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Any steam train buffs here?


AXrescuer

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Nothing scheduled for the WCML yet, but it will be going to Edinburgh on the 28th. We'll be driving to Prestonpans to see it go through. We went down a few weeks ago to see Sir Lamiel go through. That was the first time I'd seen one giving it some on a main line and it is so much more impressive than seeing them on preserved railways.Does your son have a thing for trains, FT? My son has ASD and he's obsessed with trains, especially steam.

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Both James and Megan enjoy the railways (as do I too - as a lad I spent many hapy hours down at Crewe, or on a special saturday up a Carnforth) and we have a nice Hornby layout in the loft whic they both enjoy. I wouldnt say James is obsessed by them, he seems tl be vering towards motorbikes in his oily bits interest, but certainly they both enjoy a day out at say the Ribble Railway or East Lancs. Katie seems uninterested in anything not dollies or fluffy - but she is young yet and will learn!Living where I do we do get to see a reasonable amount of steam traffic, and anything that cmes through Preston needing the tender turning around has to come through Lostock Hall as its the only stretch of line that can acomodate it, so coote Lane and School lane bridges suddenly get very popular if I get chance I will convert a video of the Duchess steaming throuh the Hall and post it (its on the phone, so in 3gp format).

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Thanks for the heads-up, I'll take Poglet Maximus down to watch it run past. When we lived in our tumble-down cottage in the pre-poglet days, to watch the steam runs we could just open the curtains and watch them trundle past. :lol:Though the night freight trains would often set off enough vibration to make panes of the ancient & rotten sash windows bid for freedom. House shite!

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When we lived in our tumble-down cottage in the pre-poglet days, to watch the steam runs we could just open the curtains and watch them trundle past. :lol:Though the night freight trains would often set off enough vibration to make panes of the ancient & rotten sash windows bid for freedom. House shite!

Cool - was that still in the 'Wade?
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And here it is!

 

Nearly missed it though - it was running ~40 mins behind schedule and the kids were complaining of cold so we just started the trudge home, head the whistle and managed to catch it. QUAL

 

Posted Image

Brilliant! How fast was it going? I so miss being near a major train route! The South Coast suxx big time for train enthusiasts! :roll:
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We lived at Station Road in Langford at the time, with a good view across a field to the ECML, though obviously the station hasn't been there for many years.The train today running at around 70mph which is top whack on the down slow through the station, certainly wasn't pottering. Pic is taken from the path that skirts the top of the embankment to the north east of biggleswade station.

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Langford had a station?? :shock: My granddad still lives there, unfortunately I wasn't able to get the time off to visit last autumn when my folks went up that way. It was great growing up in Hertfordshire, there was us in Hitchin with the ECML, my cousins in Bedford with the MML, my gran in Letchworth with an offshoot of the ECML, some friends of the family in Harpenden with the MML, my nan lived in Barnet with the ECML nearby, a great aunt in St Albans, again with the MML, & other relatives in London in places like Northolt (GWML one side & WCML the other) Golders Green / Hampstead Heath, Cheshunt all the major train routes in spitting distance - potential train watching action everywhere! Down here, what do we have?? The Gatwick Express! :roll::lol: Oh yeah, sorry forgot the 'Virgin Voyagers' that go to Brighton & Portsmouth. There are proper high speed services on the Southampton / Bournemouth route but that's not so local!

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I hate the delay on digital cameras, I need one that can take straight away. So many times I've over anticipated it & pressed too early & the picture takes too soon or I underestimate it & the subject goes past before it takes! Either of those would have happened if I'd have been waiting for that train I'm sure. I do get it bang on sometimes but it's guesswork / pot luck! :x

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Veering ever so slightly off topic for a moment, I have 3 DVD's,

Steamingg around the NW, the SE and Last Days of Seam.

 

I was going to take them down the charidee shop, but if any members want one, or two drop me a PM....

 

Editorizd - now claimed.

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Nice snapshots. Did anyone see the Ian Hislop documentary a few months back? It was called 'Ian Hislop Goes Off The Rails' and went into detail about the Dr Beeching project that closed hundreds of rural stations, and basically cut off large parts of the south-west of England at a time when many car-less families took their annual holidays down there by lieu of using the train. There was some great old footage on there and I think it gets repeated from time to time on certain Sky channels. One to look out for for sure.

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Funny you guys shouls mention this - I love trains!

Used to work in the R.P.S.I. (http://www.rpsi-online.org/) when I was a kid - was just up the road from my Mum's house, so on Sundays I spent hours cleaning off the brass brake blocks with pneumatic weaponry. Heaven for kids into their vehicles and tools!

Moved to Haworth (West Yorkshire - Brontes etc) several years ago with my (now ex) missus and the kids, so was able to enjoy catching the steam train into Keighley to do the shopping, ad having a pint in the on-train bar on the way... Genius!

Nothing like the smoky air at the platform!

Used to love spotting with my brother years ago too. We both had our wee books etc.

However, growing up (as I did) in Whitehead, Co. Antrim, we found that the unruly amount of bland DMUs in service on the Larne/Belfast line (they replaced the awesome ole diesels from the 50s/60s) somewhat killed the joy!

Jaysus.

If any of my punk mates find out all these heinous crimes of anorakery!!

:)

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