Train spotters

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Mickey
LNER V2 2-6-2 'Green Arrow'
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Re: Train spotters

Post by Mickey »

A man who is tired of railways is tired of life...

The disparaging term of calling a 'nerd character' a 'Anorak' came about directly by some one noticing one day a group of people standing towards the end of a railway station platform (maybe Crewe?) who were all train spotting and all wearing anoraks.

The art of 'train spotting' is high tech these days all the gricers are communicating on 'social media' about train movements all around the country. Where I am on a number of occasions I would see 4 or 5 blokes usually aged between late 50s and late 60s would all of a sudden show up on the station platform waiting for whatever was going to show up which would usually be a 'first generation' diesel loco usually a class 37 around my way.
Original start date of 2010 on the LNER forum and previously posted 4500+ posts.
Mickey
LNER V2 2-6-2 'Green Arrow'
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Joined: Sun Jan 27, 2019 7:27 am
Location: London

Re: Train spotters

Post by Mickey »

rockinjohn wrote: Thu Sep 23, 2021 6:53 am Hi Mickey,Strang,Giner&all,a very nice post for us rail fans from another era,I'm amused @ the new found intrest in steam,when in my teens/early adulthood had to suffer such comments among others such as "you still like the chuffers then"& "arent you past that yet" it really was a social barrier to advancement
My favourite era on B.R. jj is probably 1963-1968 and the last days of steam locos working along side the first generation green diesels and blue electric traction on the LMR. Plenty of grimy dirty Black 5s, 8Fs, 9Fs & Brits on the LMR along with even dirtier Q6s & WDs on the NE and filthy Granges, Halls & Castles on the W.R. and Bulleid pacifics, Q1s & B.R. standard 4s & 5s on the S.R.

A great era on B.R. jj :wink:
Original start date of 2010 on the LNER forum and previously posted 4500+ posts.
rockinjohn
GER D14 4-4-0 'Claud Hamilton'
Posts: 349
Joined: Fri Mar 15, 2019 6:10 am

Re: Train spotters

Post by rockinjohn »

Hi Mickey as Charles Dickens wrote "the best of times,the worst of times"all those shiny new diesels &so many different diesel classes, some around for years, others banished from the London Area very quickly,or just withdrawn in that period,in perspective the last ex.works N2 fully lined that I saw, was scrapped in Feb.'61&I witnessed 62546 Claud Hamilton on Stratford's scrap line in June'57,steam was getting v. grubby/rusty, leaking steam from joints, only cleaned for the odd special with an oily rag &the can of silver paint used here &there to make them respectable, my intrest in preservation locos/lines lacking seeing everything looking in ex.works condition, the one thing I sought in that period that we talk of,I look/ hope for a weathered loco/diesel that I sometimes see in very realistic model railway layouts of excellence(eg Yorkshire Dales)for one example I'm sure their are more,@ least "thomas"keeps the childrens intrest in steam&diesel alive in these times when preserved lines must be strugglng&cash difficult to come by.
Mickey
LNER V2 2-6-2 'Green Arrow'
Posts: 1191
Joined: Sun Jan 27, 2019 7:27 am
Location: London

Re: Train spotters

Post by Mickey »

Yeah I know what you mean jj a shiny clean maroon livered LMS Duchess hauling a rake of clean Mk.1s with a class 67 attached to the rear storming Shap under the wires to me somehow leaves me indifferent?.

That's why I prefer much more watching ameteur film footage shot by 'linesiders' during the 1960s of the last years of working steam on the B.R. regions like watching a grimy 9F 2-10-0 leaking steam hauling a lengthy train of mineral wagons and a brake van through Wellingborough heading up the Midland main line during the snowy winter of 1962-63.
Original start date of 2010 on the LNER forum and previously posted 4500+ posts.
rockinjohn
GER D14 4-4-0 'Claud Hamilton'
Posts: 349
Joined: Fri Mar 15, 2019 6:10 am

Re: Train spotters

Post by rockinjohn »

