Airliners.net

Hey folks

I wonder how well we as aviation enthusiasts stack up in the world of hobbyists. Though it is debatable, I think our railroad friends are a few steps ahead of us in some aspects. My uncle is a train nut and has had a few impressive HO layouts over the years. His knowledge of railroad trivia is no less impressive. Do you have anyone like this in your family?

Cheers
TJ

My dad is/was a train nut. As a kid he would think nothing of hopping on the bus to ride the CTA elevated in Chicago, this was in the 1950s and early 1960s mind you. As a kid growing up in Chicago my dad was at the rail hub of the US. So he could see the various rail companies and their equipment in his backyard.

But I think my dad's interests revolve most strongly around transit rail systems. And with the internet he can satisfy that interest.

Definately more train and auto fans out there compared to plane spotters and they are indeed far ahead of us. My second cousin's husband, Penn State professor Harold Schobert and I are both train nuts. I once dabbled in HO trains but have been out of modeling for more than ten years for a couple of reasons. One was that lack of time and space precluded me from doing much with modeling and the other was that during that ten year period, I worked for a tourist shortline as a passenger train conductor. I (at various times) got to work on the cars and locomotives in the maintenance shop and have had the opportunity to fire the locomotives, run them and do a lot of other things that most folks can only dream of.

Hey Folks,

Isnt steam, but its good enough.. I work for EWS, (English-Welsh-Scottish Railway). I Currently Drive 60038 a Class 60.

Photo taken by the Mrs whilst running through our local station..



The Cab



I have 2 months left on the 60's before they are retired (or sold) and then i start a operational conversion course onto the Class 59's.

I'm a certified train buff...specifically Amtrak. Heck I've applied with them twice over the past year to work as an Assistant Conductor out of New Orleans, but the jobs went to people with prior railroad experience. I was close though.

I wouldn't call myself a train nut or a trainspotter (i.e. i don't sit in a field next to a railway line for endless hours listing down the ID of each train that passes), though i do use the railways a lot.

I wouldn't specifically spot trains but if i went past a bridge or something then i'd look out for one.

As i live in Sussex, i mostly use Southern. I go into London pretty much every weekend on the train and have no real problems with them. Its mostly Electrostars down here now, we don't get too many slammers anymore.

My dad worked for the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad from 1953 to 1995. He started as a signal maintainer and retired as a six-state signal supervisor...with a damned good pension. So I grew up around trains. He used to take me to work with him a lot. I even got to drive a train when I was 9 years old.

I'm still a train buff. The C&NW got bought out by Union Pacific a few years ago and those DDa40X locomotives are/were amazing...the largest diesel-electrics ever built. I remember seeing them chugging up the mountain passes:


Source: http://www.robertmatsuo.com/centennial.htm

I still remember the C&NW "400" screaming by at 90 mph:


Source: http://www.cnwhs.org/photos/images/motherpage.htm

Mark

TFSPhoto:

That is great! From a young age, I always wanted to be a driver/engineer. I still enjoy the fantasy from time to time.

Are us "common" people ever allowed to ride in the cab?

No one in my family is a train nut but a friend of my father's is. He has a very big collection of Lionel trains and takes over a room to setup a big display for a couple months every year. I've also seen a guy taking pictures of the NJ Transit trains that comes though the town I live in.

PJ

I have a good friend who is truly a railfan. When Concorde came to town a few years ago we were on the roof of the Hilton with still and video cameras when a train went by. He didn't know which way to point his camera - train or Concorde!

From where I now sit, I can reach behind me and pick up one of two artifacts from the shelf here in my den. One is an authentic coupling pin from the days before the knuckle drawhead - maybe a hundred years old. The other is a "brake hickey" which was a square headed wrench for operating ratchet-type mechanical train brakes before the invention of the air brake. Both came off a family owned railroad and were found below the right of way just a few years ago.

Before I discovered airplanes at age 8, I was the ultimate train fanatic in my family. I remember we used to run the American Flyer electric train set around the tree every Christmas (we also used to run it on the pool/ping-pong table when we had one). That was until an older sister left the transformer running and it burnt out. We haven't been able to run the train since then. It was a really old (1950s) American Flyer set, with a big black steam locomotive and tower, etc.

