If you could travel back in time...

[Bittern]

Where and when would you go, and what would you do?

Of course, let's try and keep this as railway-related as possible.

I would go to the late 40s first.

The absolute first thing I would do is take a trip on the NBR's Hamilton line from Hamilton to Glasgow Queen Street. Maybe even do a bit of spotting on the route

I would travel the long-gone branches of the Caledonian Railway around Hamilton too, including the remainer of the East Kilbride one that's no longer in existance.

I would also have loved to see the railways on the day before and the first day of nationalization. I've always wondered what those two days in particular would've been like. Did he locos lose their Big 4 company names on their tenders just before nationalization or did that happen later?

I'll probably think of a few more later.

 

[CarterUSM]

I would travel the long-gone branches of the Caledonian Railway around Hamilton too, including the remainer of the East Kilbride one that's no longer in existance.

I'd meet you at Calderwoodglen halt to give you some pounds, shillings and pence for the journey!!

 

[LE Greys]

1938, so I could do the Coronation and the West Riding Limited, and perhaps get a good look at King's Cross Goods. Then I might sample what the other lines had to offer, the Mid-day Scot, the Cornish Riviera Limited and the Brighton Belle being the most interesting. If I could take a modern camera with me, then that's railway heaven. If there was a chance to divert to Shap, or perhaps Ais Gill, then better and better.

Second choice would be 1973, just far enough back to see the beginnings of the blue era. I've only ever seen a Deltic at speed once, and would love the chance to travel behind one running flat out on an ECML with no wires.

Third choice, 1909, with the railways at the peak of their Edwardian refinement.

 

[FlyingScot]

I would go to 1975 to see the big cavalcade.

 

[Bittern]

Oh yeah, I'd do the Waverly line as well. Can't wait to see the majority of that route reopened.

 

[yorksrob]

I'd go back to 1986 and do the Long Thin Drag tour, taking a Hastings DEMU to Carlisle. I'd take a couple of weeks of course and spend the rest of them doing Southern Slammers.

Then, of course, I'd go back to the mid-sixties and do the branch lines I've always wanted to have been able to do all over the country.

 

[Errol]

I would love to go back to Januaey 1946.
The place: Hook of Holland.
My Mum plus my sister and I boarded a Troop Train that would be our home for seven days. We were heading to Italy to join up with Dad. Seven days on a train, what a dream to have come true.
Little did we know but Dad was on a Troop Train coming into the station just as we were departing.
We were in the first 23 families who were going overseas to live with our Dad's.
I was six years old (well almost) so it was all a great adventure to me after living through the War.
If only I had had a camera and a note pad!
Just think of what stories they would tell.
Alas I had no idea of what I could, and indeed should have done.
Oh to be young and wise again.
Got to go, it's near bed time here in Canada.
By the way I have just got an E-mail warning from the Weather Network that there is frost exspected tonight, the last day of May 2010.
TTFN Errol aka errolcan

 

[leewoods60019]

If I was to travel back in time I would literally watch steam all day till really late. I'd travel around to see all diffrent steam working services and freight services. I would also travel on every steam that exists back then :P

 

[Nigel Cliff]

I wnt to go back to when the Blaenau Ffestiniog to Bala line was open the scenery from the train would have been fabulous

 

[curly42]

A long,hot summer Saturday at Evercreech Junction on the Somerset and Dorset - I think it was 1963.
Absolute Heaven - I can still smell the country air,the loco smoke,the steam,and the thrill of seeing all that activity.
That day will live forever.

 

[oldrailman]

I'd love to do the line from King's Lynn to Hunstanton on a nice rattly MetroCam Class 101 DMU. Also go back to where we lived in Chesterfield, sit on the grassy bank near the station and watch a succession of 'Peaks' and '40s' on load 12, not this plastic rubbish we get today.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Now, when I was at school I was a member of the school Scout troop. In summer 1980 we had a 10 day long Scout camp.