Mickey 62/63 winter seem to remember as bad as the winter/summer '47 the best &the worse yet again!jj
Mickey
LNER V2 2-6-2 'Green Arrow'
Posts: 1191
Joined: Sun Jan 27, 2019 7:27 am
Location: London

Re: Train spotters

Post by Mickey »

rockinjohn wrote: Fri Sep 24, 2021 6:42 am Mickey 62/63 winter seem to remember as bad as the winter/summer '47 the best &the worse yet again!jj
Yeah I vaguely remember the snowy winter of 1962-63 although I was only about 6 or 7 years old at the time jj

1962 on the WR (BR) was the last year of the Kings finishing up in September and I believe it was also the last year of steam workings at Euston on the LMR?.
Original start date of 2010 on the LNER forum and previously posted 4500+ posts.
rockinjohn
GER D14 4-4-0 'Claud Hamilton'
Posts: 349
Joined: Fri Mar 15, 2019 6:10 am

Re: Train spotters

Post by rockinjohn »

Hi Mickey not sure of steam finishing dates but the G.E. diesel take over early with the LTSR to,on a past post I mentioned the "Night Ferry" ex.Victoria being dbl/headed in the up direction, I have since found out it could be a WC/BB &E1orD1 in the down direction also due to the heavy Wagon-lits coaches &heavily loaded SR luggage vans,Whilst on the subject of WC/BB in early post nationlisation days whilst a few MN were painted Blue,some WC/BB class members actually were turned out in LNER apple grn soon reverting to Malchilite Grn,seem to remember a Jubliee in a strange green livery too from photos(rare).jj
Mickey
LNER V2 2-6-2 'Green Arrow'
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Joined: Sun Jan 27, 2019 7:27 am
Location: London

Train spotters/London Terminals

Post by Mickey »

rockinjohn wrote: Sat Sep 25, 2021 6:45 am Hi Mickey not sure of steam finishing dates but the G.E. diesel take over early with the LTSR
With regards to steam workings at London terminals finishing dates I believe it was the following years-

1.Paddington 1965
2.Marylebone 1966
3.Euston 1962
4.St Pancras 1962 although steam was still seen at the terminus as late as 1964 on occasional ECS workings from Cricklewood
5.Kings Cross 1963 although occasional steam workings lingered on well into 1964
6.Broad Street I think regular steam finished very earlier around the time of WW1 although steam still occasionally visited the terminus until the early 1960s.
7.Liverpool street towards the end of the 1950s
8.Fenchurch street 1961-62
9.London Bridge Don't know?
10.Canon street Don't know?
11.Charing Cross Don't know but possibly the very early 1960s?.
12.Waterloo 1967
13.Victoria 1961

Where I am I saw two train spotters both aged about late 50s standing on the station platform end for about 2 hours on Saturday afternoon before they both decided to go and caught a train to somewhere else only to miss x4 southern region class 73s turn up on a Derby track recording train about 10 minutes after they had both left!.
Last edited by Mickey on Sun Sep 26, 2021 10:38 am, edited 1 time in total.
Original start date of 2010 on the LNER forum and previously posted 4500+ posts.
Mickey
LNER V2 2-6-2 'Green Arrow'
Posts: 1191
Joined: Sun Jan 27, 2019 7:27 am
Location: London

Re: Train spotters

Post by Mickey »

Below I found this on train spotting or loco spotting as Ian Allan preferred to call it.
https://flashbak.com/going-loco-the-jpy ... ting-37301
Original start date of 2010 on the LNER forum and previously posted 4500+ posts.
kudu
LNER Thompson B1 4-6-0 'Antelope'
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Re: Train spotters

Post by kudu »

I was fortunate to have witnessed the abundance of steam just before the arrival of mainline diesels. I served my time at King's Cross and Liverpool Street, though I preferred going out to Stratford and, sometimes, Hornsey. But home territory was north-west London. I suppose I took it for granted that I had two large steam sheds just a few hundred yards apart on my doorstep, a third within walking distance and a fourth a short trolleybus ride away - that's Willesden, Old Oak. Neasden and Cricklewood.