Ever since age 3, I have lived in the small railroad town of Garrett (20 miles due north of Fort Wayne, IN) (that is, until I moved to London this last fall).
It's still a busy rail freight hub; in the distant past passenger trains used to stop here at our old depot. Our middle- and high-school sports teams are called the Locomotives and Railroaders, respectively (and our high school marching band is the Railroader Regiment). The interior of the high school gym is painted with a huge 1800s locomotive and train. You can tell this town is mad about trains! So was I when I was younger.

I was never a trainspotter, but I was nonetheless excited about them--I would even act like one, chugging around the school gym track while everyone else was participating in PE. One classmate of mine in Reading Readiness (the same year I was in kindergarten) had his garage at home devoted totally to a model train setup; our class took a field trip there to see it!

I also loved the miniature train at the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo. It's still there today, running around the lake there. Also at the zoo is Little Puff, a climb-on locomotive (he now has a short train of cars with him).

Then, at age 8, I discovered airplanes (and have had a life-long love affair with them ever since, especially with the 747 jumbo jet!).

However, I do enjoy riding the passenger trains in London (and all over England); I experienced my first passenger train trip in Spain (an overnight sleeper between Granada and Madrid in Spain in 1994).

SmithAir747

Perhaps aviation nuts and train nuts fall in to similar categories. You have the spotters...people Who actually go out and watch and ID trains and planes. Then you have the flights and modelers who spend hours in a room in their fantasy world.
TJ

You bet; I have packed cases of HO in a mini-storage since our move. Waiting to start designing a layout. I like what I call the "art-deco" steam era (the Loewy, Dreyfus, etc. "styled" steam locos and moving into the great Pennsy GG-1 electrics).

Early diesel, like the shark-noses were cool, too. My idea is to replicate, in a conservative way at least, a portion of the NYC and Pennsy to operate an interesting combination of rolling stock (I'm almost as enthused with pax as I am the diversity of freight). Likewise, in my scale airplane modeling, I like pax and freighers although my 1:1 scale efforts are WWII. Cars are a big deal with me, also. I think many of us interested in machinery have overlapping enthusiasm. Regards...Jack

Quoting Jc2354 (Reply 7): Are us "common" people ever allowed to ride in the cab?

Yes, it is possible, but only at official open days, such as the Doncaster Open Day, or Crewe e.t.c. Insurance doesnt permit us to carry non-EWS people on regular runs.

Cheers,

TFSPhoto

My Father started working for the Central of Georgia railroad in the 1930s. He retired from Railroading as the Vice President of Rail Operation for the White Pass and Yukon Corporation.

http://www.whitepassrailroad.com/

http://www.whitepassfan.net/

He tells tales constantly of places he's been and trains he's run from Steam Engines, electrics to diesels . . . from Florida to Alaska. Interesting to hear him tell some of the tales . . .

Quoting Jc2354 (Reply 7): Are us "common" people ever allowed to ride in the cab?

Depends on which line and what's going on. On the Tennessee Valley Railroad, we had no problem with visitors visiting the cab or occasionally riding there so long as they were of appropriate age and properly dressed. However, on trains operating over foreign lines visits were per the foreign road's policy. No visitors are allowed in the cab or operator's compartment when operating over the Norfolk Southern Railway. However, on the Chattooga and Chickamauga Railway they would occasionally allow visitors in the operator's compartment of the Rail Diesel Cars while on their line. Visitors in the locomotive cab are strictly prohibited though while running there. I've never run an electric but have run diesel electrics (GP-7s and RSD-1s) as well as 2-8-2s and 2-8-0s on trains. Nothing like running one at track speed, ducking into a pre-Civil War tunnel and realizing that for a brief moment, what you're experiancing could have been in 1930 instead of 2000.

Jer (Teahan), are you listening   ?

