I wish I could have seen the railways of the past

[ryan125hst]

I've just found some photographs on Flickr taking in the late 70's and early 80's (although there are recent photographs in the collection as well). I was born in 1994 so the photos were taken well before my time, but looking at them, I feel sad at what I have missed. Many of them are of York, a place that I have visited many times by train. As much as I love today's railways, I can't believe how much more interesting everything was then. There are shunters moving stock, locomotives and first generation DMU's galore, and looking at the photo descriptions, a wider range of destinations.

Now I know that everything wasn't better then: I'm sure some services were less frequent, and the station would have been a lot louder, smellier and dirtier than it is today as a result of all those claggy locos! Not to mention the fact that many trains operating through York are relatively new or have at least had a good refurbishment.

Still, I wish I could have witnessed our railways back in those days. So, what I was wondering is, how many of you who are around my age or younger feel the same way, and how many of our older members miss the railways of the past? Looking at it from the other angle, how many of you prefer the railways of today, or are glad that you were born after modernisation?

The Flickr page that I have been looking at is here.

Ryan

 

[43074]

You don't need to look to the 70s and 80s to see how much more different it was.

From an enthusiasts point of view, even in the early 1990s, Leicester was far more interesting:
[youtube]Gg029E098Bw[/youtube]
This video is from 1993, four years before I was born and obviously I don't remember 20s to Skeg-vegas, InterCity HSTs, 1st Gen DMUs and freight variety with 60s, 47s, 58s and so on. If I were to stand on Leicester station tomorrow, all I would see would be a procession of 66s, 222s, 170s, HSTs and Sprinters, as I saw yesterday. From an enthusiast's point of view it was better.

From a passenger point of view, things are far better now because we have modern Meridians and Turbostars and heavily refurbished HSTs operating the passenger stuff, and most of the frequencies have been improved, particularly on the St Pancras route where frequencies have been doubled and there are much faster journeys. Destinations are less interesting as you say - even in 2003 I could get a direct train to Liverpool, Shrewsbury, Coventry, Manchester, Grimsby and Norwich from Leicester without changing trains, but today I can't get to any of those destinations directly and, still referring to Leicester, trains to Nottingham (fast services) or Nuneaton were more frequent but also less reliable. I'd say from a passenger point of view it's better.

I do wish I'd seen the last days of BR though, at the very least.

 

[181]

The OP and the first reply are making me feel rather old -- I've always thought it a pity that I just missed out on the steam age, although I'd have to have been born 10 years or so earlier to have had much clear memory of it. The 1970s and 80s mostly seemed normal rather than special to me at the time.

Yes, there was more variety 30 years ago than there is now, but another 30 years before that there was vastly more. Being born in time to experience the pre-modernisation and pre-Beeching railway while old enough to appreciate it would have been good, but no doubt some of those who were regret not having seen 1930s streamliners or the Lynton and Barnstaple or whatever; and living through the Beeching era would have been sad.

In terms of the usefulness of the railways for getting from A to B, trains are often more frequent and sometimes faster than in the 80s. If you take the 1950s as the reference point, speed and frequency are very much better, but the number of places that you can get to by train has decreased significantly.

 

[martin2345uk]

I wish I could go back in time and sample the pre-beeching network. All those little lines cris-crossing the countryside, especially in Essex where I'm from, would've loved to ride the Tollesbury light railway, see Kelvedon Low Level station, go across the wooden viaduct at Wickham Bishops... Won't see the likes of those days again!

 

[steamybrian]

Although I started bashing lines in the early 1960s as a young teenager and started work on BR in 1966 I saw the last few years of steam and travelled over several "Beeching" branch lines before they closed.
By best memory was travelling between Ryde and Shankling behind the pregrouping 02 class loco hauling pregrouping (LBSCR) coaches- no not heritage railway it was part of BR national system until 31 December 1966.
I wish I travelled over the likes of Somerset and Dorset line, Great Central and Waverley routes. I am still kicking myself for not visiting the last remnant of the Great Central between Rugby and Nottingham which was open until the late 1960s but just never got round to visiting.
Finally the railway system has changed completely over the years and my biggest regret- losing BR for privatisation. Yes- I would love to go back in time to the 1960s but remember there were no mobile phones or computers. Some stations were gas or oil lit, Wages were much, much lower, Fares were much, much lower. Trains were not as frequent or faster as today. There were more branch lines but remember some lines only had 2 or 3 trains per day.

