I love Steam Trains… 
and this is a lovely story…
I loved steam trains and putting my head out of the window at the end of the carriage. The thrill of waiting till the last second and ducking back inside before the Pines Express on the up-line sheared my head off. Grit in my eye and wind in my hair. Telegraph wires going up and down, up and down. Waving to people in the fields and them waving back. Looking awestruck at the fireman with oil can and oily rag, the stern and unapproachable Engine Driver with his blue cap, buttoned blue-twill overall jacket, and his tea-can.
Loved the smell of smoke and steam, and cigarette-infused moquette upholstery. Finding an empty compartment and sitting in the window seat. Fantasising about pulling the communication cord. Listening to the engine labouring up an incline. Hearing the doors slam and the Guard’s whistle. Diddly-doo, diddly-doo, diddly-doo, diddlydiddlydiddlydoodidddlydiddlydiddlydiddlydoodiddlydiddly, diddly-doo, diddly-doo, whoooohooooo, whooooohooo, diddly-doo, bang! clacketyclacketyclacketyclack, diddly-doo…
Tickets please! 
And at the end of the line, a strange new town, only known by name, now mysteriously manifest, Birkenhead, Bolton, Margate, Llandudno… 
2 Likes
I love railways - ever since I was a kid.
Dad took me and my brother on one of the first HST expresses out of Paddington back in 1976 - I had never been so fast on land in my life!! 125mph within 10 minutes of leaving London which didnt ease off until Box Tunnel before Bath.
But for me, it was the German railways that held my fascination. The Rheingold express, the other Trans Europ Express trains, expresses up and down the Rhein valley, long goods trains at night…and the multitude of coloured rolling stock; carriages, locomotives etc. It was all a world away from drab old British Rail.
I enjoyed the European railway system so much back in the 70’s that I sold all my Hornby model railway stuff and bought Fleischmann, Arnold, Minitrix : all European outline and at the small scale of ‘N’ (9mm between the rails). I still have it all to this day (and much more besides) all packed away in boxes, waiting for my retirement to build the model railway layout of my dreams : a depiction of the Rhein valley in the 1970’s! 
2 Likes
I love electric trains, quiet, clean and greener.
Especially the maglev Japanese trains, built from technology invented in the UK by Dr Eric Laithwaite
When my Big Bro’ was in the army, we visited him first in Goettingen, then the next year Berlin, by train from Carlisle. The size of the Loco’s on the Continent amazed me at 11 
The railway museums in York and Glasgow are well worth a visit, some great examples of steam Loco’s, including “Mallard”, still the speed record holder for a steam train 
When I started work at Sellafield (Windscales then) it was a steam loco did the buiness, had to remember to put the window up in the long ‘Bransty Tunnel’.
Bill… I just put this on full-screen… wow… I know you’ve witnessed it “live” but this was great too…
1 Like
Thanks Stella, nice animation 
I’ve seen other films on Utube too.
I didn’t actually witness it live, I was only -7 at the time, ‘nobbut a twinkle’ 
But I was very impressed by how small She is, when visiting Her in York. 
Why??
If y’ Didn’t y’d h’ bin kippered John
So electric would have been much better then
Just in t’ tunnel John, but wasn’t much effort to shut t’ winder
Boys, Boys…
I’ve travelled on both steam and electric and must admit that the “child” in me prefers the noise, smoke, steam, smuts and everything else over the “clean” electric model…
On a trip taking the steam train from Martel… I took a filmy veil/scarf… and wafted it over my head and face, much to the amusement of some of our fellow club members… ha ha… when I unwound said filmy covering (at the end of the trip) … I was the only one with a clean face… 
but, who cares… we all had a wonderful time…
1 Like
Try to get to Japan, take a trip on a maglev train, love the clean, quiet, extreme speed. I used to attend the model engineering exhibition, sad old beardy men same old dangerous, polluting smelly loco,s etc. Stupid organisers wouldn’t allow the fabulous turbo jet engines to run due to elf and safety. Boiling pressurised water and fire was safe according to them. I have moved on, grown up, prefer the modern technology.
1 Like
Feel a bit sad for you John, I’m still thinking what I will do when I get ‘there’.
1 Like
Pleased that cheered You up