Your earliest train / railway memories ?

Itssoeasy

The videos in the train porn thread got me thinking about what my earliest train/ railway memory is. Anyway it would have been myself and my grandfather going down to youghal when I was nearly six and looking around the station there( in better shape then in 1990), and being that my grandfather grew up in the houses backing onto Kent station I can remember being in the station and one of his friends was a driver and getting offered to get a Ride in the cab of what I realised later was a 121 class loco. I asked why it was the shape if was( it wasn't in a pair) and I can remember the answer clear as day.

I was told it was a steam engine converted into a diesel loco. And I remember going to the tall ships and I knew it was an A class and I found a picture years later which showed it to be 011 that worked the train I went in. So ya what are people earliest memories ?

L1011

NIR 80 class operation by IE on the Maynooth line, not sure when, but remember being told it was "different" to the normal trains (loco hauled Cravens mostly), not that I remember knowing them at the time!

Also have some memory of being on a carriage that had slam doors in the middle without a vestibule, like some form of converted corridor stock, that could be before the NIR one and it may have been one of the "scavenge whatever runs" push-pulls.

murphaph

Going down to Hazelhatch station (still closed at that stage of course) and sitting on the old goods ramp waiting for trains. We used to collect the insulators from the telegraph poles too sometimes. The place looks very different these days!

Niles

I have vague recollections of being brought in to see a black RPSI steam loco take water at Gorey when I was 3 or 4 (early 90s). It was probably 461. Also remember being brought on the DART from Bray for a shopping trip in Dublin around the same age - and no I don't know what number it was!

I've also vague memories of cement wagons stabled in the yard at Arklow, their big pulley wheels seemed very imposing to me at the time.

flyingsnail

My grandfathers house was beside the Limerick to Foynes and Limerick to Castlemungret lines. I remember watching the cement trains passing, and in particular 461 (?) passing on its way down to Foynes.

cml387

I hoestly think that your interest in trains begins as an experience form childhood.

My earliest memories are travelling from England to Ireland (Euston-Holyhead) by steam.

Arriving at Dun Laoighre and transferring to the train standing on the quay.

All this is the early sixties.The train from DL to Westland Row was not a good experience,wooden seats in individual compartments? Could this have been true?

And of course my home town's Southern Electrics,and the excitement of seeing a diesel goods train at the level crossing instead of the usual green VEP's.

I'll stop now.

Judgement Day

The "Radio Train" from Connolly to Killarney circa 1967 with my grandparents. Hauled by a single 121 loco - possibly with some sort of headboard. The carriages were laminates. Best part of trip was the amazing High Tea on the return journey. Back in 1983/84 I had the 'pleasure' of travelling on the Radio Train studio coaches again on a pre-DART suburban service. Seating for 20+ people between the two carriages and you tell young people today.....:D

CaptainSkidmark

most deffo sitting with my dad back in about 85 in mallow watching the engine doing the run around on platform 3!

corktina

mine is heading for the West Country and a seaside holiday in the UK and having a brand new diesel (either a Warship or a Western) hauling us and being disgusted when it failed and was replaced with a grimy old steam engine. Later the same holiday, travelling the (now preserved) Minehead branch in the front of a DMU and watching fascinated all the token changes. Must have been pre-1965 when Western Steam finished.

It would have been 1969 or so before I was finally bitten by the Railway Bug though.

aujopimur

Looking out my grandaunts kitchen window on the South Douglas rd. in Cork early 50's watching the steam locos on the WestCork railway, and in later years playing in the railway yard where the Elesian tower now stands.

steamengine

My first wake up call was at Killester railway station, I reckon I was about 2/3 years old. I can remember the 'blue' colour of the engine. I was standing with my parents and this GNR locomotive had stopped and the safety valves popped. Not understanding what was going on, I thought the end of the world had come, started screaming, and then took refuge up my mother's dress. She was none too pleased to put it mildly as there were other people about ! Talk about a sharp learning curve !!!

jimjimjimmy

Getting the train up to Heuston from Athy to go to the Zoo, I was far more impressed with the train than the animals.

ClovenHoof

Dublin Suburban push-pull railcars with plastic seating going through Killiney Tunnel and then being met with that incredible view - which seemed to explode into sight when exiting the tunnel - as we trundled towards Bray.