 

[Oswyntail]

I am often nostalgic for the early 60s, wishing myself - with my current freedom and spending power - back to those days to sample more of what I loved. Of course things are much better now from a users point of view, but the variety back then....
One site always makes me very sad. I was never in a position as a child to visit Derby regularly, but once or twice we took the train from Cardiff to Grimsby for the summer (mid 60s), and the frantic number taking as we approached the station past the sidings was a highlight. Exotic variety in huge numbers. Then, when I started working in the early 80s and the occasional trip to Derby was always worth it - always something going on, always something different. Even when i worked there briefly in the 90s it was interesting. But now? It is dead. I appreciate the works have gone, but is there anywhere that has seen such a decline of this kind.

 

[scarby]

I definitely miss the railways of the past.

I wrote a post in this section about how I grew up with BR blue.

I think because of growing up in that period, I am bound to feel nostalgic for it.

For a long time I couldn't fathom - no doubt as many of the steam generation did before me - why anyone would even bother to go and look at today's railways as an enthusiast. Loco-hauled passenger stock has almost been wiped off the face of the network, coaches are air-conditioned, sealed and (arguably) characterless.

I will always hanker after the old days. But trying to look at it coldly, the other side of the coin is that in the 1970s, almost everything was relatively new at that time. There must have been precious little stock or locos more than 20 years old.

It was also, again with a cold eye, a fairly drab time, when everything was in BR standard blue. There was almost no sentimentality - even the 40s and 44s were stripped off their nameplates when still in service. There was certainly nothing like the variety of liveries of today.

On the railways now you can see 08s, 20s, 37s, 47s and other locos (the number of classes hanging on here and there (e.g. 03s, 31s, 33s, 73s) is remarkable really) that are actually more than FIFTY years old - something which was unthinkable in the 1970s (as obviously that would have meant locos from the 1920s). Today you can still even travel on a 50 year old DMU in regular service from Aylesbury to Princes Risborough.

The only thing is, anyone wanting to see these now has got to put a fair bit of work in.

The other plus today is that the heritage scene is infinitely more developed than it was in the 1970s. So ryan125hst, if you do want to know what you're missing, you can just head off to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway - preferably on a quiet day in the off-season - and if you settle down in a Mark 1 coach behind a class 24 you can near as dammit experience what it WAS like then. I try and do this a few times every year.

 

[yorksrob]

I feel quite happy to have grown up in the blue-grey era and am very nostalgic for the 80's and early 90's scene. However, as with Oswyntail, I wish I'd been old and rich enough to have been able to explore a little further than the Southern Region in those days.

Other than that, I regret not being around during that period in the mid sixties when the railways were recognisably modern-ish but before the cuts had set in, so that I could catch some of those routes which I wish were still here, for example a 207 from Eastbourne to Tunbridge Wells via Heathfield or a Midland mainline train from Manchester to St Pancras via Bakewell.

 

[eastwestdivide]

Nearly everyone I've ever talked about wishes they'd been around 20 years or so earlier, regardless of when they started taking an interest. I think it's that feeling of "just" having missed something whereas 50 years or more earlier was more than a lifetime ago.

And while the BR modernisation plan and the elimination of steam meant that in the 70s, there were few locos 50 years old, there was plenty of pre-British Rail coaches/parcel stock that old and probably even more in the way of freight stock.
Even in 1982 you could still rely on the Isle of Wight for 1923-built EMUs, and some of the 1938-built Merseyside EMUs were still running. Plus the last few parcel vans from the mid-1930s.

 

[daccer]

I think the common demoninator for most rail enthusiasts is that they took their era for granted an didnt make the most of it. For me i was an enthusiast for some o the early 80's and it was a bit of transition time as loco hauled trains started to give way to Sprinters et al.

One thing that I do seem to remember was that the network felt very run down. The carriages seemed dirty and smoking was still allowed. When i return to the UK nowdays and travel I am always struck by how vibrant and busy the network seems and how much more appealing it must be to the normal passenger.

 

[flymo]

I still think of summer Saturday mornings (01:00 - 05:00) at Birmingham New St as the most fantastic times I can remember, complete with a cup of (strength 5 - the spoon stands up straight) tea from the 24-hour Traveller's Fare buffet upstairs. Electrics coming off, Diesels going on all (or vice-versa) with nobody batting an eyelid at a youngster (ha !!) watching what was happening. Happy days.

