a cleaner at Norwich MPD under Bill Harvey. I guess it started then, although it wasn't until I met some other spotters at school circa 1979 that I got into railways in a big way