Never foreget that ever.

My family rarely travelled outside the Dublin area when I was growing up so my earliest railway memories were there.

My first experience was the then newly launched Arrow service, we took a 2600 out to Hazelhatch and Celbridge. I can't remember much of what we did out there but I clearly remember the way back. I was standing a little too close to the yellow line as an 071 with Mark 3s shot through the station. I remember grabbing on to something, thinking I'd get sucked under!

Around the same time, I was with my parents and siblings in Connolly, we came through the suburban entrance to take a DART to Bray to visit my aunt. While there, we saw what I now know to be a Mark 3 push-pull train on a Drogheda commuter. My brother tried to ask my mam if we could go to Skerries instead. My mam replied "Skerries is closed." That stuck with us to this day and we still joke about it.

My family moved to Kerry in 1996 so after that I began travelling much more frequently on intercity services from Tralee.

Run_to_da_hills

I was fascinated by trains as a kid in the late 60's and would spend hours every Saturday morning standing on the original Glenageary station foot bridge. I can distinctly remember the three windowed locos AlA Sulzer's also A & C class Metrovic which would have been filthy dirty from their original oil spewing Crossley motors.

There was also a weird carriage that had a pass through every morning that had a drivers cab on one side along with a pass through, not sure if it was part of a DMU. I never saw it again in later years.

I twisted my fathers arm to allow me to take the train from Glenageary to Dalkey after 1969 when I started primary school. I could never open the door on my own as I couldn't reach also most doors were tight. I could always remember the smell of steam coming from the heaters, the perforated leather strap used to raise the windows.

We use to nick name the old composite compartment carriages as "horse boxes", AEC Railcars were named "Bog Carts". Some times the driver would have the blinds raised so you could see the tracks ahead of you from inside the carriage. I can distinctly remember the smooth movement of the needle on the large black Smiths Chronometric speedometer on these trains.

Eiretrains

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

There was also a weird carriage that had a pass through every morning that had a drivers cab on one side along with a pass through, not sure if it was part of a DMU. I never saw it again in later years.

That would most likely be the driving trailer of one of the ex GNR built BUT railcars, which had a rather flat end with centre corridor connection. They passed to CIE after the dissolution of the GNR and in their final years worked services to Rosslare. Sorry can't find any online photos of the trailer end, but at least you have the memory.;)

Judgement Day

Eiretrains - my very thought was the BUT railcars. Never saw one in use but I seem to remember they are pictured dumped at Inchicore in one of MHC Baker's books.

dermo88

Eiretrains - my very thought was the BUT railcars. Never saw one in use but I seem to remember they are pictured dumped at Inchicore in one of MHC Baker's books.

I recall that BUT 716 (N) was given a 2nd cab and trialled on the Loughrea branch as a single car unit, but apparently, the trial in 1974 was 'not a success'.

Sometimes, you had to hand it to C.I.E. for trying to get things working on a Budget.

lord lucan

Earliest memories of trains would've been hanging around the tracks waiting for trains to come in Leixlip in the early 80's. A pretty paltry suburban service made up of C class and push & pull services and usually the Sligo made up of double headed 121's and a rake of cravens. Highlight back then was a cab ride from Leixlip - Maynooth in a C class and return in the driving trailer.

I figure this is why i fell in love with the 121's as they were a common sight on the Sligo line. You could hear the GM power plant as far away as Clonsilla,giving us plenty of time to place 2p pieces on the line and wait for them to be flattened and elongated by the passing train.

We feared "the yellow cab" as we called it,one of the Wickham Inspection cars. We thought they were on the look out for kids like us hanging around railways and when one approached,silently,we legged it as quick as we could.

Great times,got to see A/C/121/141/181's up close in what seems like a million years ago now as everything has been turned over to tin cans. Mrs. Lucan is expecting our first child this summer and i'm just glad that examples of most classes of Loco's have made it into preservation and i'll get to show my kid the sights and sounds that i grew up with in the future.:)

In the early 80's my grandfather who was a guard on a ballast train brought me of for the day.

When we left Thurles the two of us were in the guard carriage in the back, it was like being on one of those trains in a western.