So many happy times at the west end of Exeter St. Davids watching the world go by with any and all available traction from depots around the country pressed into service hauling the loads. Peaks, Duffs, Cromptons, the ubiquitous Hoovers and yes even Syphons pulling long rakes of holidaymakers down for their fortnight at the seaside. That is what I miss and I wish others a little younger than myself could have experienced. Today it is all so bland.....mind you a friend who witnessed the same in the kettle period would say the same about me.. Wonder what the next 20 years holds. Actually no I don't.

The tunnel just west of Dawlish still has some of the numbers scratched into the stonework and can be seen from the footbridge on the Dawlish side.

 

[fowler9]

When I catch the train these days it is more of a means to an end. I used to love spending the day on Crewe Station back in the 80's and early 90's and just couldn't imagine doing it now. Liverpool Lime Street feels more of a branch line than ever with less direct services to various places, however at the same time we probably have a better service than ever. As others have already said though each generation hankers after things that have passed.

 

[eastwestdivide]

...Today it is all so bland.....mind you a friend who witnessed the same in the kettle period would say the same about me...

There's the lesson I think - make the most of today, as it'll be gone tomorrow.
It's certainly more colourful today than it's been for many a year. And the information/gen is better, so you've a better chance of getting to the unusual stuff when it does happen:
Can you imagine the 1970s equivalent to these events from 2013:
A loco withdrawn from BR 35 years previously, working main line stone trains.
A 70-plus-year-old steam loco given permission for 90mph running on the ECML.
50-year-old diesels keeping the lines clear in autumn.
etc
etc

 

[Harlesden]

If I had been born just five years earlier, I would have a young teen's view of the trains on the East Lincolnshire Line passing in front of Peakesfield Avenue on their way over Welholme Road level crossing.
Although I must have done it as a 6-8 year old, I have no memory of trains from King's Cross serving Platform 2 at Grimsby Town and then requiring a reversal to continue on to Cleethorpes. Perhaps that belongs under Railway Regrets

 

[fsmr]

You don't need to look to the 70s and 80s to see how much more different it was.

From an enthusiasts point of view, even in the early 1990s, Leicester was far more interesting:
[youtube]Gg029E098Bw[/youtube]
This video is from 1993, four years before I was born and obviously I don't remember 20s to Skeg-vegas, InterCity HSTs, 1st Gen DMUs and freight variety with 60s, 47s, 58s and so on. If I were to stand on Leicester station tomorrow, all I would see would be a procession of 66s, 222s, 170s, HSTs and Sprinters, as I saw yesterday. From an enthusiast's point of view it was better.

From a passenger point of view, things are far better now because we have modern Meridians and Turbostars and heavily refurbished HSTs operating the passenger stuff, and most of the frequencies have been improved, particularly on the St Pancras route where frequencies have been doubled and there are much faster journeys. Destinations are less interesting as you say - even in 2003 I could get a direct train to Liverpool, Shrewsbury, Coventry, Manchester, Grimsby and Norwich from Leicester without changing trains, but today I can't get to any of those destinations directly and, still referring to Leicester, trains to Nottingham (fast services) or Nuneaton were more frequent but also less reliable. I'd say from a passenger point of view it's better.

I do wish I'd seen the last days of BR though, at the very least.

Being born in 1962 next to the GCR at Birstall, i got to sse the lot as steam came to an end with 9F windcutters and the 47 diesels and first gen DMUs took a hold around Leicester and Oakham
Also spent many happy hours in 80-83 in the classroom overlloking the line counting unfitted and partial fitted freight lengths on the Wreak valley line at Brooksby with 25s, and 31s and the odd 45 or 46 mixed in
This was only 1991 at Narborough on the Leicester Birmingham line but seems so yesteryear now

[youtube]K7p1Nv_mHG8[/youtube]

 

[chorleyjeff]

I've just found some photographs on Flickr taking in the late 70's and early 80's (although there are recent photographs in the collection as well). I was born in 1994 so the photos were taken well before my time, but looking at them, I feel sad at what I have missed. Many of them are of York, a place that I have visited many times by train. As much as I love today's railways, I can't believe how much more interesting everything was then. There are shunters moving stock, locomotives and first generation DMU's galore, and looking at the photo descriptions, a wider range of destinations.