UTA

Quoting Pilottj (Thread starter): Any Train Nuts In The Family

I have enough to worry about being the Conductor on one nearly every day   

I dont need to go around spotting them as well!!

I'll stick to aircraft thanks 


Lee

Quoting Jc2354 (Reply 7): TFSPhoto: Are us "common" people ever allowed to ride in the cab?

I went on a cab ride from Haslemere to Guildford (through 4 stations) once, last year. However out of all my journey's (where most i actuallly go up and ask the driver - who usually says no in a pretty angry way) that is the only time i have been successful.

That driver was nice, he even let me do the horn as we came out the tunnel before Guildford, unfortunately, most aren't. I guess they shouldn't really let me in the cab so i have no real complaints with them saying no.

-Stephen

Yeah, I'm a train buff, railways and 00 gauge models are my second hobby after aircraft and flying. About 6 years ago I started collecting the models, British modern image, a mixture of Hornby, Lima and Bachmann and now have over 70 engines and too much rolling stock to count! However as is the problem with the hobby I don't have enough space any more for my layout which was 12ft X 6ft, so it's been sat in the shed for the last few years and I run the trains at a railway club instead. We have a couple of exhibition layouts permanently erected and several running lines, there's also a new layout being built.

Being allowed into a cab is difficult because of liability of the company should anything go wrong, but most preserved railways offer weekends where you can learn how to drive a steam engine.

TFS Photo, strange that EWS are getting rid of their 100 class 60's, they are only 15-20 years old at the most and there's a lot of life left in them yet. If it's fleet compatibility then why are they not getting rid of the 59's as well?

Dan 

Not really a train nut but i find this thing very comfy when i have to travel Milan-Rome and i dont find a flight (or a decent fare)...
!

Quoting PlymSpotter (Reply 19): TFS Photo, strange that EWS are getting rid of their 100 class 60's, they are only 15-20 years old at the most and there's a lot of life left in them yet. If it's fleet compatibility then why are they not getting rid of the 59's as well?

Howdy,

They arnt retiring all of them, just the ones from Immingham.. only 6 left here now.. The 59's will soon go (from Immingham), as they are being rapidly being reaplced by the 66's, the 66's offer a 20MPH increase (80mph) over the 59's and 60's, Which are slower at 60MPH.. Where the 59/60's engine spec is 3,100hp.. the 66 runs at 4,200hp..  

Here's the trains i use most:




And slightly less often:




-Stephen

I lived in Japan quite about 10 years ago and I do remember the fine quality and efficiency of Japanese rail. I am curious, can you find Japanese train stuff for HO scale? I know the Shinkansen is a wider gauge then the regular Japanese trains. I wouldn't mind getting my train nut Uncle a model of the JR Chuo line or Tokkaido Shinkansen.
Cheers
TJ

A Few Views from the rear window of My High Speed Office 









Thanks   


Lee

My uncle was a BIG train buff. He had some really cool train setups as well. I myself like trains, but not as much as planes. I always get a kick out of riding on a train. By the way, I recall seeing a website that was like airliners.net but it had train photos and discussions - do any of you guys happen to know what it is?

TW

I wouldnt call myself a "train spotter" either, but theres nothing better than to just hop on a train from the station which is 10 mins walk away, and just travel round the UK by train for the day.
I usually only keep the numbers of trains ive traveled on, rather than what ive seen (sort of makes me want to go on them more that way).
But yes, the accessability, the freedom, the views of the British countryside, only flying can beat that for me but the problem with flying is its not as "accessible" as travelling by train.
Also when I was younger I had a "thing" about the old Intercity 125's, to me they were absolutely gorgeous.

Had an uncle who was a tremendous train fan. He died a few years back, but spent part of his retirement (from Braniff) traveling to train museums around the country. Later, he bought a caboose, put it in his back yard, and spent his last years restoring it. It is in a museum somewhere in Texas now.

Quoting TFSPhoto (Reply 3): I have 2 months left on the 60's before they are retired (or sold) and then i start a operational conversion course onto the Class 59's.

When I was into trains as a kid, these were the new thing - I remember seeing 60001 'Steadfast' at Leicester and being particularly excited! sad, when I think back!