I could also reach one of the best vantage points in the country, probably, where locos from all four railways could be seen and with an array of busy sidings spread before you. I described this back in 2010 if you're interested - "A Place by the Railway", in Railway Chat 29/8/10.

Great days!

Kudu
silverfox
GER D14 4-4-0 'Claud Hamilton'
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Re: Train spotters

Post by silverfox »

Late for the party here, but i have fond memories of that platform at FP
I think Dad was a train nut, as in the early 50s he always took me into KX on our way back from my to frequent visits the Eastmans dental clinic in Grays Inn Rd and deviating now andagain to Bassett Lowke showroom. When we used to visit my Nan in Mildmay Park we also dropped of the tram at Manor House we seemed to get to it via the Park. I do remember locos in 'blue' but whether they were Garter blue or one of the other BE experimentals back then i have no idea, nor as a4 yr old could 1 write any numbers down!!
Mickey
LNER V2 2-6-2 'Green Arrow'
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Location: London

Re: Train spotters

Post by Mickey »

silverfox wrote: Fri Oct 29, 2021 8:28 pm Late for the party here, but i have fond memories of that platform at FP
Yeah as previously posted Ron I visited the Finsbury Park spotters platform on several occasions between 1964-66 and it was a pretty good vantage point to look down on all the running lines north of Finsbury Park although from vague memory the view to the south was slightly restricted because of the footbridge and Edgware branch bridge crossing the main line on the approach to Finsbury Park station but beyond those two restrictions the view beyond featured both Finsbury Park No.5 & Finsbury Park No.6 signal boxes clearly and Finsbury Park station. When I visited the spotters platform back in the mid 1960s all I can remember seeing was mainly green Brush type 2s and green Craven units I can't remember anything else although I didn't hang around to long before moving on out the park altogether.
Original start date of 2010 on the LNER forum and previously posted 4500+ posts.
giner
LNER A4 4-6-2 'Streak'
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Re: Train spotters

Post by giner »

silverfox wrote: Fri Oct 29, 2021 8:28 pm . . . now andagain to Bassett Lowke showroom.
Glad you mentioned that, silverfox. Could you refresh me as to where that was? If the grey cells are in order today, I think it was opposite Gamages in Holborn, and my dad would always take us across the road to look at BL's front window - never did go inside. I do seem to remember a large-gauge Midland Compound taking centre stage in the window and standing the in awe of it. I suppose Bassett Lowke are long gone now.
rockinjohn
GER D14 4-4-0 'Claud Hamilton'
Posts: 349
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Re: Train spotters/Eastmans

Post by rockinjohn »

Hi Silver Fox &all yes I think the Eastmans dental clinic would be the link for me to my father's &I visits to the "X" the Bassett Lowke showroom rings a bell,& a visit near Xmas to Gamages when they trundled out their US Lionel "O"guage layout that you could view for the sum of 6d,now I travelled behind A1 "Sea Eagle"in '52 in Green to Hatfield in the blood &custard Gresley coaches,must have been an N2 artic.stk return,but an A1 in "blue"I am sure was sighted @the Buffer stops pre '52, must have made an impression on my tender years, unlike the N2's that stayed with me for a lot longer.jj
Mickey
LNER V2 2-6-2 'Green Arrow'
Posts: 1191
Joined: Sun Jan 27, 2019 7:27 am
Location: London

Gamages toy shop

Post by Mickey »

rockinjohn wrote: Mon Nov 01, 2021 4:00 am a visit near Xmas to Gamages when they trundled out their US Lionel "O"guage layout that you could view for the sum of 6d
Gamages?. A couple of decades before the American 'Toys R Us' set up shop in blighty my old dad took me to the Gamages shop in central London's west end back in the early 1960s. I can't remember the exact year maybe around 1963-64?. A nice little curiosity shop for selling mainly Hornby railway products was an electrical shop at the Angel in Camden passage back in the 1970s & 1980s that's main trade was selling electrical domestic products but the shop also had a counter that sold model railway items.
Original start date of 2010 on the LNER forum and previously posted 4500+ posts.
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