Now I know that everything wasn't better then: I'm sure some services were less frequent, and the station would have been a lot louder, smellier and dirtier than it is today as a result of all those claggy locos! Not to mention the fact that many trains operating through York are relatively new or have at least had a good refurbishment.

Still, I wish I could have witnessed our railways back in those days. So, what I was wondering is, how many of you who are around my age or younger feel the same way, and how many of our older members miss the railways of the past? Looking at it from the other angle, how many of you prefer the railways of today, or are glad that you were born after modernisation?

The Flickr page that I have been looking at is here.

Ryan

Born 1945
Lostock Hall shed every Sunday morning.
Wandering around Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds rough areas to do sheds like Gorton and feeling no apprehension at all.
Cycling to Hellifield to "cop"Midland and Scottish locos.
Watching a constant procession of trains to the coast at August bank holiday.
Seeing 46100 Royal Scot on the Longridge branch line as well as full length goods trains with8f power.
Dirty and slow passenger trains.
7f blasting up Preston dock branch.
Coal trains to Fleetwood.
The theatre of a London train leaving Liverpool Lime Street.
1955 strike.
Awful DMUs
D200s replacing 8Ps and accelerating faster and easier.
etc etc
But today the passenger gets a much better service - on Saturdays I could not get to work by train for an 8.30 start and to get back to Preston I had to go to South station for a very slow train home.

 

[46223]

Those who remember the 1960s will enjoy this (and the soundtrack!)

http://vimeo.com/38449831

 

[ATW Alex 101]

I was only born in 1998, I'm not bothered about not seeing steam or loco's around muchor whatever, I grew up to modern stuff therefore that's what I'm into. I still like loco-hauled services, however. There is a Youtube account by the name of something like RUSSANDTILLY who does great videos of stations in the 80's right through to today. Worth a look I reckon.

 

[fowler9]

I was only born in 1998, I'm not bothered about not seeing steam or loco's around muchor whatever, I grew up to modern stuff therefore that's what I'm into. I still like loco-hauled services, however. There is a Youtube account by the name of something like RUSSANDTILLY who does great videos of stations in the 80's right through to today. Worth a look I reckon.

Cheers for that, had a brief look at that Youtube account and it looks interesting. Will have a closer look. Its all a case of what you grew up with really. For me I don't like the lack of variety these days, the thing is as technology advances more and more peoples solutions to engines, streamlining etc, become more and more similar. It could be worse though, if you are in to aviation these days you are pretty much down to Airbus and Boeing big twins (And they are almost all painted in mostly white liveries), after those two there is a hell of a big tail off in variety, and that is across the whole planet.

 

[steamybrian]

Those who remember the 1960s will enjoy this (and the soundtrack!)

http://vimeo.com/38449831

Thanks for providing link.
Really excellent films which brought back memories of my younger days. Whilst brilliant quality silent films the soundtrack/radio broadcasts of pop music just added to it. One of the films in the series ended with the pop tune of "Waterloo Sunset" by the Kinks released in Summer 1967 which was so appropriate as it was released around the end of the steam at......Waterloo.! Everytime I hear that tune it makes me think of the end of Southern steam
Noticed how clean the track/lineside was in those days, no graffiti, youngsters train spotting without any worries, staff walking across the track without HV,
Thanks again.

Brian

 

[poshfan]

I remember around 1978 going for swimming lessons at the high school swimming pool in Stamford, the official access on foot was through the station goods yard then up some steps and in through a white gate. If early we then had to wait outside this gate until the proper time.

I was there one time with some mates and they were shunting the yard. Actually, this was the only time I ever saw anything moving in the yard, although there were always coal wagons in there, and I also remember there was one box van which was there when we first moved to Stamford in 1969 and remained in exactly the same place until 1982 when all the sidings were removed. I even saw a photo of the station in steam days, and the same box van was in the same place then.

Anyway, on this occasion, a class 31 was shunting coal wagons about. The loco would give a loaded wagon a shove, and it would then trundle along the siding under its own momentum, with a bloke running along side it operating the brakes when needed with a sort of long metal pole.