Quoting TFSPhoto (Reply 13): Yes, it is possible, but only at official open days, such as the Doncaster Open Day, or Crewe e.t.c. Insurance doesnt permit us to carry non-EWS people on regular runs.

I remember Donny open day when the 'Load-Haul', 'Mainline' & 'TransRail' liveries were revealed. I believe these 3 companies all became the current EWS.


Is there a similar site to airliners.net, but featuring British railway locomotives etc...? I don't take an interest anymore, but would probably upload some of my old photos onto it. They've just been sitting in a box in my parents' loft for ages, and it seems a shame.

Quoting TFSPhoto (Reply 3): Photo taken by the Mrs whilst running through our local station..

I know some of the British trains services aren't that reliable but does she really have to go by foot, and how did she keep the camera so steady ?  

Nope, but I can't wait till Wellington gets its brand new, state of the art communter trains. They start arriving in 2-5 years.

I've been interested in railways ever since I can remember, certainly dating back much longer than any interest in aviation. Although I don't go train spotting or take photos of them I can honestly claim to enjoy commuting!

I'm usually on Electrostars, Desiros, CIG/VEP or LUL 1996 stock - I'm sure that'll mean something to some people!

I'm also a volunteer on a preserved steam railway in Sussex - a very fun, fascinating place.

Quoting Shamrock_747 (Reply 32): Although I don't go train spotting or take photos of them

HAH ! Sez you - no-one believes you. We know you have a bobble-hat stashed somewhere !

Quoting Shamrock_747 (Reply 32): I'm usually on Electrostars, Desiros, CIG/VEP or LUL 1996 stock - I'm sure that'll mean something to some people!

you'll be too young have enjoyed the delights of SUB's, COR's and EPB's then? 

Quoting Shamrock_747 (Reply 32): I'm also a volunteer on a preserved steam railway in Sussex - a very fun, fascinating place.

Here's a photo for you Shamrock . . .

1949 Baldwin 2-8-4, narrow gauge, White Pass and Yukon, still active, hauls tourist trains from the dock at Skagway, Alaska up to Lake Bennet, British Columbia and return. Sorry the picture is a bit far away, taken from another moving train. . . I have other photos, but none show the loco and tender completely.

This is the official site for the line: http://www.whitepassrailroad.com/

This is the official fan site for the lines, hosted out of Stuttgart, Germany by Herr Boerries Burkhardt: http://www.whitepassfan.net/whitepas...ame=News&file=index&catid=&topic=2

Quoting UK_Dispatcher (Reply 28): Is there a similar site to airliners.net, but featuring British railway locomotives etc...? I don't take an interest anymore, but would probably upload some of my old photos onto it. They've just been sitting in a box in my parents' loft for ages, and it seems a shame.

Ive not yet seen something, but im sure there will be something...

EWS today sent four 47's off to the scrapyard.. sad to see them go, i'd just come back from LHR and caught them passing through Doncaster, they were planned to leave at 11:55am.... didnt show untill 5pm.. lucky for me i guess..  



[Edited 2005-03-25 23:01:44]

Quoting TFSPhoto (Reply 36): EWS today sent four 47's off to the scrapyard..

No offence to yourself, but they look like 56s to me  


Lee

Just got confermation, another 2 people dead, yet another level crossing incident.. Trans-Pennine Manchester - Newcastle involved...

Found something official here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4383559.stm

Oh Shit, thats my company  


Lee

I used to be a volunteer on a preserved railway, but because of work I haven't had time to do anything up there for years. I did pay it a visit today though and snapped some nice shots of this beauty.

