Memories from years gone by

[theblackwatch]

Whilts out having a meal last night, myself and class47 managed to amuse ourselves (and others) by realising we could remember the identities of the Class 08s based at York in the late 1970s and early 1980s! It did make me think that there must be so much trivia that we all have stored in our minds when it comes to this hobby.

Anyone else got anything they have discovered by chance that they can remember from years gone by?

 

[Wyvern]

I was just thinking for some reason this morning about the old drop-down lights on railway carriages.

Then, as now, you lowered them to reach the handle to open the door.

Practically everyone travelled by train at some time and it was a rite of passage when you could pull them up and closed so they stayed closed. Particularly as so many were worn after the war.

If it didn't stay put it would crash down with a tremendous bang letting in the winter's gale.

A decade or so before that,of course, before safety razors became common, the leather straps used to get pinched to make razor strops.

 

[rail-britain]

Standing at Glasgow Queen Street in the late 1980s with a friend, "I've not seen 47642 Strathisla for several weeks"
It then arrived on the next train!

 

[Retropractor]

My fondest memories are actually of boarding school in Dorset. Between 1954/60. Which meant, 6 times a year.The journey to or from Waterloo to Dorchester south, behind a Bullied pacific. Or occasionally, a Lord Nelson.
Those were the days, when the London bound train, entered Dorchester south, round the curve, from Weymouth. Then had to reverse into the terminus platform, before proceeding, after passengers had boarded.

 

[9K43]

Whilts out having a meal last night, myself and class47 managed to amuse ourselves (and others) by realising we could remember the identities of the Class 08s based at York in the late 1970s and early 1980s! It did make me think that there must be so much trivia that we all have stored in our minds when it comes to this hobby.

Anyone else got anything they have discovered by chance that they can remember from years gone by?

I remember the mess room at York Yard South, with a gas fire that was out of the ark.
I have sat many hours in that room filled full of fumes and cigarette smoke.
What a dump..
Now the mess room is an old Porta Cabin up under the road bridge at York Yard North.
One of the last resident shunters there was my mate Paul Sedman.
When you come out of this cabin you wiped your feet whrn you shut the door.

 

[Retropractor]

For some reason. One of the Southern region 4 sub emu unit numbers has always stuck in my mind. So much so, that it is now my bank pin number, and also my Sky box pin number.

I also vividly remember when another Southern emu No. 2929 derailed at Victoria, back in the early 60's. Got some brilliant pictures. (Alas, no more) Eventually, the recovery crane came in, propelled by a Standard class 82xxx 3MT.

 

[4SRKT]

Whilts out having a meal last night, myself and class47 managed to amuse ourselves (and others) by realising we could remember the identities of the Class 08s based at York in the late 1970s and early 1980s! It did make me think that there must be so much trivia that we all have stored in our minds when it comes to this hobby.

Anyone else got anything they have discovered by chance that they can remember from years gone by?

Let me have a go (this from about 1982/3):

062
064 (driven it in York Yard North )
224
337
339
525
540
657
707
737

Plus some others that I can't recall. 03s were 079 and 084 (I think)

 

[theblackwatch]

Let me have a go (this from about 1982/3):

062
064 (driven it in York Yard North )
224
337
339
525
540
657
707
737

Plus some others that I can't recall. 03s were 079 and 084 (I think)

Not sure about 657 and 737 (I think the latter was Crewe?), but we also came up with...

169, 170, 171, 249, 388, 705, 769, 771.

I also remember 08748 came on loan from Neville Hill when 540 was away at Glasgow for overhaul.

 

[4SRKT]

657 was a definite, although it may have come in later in the decade. 737 could well be wrong TBF. I remember 171 and 249 now you remind me, but I think the others must have gone before I was fully into spotting. I was 12 in 1983 and a teacher at my school ran a trainspotting club at lunchtime. I was already interested in the railway, but not a full-blown spotter. On our first visit we turned up at the lineside behind the flats by Holgate Junction just as 40060 whistled through on a short freight. Amazing how such scenes stay with you for so long and so vividly

 

[oldrailman]

For some reason, a couple of Class 47 numbers stick in my head. 47555 'Commonwealth Spirit' seemed to avoid me. I only remember seeing it once in the Brum area and on a couple of DVDs. The other is 47831 'Bolton Wanderer' which I sort of 'adopted' after being treated to a cab ride by my good mate Maurice Newman at New Street. That also features in my DVD collection and I do know it is now 'Thunderbird' 57310.

 

[4SRKT]

A number that sticks in my mind is 50006. This is because I was travelling back from Folkestone Harbour to York when I was about 13, and failed to cop a single 09, 33 or 73 on the journey through Kent and SE London. I was pretty devastated about this, as visits to areas south of London were rare for a 13 year old from York, but a resplendent ex-works 50006, newly outshopped in large logo livery outside Donny restored my faith in mankind. It instantly became, and remained, my favourite Hoover.

(((((Neptune)))))

 

[Capybara]

Brings back a few memories this. Looking even further back, to the early 70s, D3937 was based there for ages and was regularly on station duty. Remembered mainly as the number of inches in a metre. And an 03 that was there for years was 2073. Plus, 12121 was in York shed for a long time but you rarely saw it in action.

 

[4SRKT]

Brings back a few memories this. Looking even further back, to the early 70s, D3937 was based there for ages and was regularly on station duty. Remembered mainly as the number of inches in a metre. And an 03 that was there for years was 2073. Plus, 12121 was in York shed for a long time but you rarely saw it in action.

03073 was still at York in the early 80s. Scarborough station pilot, along with 08525 for most of 1983/4 IIRR.

 

[Wyvern]

When I was little we used to go over to Nottingham to stay with my aunt and uncle for a few days. I would have been about four or so because one night we stood at the back door looking t the searchlights over the city.

Anyway - we'd get off the bus and walk under this enormous railway bridge and turn right up the road parallel to this high railway embankment. Even in those days apparently it hadn't been used for years, but I've always wondered about it.

I've just treated myself to set of historic digitised OS maps and I reckon it would have been the Nottingham Suburban Railway just north of Sherwood station.

 

[gordonthemoron]

or possibly the GCR

 

[Mvann]

I remember seeing 58012 and 58013 over a number of weeks every Thursday morning in my maths lesson. (Our lesson was held in a mobile, which was close to the midland main line.

 

[Wyvern]

or possibly the GCR

Nope. The GCR was still running. Anyway it was further west I think.