On the way home I was left in the back of the engine by myself, I always remember the looks on passengers in Templemore when they saw this 10 year old in the engine by himself.

That memory will always resonate in me.

roundymac

Mine is of my father taking me in the bus to Ballinhassig station from where we got the train back to Cork/Albert Road. The stock was what I now know to be AEC railcars. It passed by Mercier Park in Turners Cross where my Aunt was living, they must have know we were on the train as they were there to wave to us from the back garden. My cousins kicked up such a rumpus about not being taken it that we repeated the journey a couple of weeks later with the cousins in tow. Of course what I did'nt realise was that the Bandon line was about to close. This was 1961 and I was 6 years old.

Judgement Day

roundymac - delighted there's somebody here even older than me!

101sean

My earliest memories are of a journey home to Kent by rail and ferry after the engine blew in my Father's company car when on holiday here in 1964, I was 6.

On journey here, seeing car being craned off the ferry and then driving on to a train to get off the pier.

Seeing the car on a flat wagon in sidings in Tipperary. Waiting on the platform at Waterford to change trains.

Staring out of the window in Wales opposite a signalbox (may have been Swansea) with grimy steam engines stabled behind, possibly 9Fs. It's my only memory of steam on BR.

I also have later happy memories of spending time on Exeter Central with a cousin watching Westerns, Warships and Hymeks.

ongarboy

I'm originally from Tralee and my earliest memories of getting the train was in the late 70s. Our family would purchase those day return family fares from Tralee to Dublin. Going on the train to the big city was so exciting as we did it probably only 3 times in 10 years. I remember once we were on the way home and a few of the Kerry footballers were opposite us (this was during their 4 in a row golden era) I was only about 4 but I remember Dad getting autograph from Pat Spillane on my Brer Rabbit book! Funny, my older brother told me that trains in those days only took 3 hours 40 mins for this journey but 30 years later, they take 4 hours or more (progress?? ).

Also, the old Tralee-Dingle railway used to go behind our house in Tralee town. They always referred to the wooded area behind our house as "The Tracks". I would love to see old pictures of the track that used to cross our street. I understand it was lifted from the road back in the 60s. The tracks behind my house were still there until about 1980

Run_to_da_hills

ongarboy wrote: »

I'm originally from Tralee and my earliest memories of getting the train was in the late 70s. Our family would purchase those day return family fares from Tralee to Dublin. Going on the train to the big city was so exciting as we did it probably only 3 times in 10 years. I remember once we were on the way home and a few of the Kerry footballers were opposite us (this was during their 4 in a row golden era) I was only about 4 but I remember Dad getting autograph from Pat Spillane on my Brer Rabbit book! Funny, my older brother told me that trains in those days only took 3 hours 40 mins for this journey but 30 years later, they take 4 hours or more (progress?? ).

Also, the old Tralee-Dingle railway used to go behind our house in Tralee town. They always referred to the wooded area behind our house as "The Tracks". I would love to see old pictures of the track that used to cross our street. I understand it was lifted from the road back in the 60s. The tracks behind my house were still there until about 1980

Speaking of Tralee, In older times the main station once had tracks like any normal station should have but for some unknown reason management had decided to remove them. Now passengers have to suffer the inconvenience of a long walk to get to the train and at the same time be exposed to the elements. :rolleyes:

mikemac1

Well around here a trip to Dublin was something you did once a year

The trip to the Zoo was a huge day out
Nenagh to Ballybrophy and then change

The walk from Heuston to the Zoo was miles and miles, took forever. Well it was a long walk for me at the time

There was a railline near the Grannys in Offaly and I used to mess around by it :rolleyes:
I was told the train would flatten pennies so I put some pennies on the line.