But then, there must have been some misunderstanding, because the driver gave an empty wagon a big shove and the shunter yells out "no" and starts legging it after the wagon, he has set the points for a short stub siding and can't reach the wagon in time to stop it. There is a massive bang and cloud of coal dust as the wagon hits the buffers and bounces back a few feet, but it stays on the track and doesn't look damaged, the driver and the shunter then have an argument over whose fault it was.

A few days later at school there is an announcement to say the railway had complained about some pupils crossing the yard during shunting. Actually we waited until the shunter waved us across, but I think he probably complained because he was miffed that we had witnessed the accident, and he probably didn't appreciate the huge cheer we gave out when it happened.

 

[fowler9]

I remember around 1978 going for swimming lessons at the high school swimming pool in Stamford, the official access on foot was through the station goods yard then up some steps and in through a white gate. If early we then had to wait outside this gate until the proper time.

I was there one time with some mates and they were shunting the yard. Actually, this was the only time I ever saw anything moving in the yard, although there were always coal wagons in there, and I also remember there was one box van which was there when we first moved to Stamford in 1969 and remained in exactly the same place until 1982 when all the sidings were removed. I even saw a photo of the station in steam days, and the same box van was in the same place then.

Anyway, on this occasion, a class 31 was shunting coal wagons about. The loco would give a loaded wagon a shove, and it would then trundle along the siding under its own momentum, with a bloke running along side it operating the brakes when needed with a sort of long metal pole.

But then, there must have been some misunderstanding, because the driver gave an empty wagon a big shove and the shunter yells out "no" and starts legging it after the wagon, he has set the points for a short stub siding and can't reach the wagon in time to stop it. There is a massive bang and cloud of coal dust as the wagon hits the buffers and bounces back a few feet, but it stays on the track and doesn't look damaged, the driver and the shunter then have an argument over whose fault it was.

A few days later at school there is an announcement to say the railway had complained about some pupils crossing the yard during shunting. Actually we waited until the shunter waved us across, but I think he probably complained because he was miffed that we had witnessed the accident, and he probably didn't appreciate the huge cheer we gave out when it happened.

Ha ha, cracking story.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

At the age of 68, there were certain West Yorkshire routes that I never managed to travel upon, for one reason or another. The one I most regret not travelling on was the former Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway line that passed through Cleckheaton Central station which closed some time early in the 1960's.

Has anyone on this thread any memories of travelling on that line ?

 

[Welshman]

You won't be surprised to see a response from me, born in Halifax!

I remember a ride at the front of a Metro-Cammel 2-Car dmu in green livery, complete with speed whiskers, from Huddersfield to Bradford Exchange via the Spen Valley line.

Fortunately the unit had it 2nd class compartment leading, so I didn't have to "sneak" into 1st and keep awaiting the ticket inspector to come in and throw me out!

I sat right up at the front by the driver, and I think I was the only one on the whole unit. This would be shortly before the line closed. It was four tracks from Huddersfield, past Hillhouses shed, through Heaton Lodge Junction, where we met the 4 tracks of the L&Y through the Calder Valley. Then past Mirfield shed on the stretch then signalled by the complicated "Speed Signalling" system. It amazed me the driver knew which light to observe, as in some cases there were three, positioned vertically on the same post.

Mirfield station was impressive in those days, with the two slow lines serving an island platform, with bays at the east end, and the fast lines running adjacent with no platforms, and a stone wall separating the two sets of lines.

After Mirfield, we turned left to go towards Liversedge and Cleckheaton, stopping at stone-flagged platforms with gas-lights and dilapidated buildings, but for no purpose, as I can't remember anyone getting on - and this was a Saturday afternoon.

We then ambled towards the triangle at Low Moor, with the arm towards Halifax veering off to the left, the carriage sidings in the middle and followed the arm off to the right into the station.

Low Moor was an impressive station with 2 lengthy island platforms, and a bay at the east end. After a few moments, we were off again, past the shed on the left, and through Bowling tunnel, past the remains of Bowling Junction station, avoiding the direct Leeds line to the right and cautiously descending the bank into Bradford Exchange, with the "shoosh" of the brake being applied, as the driver checked his speed down the bank.

And into the impressive joint GN/LYR Bradford Exchange station with its overall roof covering 10 platforms.

