Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[FRE07962128]

I remember, as a child, standing on the railway bridge and leaning over and getting a face full of smoke when the engine went through.

Strange, I know. :-/

Ahhh!  Yes, a real pleasure that was as a child; like feeling the warmth of the engine as it passed, let alone going on the footplate with my Dad holding my hand whilst talking to the driver and fireman Happy days!

[Entwood]

How times have changed ....  

I spent many hours as a kid down at the sidings, often getting a ride on the footplate, mostly just shunting stuff, but ocasionally we'd get a treat and the chance of a ride on something decent ...

A good day was a run to Bristol or Cardiff ... and a mug of the firemans tea .. and when we got back .. usually quite late having been out all day .. my parents just asked "where did you get to today??" ...  

Can you see that happening now Police would be called and the driver/fireman accused of kidnapping/perversion/rape or whatever

I pity kids .. they don't get the chance to learn about life these days .. its all wrapped in cotton wool stuff.

[JamesV6CDX]

I pity kids .. they don't get the chance to learn about life these days .. its all wrapped in cotton wool stuff.

Agreed !!

[FRE07962128]

How times have changed ....  

I spent many hours as a kid down at the sidings, often getting a ride on the footplate, mostly just shunting stuff, but ocasionally we'd get a treat and the chance of a ride on something decent ...

A good day was a run to Bristol or Cardiff ... and a mug of the firemans tea .. and when we got back .. usually quite late having been out all day .. my parents just asked "where did you get to today??" ...  

Can you see that happening now Police would be called and the driver/fireman accused of kidnapping/perversion/rape or whatever

I pity kids .. they don't get the chance to learn about life these days .. its all wrapped in cotton wool stuff.

You are right Entwood; Health & Safety Laws would prohibit that fun now.  Bloody shame!

[Richie London]

I remember, as a child, standing on the railway bridge and leaning over and getting a face full of smoke when the engine went through.

Strange, I know. :-/

the railway children rings a bell ol timer  

[Marks DTM Calib]

Maybe.....but pretty recently when visiting Loughborough and Oliver Cromwell was on show, my little 3 year old lad was allowed on the footplate whilst it was in the station and not long before then was allowed to sit in the drivers seat of a class 25 which was at the head of a rake of coaches with the engine running!

I still recall having a footplate ride on Leander at the Severn Valley Railway some 25 years ago...

[Albert1]

Bu663r me!

I don't feel so bad about pouring petrol into the 3.2 now.  

Kevin

I know its not cheap  

But at the end of the day, its only 15% of the money i take home, so not too fussed!  

So your take home pay is £2453.33?

[Marks DTM Calib]

So Tunnie is on well over 40K per year and still moans hes skint with no major overheads...........or is he just bad at maths  

[Albert1]

So Tunnie is on well over 40K per year and still moans hes skint with no major overheads...........or is he just bad at maths  

Come on Tunnie, fess up as to where it's all going.  Regular trips to Spearmint Rhino?  lol

[Kevin Wood]

Maybe.....but pretty recently when visiting Loughborough and Oliver Cromwell was on show, my little 3 year old lad was allowed on the footplate...

They're always seen to show the kids round at the watercress line. Speaking of kids (big ones) I bought my dad a 1/2 day of steam engine driving a couple of years back.

Doubt you'd get on the "footplate" of anything on the main line though.

Kevin

[Martin_1962]

Me and a friend went to an SVR Diesel gala and we got drunk and missed the last train back - so we hitch hiked from Bridgenorth to Kidderminster, most of the way in D4 Great Gable rear cab.

Train rides.

Done a Castle around Gloucester shed in GWR150, a 31 at Newton Abbott, 2 060 industrial, 1 class 14 DH on the GWR. And when I was involved with coach restoration I rode in a GWR autocoach while it was shunted.

I have baby sat a 50 while a friend who worked there was getting food

[Martin_1962]

Maybe.....but pretty recently when visiting Loughborough and Oliver Cromwell was on show, my little 3 year old lad was allowed on the footplate whilst it was in the station and not long before then was allowed to sit in the drivers seat of a class 25 which was at the head of a rake of coaches with the engine running!

I still recall having a footplate ride on Leander at the Severn Valley Railway some 25 years ago...

Is there anything you don't know

Ridden behind Leander but not cabbed - got some nice late at night pictures from a rail tour through a local station.

[FRE07962128]

Maybe.....but pretty recently when visiting Loughborough and Oliver Cromwell was on show, my little 3 year old lad was allowed on the footplate whilst it was in the station and not long before then was allowed to sit in the drivers seat of a class 25 which was at the head of a rake of coaches with the engine running!

I still recall having a footplate ride on Leander at the Severn Valley Railway some 25 years ago...

You did well there Mark!

Due to H&S, past nasty accidents on the footplate and insurance issues, it is very rare for any railway to allow 'unauthorized' personnel on their engines.  But unofficial 'visits' must still go on somewhere!

I bet you and your lad had a wonderfull time though, and he may well remember that for the rest of his life as I have done since a similar experience with my father as a 4 year old girl.

[Marks DTM Calib]

Maybe.....but pretty recently when visiting Loughborough and Oliver Cromwell was on show, my little 3 year old lad was allowed on the footplate whilst it was in the station and not long before then was allowed to sit in the drivers seat of a class 25 which was at the head of a rake of coaches with the engine running!

I still recall having a footplate ride on Leander at the Severn Valley Railway some 25 years ago...

Is there anything you don't know

Ridden behind Leander but not cabbed - got some nice late at night pictures from a rail tour through a local station.

A good friend of my Grandad had a part share in Leander back then......got a pic somehwere but wont put it up as I was only about 8!

[Marks DTM Calib]

Maybe.....but pretty recently when visiting Loughborough and Oliver Cromwell was on show, my little 3 year old lad was allowed on the footplate whilst it was in the station and not long before then was allowed to sit in the drivers seat of a class 25 which was at the head of a rake of coaches with the engine running!

I still recall having a footplate ride on Leander at the Severn Valley Railway some 25 years ago...

You did well there Mark!

Due to H&S, past nasty accidents on the footplate and insurance issues, it is very rare for any railway to allow 'unauthorized' personnel on their engines.  But unofficial 'visits' must still go on somewhere!

I bet you and your lad had a wonderfull time though, and he may well remember that for the rest of his life as I have done since a similar experience with my father as a 4 year old girl.

He does.....interestingly when I looked closely at Oliver Cromwell I thought to myself, the great train designers of the like of Stanier and Gresley would never have allowed that design to go out.

It had a visable low slung steam injector (interesting to look at and I guess good from a maintenance perspective) and some rather randomly placed feed and steam pipes......not in keeping with the designs of the hay day and did affect the visual appearance some what.