But then I convinced myself the pennies would derail the train and I ran away in terror and anxiously watched the news for a train disaster :eek:

ongarboy

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Speaking of Tralee, In older times the main station once had tracks like any normal station should have but for some unknown reason management had decided to remove them. Now passengers have to suffer the inconvenience of a long walk to get to the train and at the same time be exposed to the elements. :rolleyes:

Trains back then used to continue onto Fenit or Dingle via the tracks (since removed) where this photo was taken. As Tralee is a terminus for all train movement now, I suspect that for safety reasons they moved the end of line much further in as the street adjoining the station is quite busy for vehicular/pedestrian traffic. I recall (back in the 80s/90s I think) a train overshot the end markers and ploughed into the street (thankfully no-one was in the vicinity of the impact at the time). That may have been the reason why the end buffers are much further in.

stampydmonkey

Grew up along the galway Dublin line. Have vague memories of IE running an old steam loco from Athenry to Galway and back in the 80s. Used to happen once a year on a bank holiday i think. Can't remember why or the name of the loco but it was amazing to watch. All the neighbours used to gather at the crossing in anticipation..could see the steam for what felt like miles and miles away at the time, happy days : )

Run_to_da_hills

ongarboy wrote: »

Trains back then used to continue onto Fenit or Dingle via the tracks (since removed) where this photo was taken. As Tralee is a terminus for all train movement now, I suspect that for safety reasons they moved the end of line much further in as the street adjoining the station is quite busy for vehicular/pedestrian traffic. I recall (back in the 80s/90s I think) a train overshot the end markers and ploughed into the street (thankfully no-one was in the vicinity of the impact at the time). That may have been the reason why the end buffers are much further in.

It also happened in Dublin over a 100 years ago. .



Safety reasons, LOL, Why don't all main station in the Uk or Europe also remove their tracks? We would be the laughing stock of European Railways if this was the sole reason. A train ploughing on through Liverpool St or Waterloo in London would cause far more casualties than a train hitting a few cars on Edward St Tralee.

flyingsnail

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Speaking of Tralee, In older times the main station once had tracks like any normal station should have but for some unknown reason management had decided to remove them. Now passengers have to suffer the inconvenience of a long walk to get to the train and at the same time be exposed to the elements. :rolleyes:

ongarboy wrote: »

Trains back then used to continue onto Fenit or Dingle via the tracks (since removed) where this photo was taken. As Tralee is a terminus for all train movement now, I suspect that for safety reasons they moved the end of line much further in as the street adjoining the station is quite busy for vehicular/pedestrian traffic. I recall (back in the 80s/90s I think) a train overshot the end markers and ploughed into the street (thankfully no-one was in the vicinity of the impact at the time). That may have been the reason why the end buffers are much further in.

As far as I remember passenger trains at Tralee never really went under the canopy. They stopped the first coach about there the gate to access the platform is now. This was to allow the run around without the coaches fouling the points. When the points were lifted the buffer stop was just put in where the first coach used to stop. This is not a great picture but you can kind of see what I mean.

L1011

Still doesn't explain removing the track once DMUs started to be used - could just have locked the points.

lord lucan

MYOB wrote: »

Still doesn't explain removing the track once DMUs started to be used - could just have locked the points.

Less maintenance basically,one less set of points on the network that need to be maintained. Part of the reason behind the move to tin cans from loco's.

L1011

lord lucan wrote: »

Less maintenance basically,one less set of points on the network that need to be maintained. Part of the reason behind the move to tin cans from loco's.

Lock them off and don't maintain them, if they fail replace them with a single straight track panel.

Cost more to remove them than it would have to have left them there and waited.

roundymac

Same in Cobh. The points were taken out, now when the spray train has had to visit on the last two occasions, a second 071 had to follow it to bring the train back to Cork. The same occours with Midleton, only difference being that points were never installed during the rebuild.

purplepanda

First memories of trains for me was traveling over to London Euston in the old fashioned night coaches from Holyhead with separate compartments seating six people, complete with elbow rests & proper cushioned seating & oak paneling.
At the time Euston had the usual new building smell of cement when it was being modernised. The marble stone in the station says it was opened by QEII herself in 1968 so I reckon it was around that period.

Later on most of British Rail's similar era coaches were used for football fans specials trains up & down the country, saving BR the cost of demolition in the process!!!

I've never been on a steam train before either!! I'm trying to persuade my young lads & a few friends to visit the bluebell railway, which seems to be the nearest steam train to London that I know of?

corktina

Mid Hants Railway would be easier, train from Waterloo, cross platform connection .

Judgement Day

The situation in Tralee is farcical especially since the introduction of the 22000s, but no doubt in time the space in front of the platform will become a staff carpark. :rolleyes:

Losty Dublin

MYOB wrote: »

Lock them off and don't maintain them, if they fail replace them with a single straight track panel.