As I mentioned, the line closed shortly after my journey, so it would have been around 1964. In its heyday, it saw through trains to Penistone, Clayton West, Meltham and Holmfirth, and even the "South Yorkshireman" - the 10am Bradford Exchange-London Marylebone and 4.50pm return, used to go that way.

There are some interesting photos of the line in Jack Wild & Stephen Chapman's Railway Memories No.11 - Halifax and the Calder Valley [Bellcode Books], and that even details the local freight and passenger workings through Heckmondwike in 1957.

Whilst we're in the area, and close to my home town, my regret is not travelling on the GN from Halifax through North Bridge via Queensbury to Bradford and the "Pickle Bridge" line from Huddersfield to Bradford - both closing before I had chance to traverse them. Even then, the latter allowed travel from Bradford to Huddersfield in 30 minutes or so - think of the business it could be doing now under WY Metro!!

 

[9K43]

Have a look at this link of the Penistone Line. This road was one of the first roads I signed in 1982 as a guard at Huddersfield.
All the pits were opened with MGR Trains all over the spot, complete with BR Rule Book.
At 05:00 at huddersfield you could not move for proper DMU's for all over the Leeds area.
No phones, tickets came out of an Almex ticket machine.
And the Clayton West Branch had a passenger service.and signal boxes everywhere,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9W3WulmuRP0

If you want some more just ask............................................................

 

[barbarajohn]

i started in the past, when i was at camden loco (1 b) i fired the night mail to crewe, stopping at tamworth for mail off the midland line, booking off at crewe. the next day it was non stop to euston with the "City of litchfield" (6250) john.

 

[DJD200]

Wish I'd seen the steam and blue era's, grew up at the end of the blue area and into regional/sectorisation, which was fine when there were plenty of locos around. But having got my interest back in the last year or two, have little interest in multiple units and modern liveries. Enjoy railway journeys but always only looking out for locos. Maybe the modern railways could look into the past to make it a bit more interesting, even with units.

 

[barbarajohn]

hi, 46223, i enjoyed your films of yesteryear, i spotted "mallard"(i drove her over the settle carlisle railway 13/8/88, on one of her last runs)john.

 

[overtonchris]

I was very fortunate to have been brought up a stone's throw from Worting Jnct nr Basingstoke, and we bought our first house overlooking the Junction- just down the road. No surprise I was weaned onto trains at an early age!!

First real memory there of a loco was a maroon liveried Warship coming off the Salisbury line in 1967/8? I remember the BR Blue era better though - and even though, from a livery perspective it was a bit "samey", the traction certainly wasn't. Regular 33/37/42/47/50/73/74s......Irregular 35/46/52s.....and even the odd 20/25/40 was noted. ......OMG and millions of freakin' slam door VEPs, TC +REPS and Boggies! (DON'T miss those at all!!).

After "sectorisation" we also commonly got 56s and 60s, and HST sets off to Exeter / Waterloo.

Yeah, I do miss all that, but can't do 'nuffin' about it - so now enjoy the modern traction with my now grown up sons.....even though we moved an entire 6 miles away from "our" Junction some 20 years ago.....Overton has it's train moments....

 

[Polarbear]

Oh boy - where to start!

Nostalgia can be a wonderful thing. Although I was born in the 1960's I don't remember the steam era at all as I only came to live in the UK in 1971. I find therefore I don't have the same attachment to the steam era as other enthusiasts of my era.

I do have fond memories of the BR Blue era. Lots of 1st generation DMU's & also lots of loco hauled trains on routes that would result in today's operators having a blue fit!

On the other side of the coin, services generally were much less frequent than they are today and before the advent of HST's, it could take ages to cover some of the longer runs that are taken for granted today.

Also, BR in the blue era was run on a shoestring financially. Trains were often unkempt as were many of the stations. Many's the time I've sat in a Mk1 compartment & done the "dust test" (whereby you bang the palm of your hand hard down onto the seat & see if you survive the consequent cloud of dust that emanated thereafter - preserved lines are good for this today). And I lost count of how many times you could end up sat on a train in the middle of nowhere for a few hours on Sundays, whilst the engineering work cheerfully over-ran. :roll:

Regrets for me would be missing out on a few lines that closed in the 1970's (Haltwhistle - Alston & Maiden Newton - Bridport). I also never saw a Blue Pullman & would have liked to have sampled that sort of train when it was still available.

But it was fun - and at the time, I didn't know it.