Guess which campsite they chose?

Yes!!!!! Blackwell Court!

Now, that would be nice to go back in time to do again; 10 days of generally good weather, right at the top of the Lickey Incline, in the days of Peaks on passenger and banked double headed Syphons on freight...

 

[37401]

Id go back the the 80s and go do all the things I missed out on, 37s 40s 50s 55s 31s 20s ect ect, failing that go back to when I was little in the 90s and go do the Intercity 87s 86s and 43s

 

[Drsatan]

Ok, here goes.

I'd go back to the mid to late 1950s and do Waterloo - Bournemouth on the Bournemouth Belle behind an unrebuilt Battle of Britain locomotive. I'd also fit in most of the South London Lines on the various SR and early BR EMUs such as the 2HAPs, 4EPBs, 4SUBs and others. In addition I'd travel on the Atlantic Coast Express all the way to Ilfracombe or Padstow. I'd travel on the Brighton Belle to Brighton, a 4COR on a Pompey Direct service, the Blue Pullman to Bristol and finally travel behind as many steam locomotives as possible e.g. a Standard Class 5 on a Waterloo-Basingstoke stopper, an S15, N15, M7, 02, T9, Merchant Navy pacifics, schools classes etc.

I'd jump forward to the early 1980s and 1990s and ride on a 4REP and then 4TC from Waterloo to Weymouth (and then a 442 in NSE days), a 50 and several Mk2s from Waterloo to Exeter, an HST to the West Country, the Waterloo and City before modernisation, a 4CEP to Dover, the Chiltern Lines prior to modernisation; basically as much track mileage as possible!

I'd like to travel on a few lines that are now closed. This includes the Lynton and Lynmouth railway, Penrith to Keswick, Okehampton to Bere Ferres, Romsey to Andover (and on to Cheltenham), Winchester - Alresford (Alresford-Alton is now the Mid Hants Railway), and the Great Central Railway.

 

[Silver Link]

July 3rd 1938 on Stoke Bank to see 4468 break the world record. 1001 other things in different years I'd love to do too but if it has to be just the one choice, 4468 gets it.

 

[LE Greys]

July 3rd 1938 on Stoke Bank to see 4468 break the world record. 1001 other things in different years I'd love to do too but if it has to be just the one choice, 4468 gets it.

I once saw an interview with someone who was on the up platform of Little Bytham when Mallard went through (at 123 mph). He said that there was coal flying from the tender, and that she was swaying from side to side like anything. That must have been some sight.

 

[Silver Link]

I once saw an interview with someone who was on the up platform of Little Bytham when Mallard went through (at 123 mph). He said that there was coal flying from the tender, and that she was swaying from side to side like anything. That must have been some sight.

Must have been quite exciting on the footplate too. The crew was going into unknown territory so it must have taken some nerve to keep pressing on in search of the record.

 

[LE Greys]

Must have been quite exciting on the footplate too. The crew was going into unknown territory so it must have taken some nerve to keep pressing on in search of the record.

There was a radio piece with the driver, Joe Duddington, where he described the run. I've been able to find a recording of it on You Tube here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UinAeh-0cc&feature=player_embedded

 

[Foxhound]

I'd like to cover the hydraulics, especially the stuff I never saw, (63s and 600s!), and also do the Peaks and Roarers again. Happy days!

 

[Ivo]

I wanted to say the Mallard. Bah.

Seen as it's been, I would like to go back to the late 70s, just as the HSTs were being introduced.

 

[AlexS]

Go back to the 1950s to see the Master Cutler pass through Weekday Cross Junction with an A3 or V2 on the front.

Alternatively Wolverhampton Low Level with a County waiting for the road to Birkenhead with a 52 or King right away to Snow Hill and Paddington.

It was a nice moment to be at Shrewsbury not so long with the WSMR diverted and see Paddington on the departure boards for service trains again.