Cost more to remove them than it would have to have left them there and waited.

All told, it costs circa €200,000 to construct and install a new set of working points as well as removing the old ones and allowing for adequate track space for a loco to run around. A lot of money to spend on something that just isn't needed anymore.

Judgement Day

And what would it have cost to leave a straight line under the canopy ending in a buffer stop near Edward Street LC? It seems to this seasoned observer that CIE/IE are obsessed with pulling up every yard of track they can.

DDigital

Flyingsnail correctly pointed out why the track was under the canopy during loco hauled days and why the trains originally stopped where the new railcars still stop.

However, considering that railcars don't need run around loops, it borders on stupidity that Irish Rail, would rip up the track and prevent these new railcars from terminating right under the canopy in Tralee. I await a really obvious explanation as to why Irish Rail would do this. My own opinion is on the side of Irish Rail just being happy to rip up track that includes points, without giving genuine thought to how an already existing track layout could remain beneficial to the railcar era.

L1011

Losty Dublin wrote: »

All told, it costs circa €200,000 to construct and install a new set of working points as well as removing the old ones and allowing for adequate track space for a loco to run around. A lot of money to spend on something that just isn't needed anymore.

Where did I ever mention installing new ones?

purplepanda

corktina wrote: »

Mid Hants Railway would be easier, train from Waterloo, cross platform connection .

Corktina are you trying to get me down there to report back on the the Parry People Mover!!!:D Don't think it's down there yet? :rolleyes:

Bluebell is 1 hour 10 mins from me £11.50 so it's double the journey & price down to Hants

Waiting for some decent weather than I'll be going!!!

corktina

but you would need to go by bus or car as it will be a while before the Bluebell get to east Grinstead.

W123-80's

Westport - Dublin. 160 miles. My sister having all her sandwiches & nice things ate by the time we got to Castlebar. Thats 11 miles into the journey.

Run_to_da_hills

My Grandmother use to take me down Dunlaoghaire Pier to see the male boat come in, this would have been a regular sight. Early 70's I would guess by judging by the car.

101sean

My first trip to Ireland on my own was from Euston in Summer 1978, like Purplepanda it was a night service in compartmented BR Mk1 stock. Got on with my bag and a 4 pack of McEwans and got a compartment to myself. I paid to go first class on the ferry,it was only around £3 extra. There were still a lot of foot passengers then and remember being very self conscious walking past dozens of families up the ramp to first class which was almost empty

Judgement Day

101sean wrote: »

My first trip to Ireland on my own was from Euston in Summer 1978, like Purplepanda it was a night service in compartmented BR Mk1 stock. Got on with my bag and a 4 pack of McEwans and got a compartment to myself. I paid to go first class on the ferry,it was only around £3 extra. There were still a lot of foot passengers then and remember being very self conscious walking past dozens of families up the ramp to first class which was almost empty

I would have been going the opposite direction at about the same time and the 1st class lounge was a Godsend - only £4 dearer and nobody in it, plus as much free tea/coffee/juice and biccies as you could consume on the crossing. It became the Pullman lounge about that time - see my ticket below - and by then a steward manned the entrance to turn away the great unwashed who dared venture in.

d4head77

Being on the Enterprise with steam coming in the window. Leather strap on the door. My dad getting me a comic.

purplepanda

corktina wrote: »

but you would need to go by bus or car as it will be a while before the Bluebell get to east Grinstead.

The Mid Hants steam engines look more substantial than the Thomas the Tank style engines on the bluebell so I'l make the trip there. Mind you I'm just judging from the pictures & don't really have a clue

From what I remember traveling on the night ferries in the '70's was a dangerous adventure, luckily we always used to upgrade to 1st class to avoid the riff raff & drunken hordes, nowadays I'd be more at home with the later!

101sean

The Bluebell has some very old LBSCR and SECR engines which tend to be on the smaller size but still has big mainline engines. Both lines are ex mainlines rather than small branches and are similar in nature, being ex Southern Railway.

For real rural in the sticks Thomas the Tank engine style you should try the Kent and East Sussex Railway, spent a lot of weekend in the 80s working on it.