I now sign Loughborough signalbox so I suppose I'm nearly there in spirit, ha. Although nothing flies past the box at any great speed these days alas

 

[Sam Bentley]

for a start, the 60s for a ride on the Blue Pullman from Manchester to London

then back to the 30s for the competition between the LNER and LMS

to the 80s for a ride on the APT

to the 70s for a ride behind a Deltic, with air condtioned stock

and finally, a stram hauled journey over the S&C

 

[Ben_]

My reply to this is a little sad!...

I would go back to around 2002-2005 during the time when Midland Mainline and Central Trains were operating.. I miss Midland Mainline London to Derby HST Services!

 

[Aictos]

I would go back to 1990 and prevent the whole privatisation saga, keeping BR as it was but run it as BR PLC.

Secondly, I would find the largest lottery win in the past decade or two use these same numbers pick up the win and bank it,

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Wouldn't you be better off finding the largest draw that rolled over and using the numbers that caused it to roll over by not coming up?

 

[Sun Chariot]

Firstly, I'd jump back to the heyday of The Race to the North. I'd do both the LNWR & Cali route and the Midland & NBR route.
I'd then jump forward to proof-read Dr Richard Beeching's draft of "Reshaping Britain's Railways" - and I'd edit a lot out of it...!

 

[Spagnoletti]

Firstly, I'd jump back to the heyday of The Race to the North. I'd do both the LNWR & Cali route and the Midland & NBR route.
I'd then jump forward to proof-read Dr Richard Beeching's draft of "Reshaping Britain's Railways" - and I'd edit a lot out of it...!

Or make sure the good doctor met with an accident

That or the North Wales circular but via Caernarfon, Afon Wen and Dolgellau.

 

[bnm]

First off, back to the late 1950s early 1960s for a trip on the Pines Express along the Somerset & Dorset, hopefully meeting Ivo Peters along the way!

Then a mid to late 1960s trip on the Cornish Riviera Express (or Limited if you prefer) behind a Western. Hopefully D1015 Western Champion.

Finally, if the flux capacitor is up to it, back to Newton-le-Willows on 15th September 1830 to tell William Husskinson MP to get off on the other side!

 

[Aictos]

Bear in mind the Doctor did do some good which is still with us today but is forgotten about, stuff like the MGRs, Freightliner are just two of his better proposals.
I know what he did in cutting back routes was unforgiveable but he did have a set of goals he had to achieve which were set by Marples and if Beeching never joined BR, you can rest assure that Marples would have got someone else to do it.

If anything I would suggest a slightly re-drafted version but with a priority on using trams on lines such as St Albans Abbey to Watford Junction for example but I would have pressured the powers to be not to close certain lines:

The Diversionary route which avoids Dawlish and the sea
The Great Central, which would take cross channel to midlands traffic
Oxford to Cambridge
March to Spalding
Lincoln Avoiding Line
Peterborough East to Rugby via Northampton
Waverly route
Hitchin to Bedford

These are just a few of the routes I would try to save, oh yeah I would buy the land on both sides of the railway along the Hertford Loop then use the land to enable 4 tracking.

As to bumping off the good doctor, I sooner push Marples and the incoming government under Wilson who as far as I am aware was elected on promises to stop the closures but continued them instead - reminds me of Labour under Blair elected on promises to nationalise the railways but instead thought only of continuing privatisation and blame the mess on the former government!

 

[Sun Chariot]

Yes, I sometimes almost feel empathy for the poor doctor, that the Chairman of Austerity Britain was little more than a political puppet, who had to salvage the nation's crippled and cracked railway system, before it collapsed completely.

I guess we have the vastly over-optimistic and competitive early Victorian era railway promoters to thank, for starting the whole darn messy thing in the first place.

Maybe that's it! I would go back in time - accompanied by an accountant - and I would ask each and every one of those promoters: "No, really, tell me -how exactly WILL this great fancy railway-line of yours actually pay for itself?"