I have to say that I've always liked the simplistic lines of the British steam locomotives. Most steam locomotives that I have seen or worked with tended to look cluttered. As for narrow gauge, it's too bad that there are more operating ex-WP&Y steamers in Tennessee and North Carolina than on the WP&Y. I hope to get up there someday to experiance it. Until then, I'll have to savor the cab ride I got on the Tweetsie Railroad in Blowing Rock, NC. While they are an amusement park, they do have real railroad equipment and one of the best mechanical shops. Their motive power consists of former East Tennessee and Western North Carolina No. 12-a narrow gauge ten wheeler built in 1912 by Baldwin and No. 192(?)-an ex-WP&Y 2-8-2. Having only worked on ex-Southern Railway No. 4501, comparitively speaking the WP&Y 2-8-2 was TINY. Still, she was a sight to behold and squeaky clean to boot.

Quoting 57AZ (Reply 40): As for narrow gauge, it's too bad that there are more operating ex-WP&Y steamers in Tennessee and North Carolina than on the WP&Y. I hope to get up there someday to experiance it.

Yeah, they sold those locomotive to the Tweetsie in the early 1960s, same with the Dollywood steam engine - one of them anyway - you can look up the history here http://www.whitepassfan.net/whitepass/home/html/index.php
find out which ones went where. Unfortunately they didn't see themselves turning into a tourist operation when they got the 90 class diesels and started selling off the steam. Fortunately, the Tweetsie and Dollywood steam fared better than some of the others that wound up as riprap in the Skagway River . . .

The good old #73 pictured above, was my Grandfathers favorite loco. There's a story about him taking it out of Whitehorse one Christmas Eve - backward, unlit, to find a Christmas Tree for the crew bunkhouse there. When he got back in to town the road foreman was waiting along with the local constabulary. Apparently there is a law against driving steam engines backward in search of Christmas Trees while severely intoxicated in the Yukon Territory  

BMIFlyer - I recognised Darlington station from that photo! (my home town)

Sadly, this is where the two young lads have been killed - on the '5 arches' viaduct, where I used to play as a kid.

Quoting Willo (Reply 29): how did she keep the camera so steady ?

She's into photography, tripod always comes in handy... (shes not into trains but i asked her to do that)

Quoting BMIFlyer (Reply 36): No offence to yourself, but they look like 56s to me

Your absoloutly right, sorry didnt see the typo, been away since friday only just noticed it, they are indeed 56's. Cheers for pointing it out Lee.. Oh and Lee.. TPE suck at organsing bus services.. Yesterday, no trains between Cleethorpes and MAN .. got the bus from Scunny (destination picadilly) the bus was 40 mins late, got off at donny.. got metro to leeds then train out to picadilly.. however, on the way back, the "First" Coach service was rather super-dooper, nice coaches...  

Out of Co-incidence, do you know Craig? (Wont post full name for privercy) He's a ops manager for TPE.. a mate of mine.. He's leaving soon and coming back to Immingham (EWS).

Quoting UK_Dispatcher (Reply 42): Sadly, this is where the two young lads have been killed - on the '5 arches' viaduct, where I used to play as a kid

Maybe now the teenagers of Darlington will think twice before playing on that Bridge. From what I was told, it wasn't a pretty sight to see, those 2 dead lads  

Quoting TFSPhoto (Reply 43): TPE suck at organsing bus services

They certainly do, lol. Thats all im going to say  

Quoting TFSPhoto (Reply 43): do you know Craig?

Not too sure, does he work in Control? If so, we traincrews aren't really on first name terms with the control staff, lol.


Lee

I am a trains, cars and planes nut.

Trains : nothing like SNCF's Dupleix TGV #270 and 271 paired together. Perhaps Next Generation Shinkansen...

Cars : hmmm, too many of them, although the Aston Martin DB9 and the Mazda RX-8 still haunt my dreams.

Aircrafts : QF 747-400ER in Wunala Dreaming livery, VH-OEJ.

Cheers,

Y.

Quoting BMIFlyer (Reply 44): Not too sure, does he work in Control? If so, we traincrews aren't really on first name terms with the control staff, lol.

Yeah he's a operations manager..

I got to get myself to picadilly tomorrow morning, and yet another TPE bus service to delight me.. Scunny to Donny.. then train straight through.. wonder if it will be one of those "first" coaches.. would be nice..

I checked the website for the bus times, it said 06:55 dep.. now, thats been cancelled and it leaves at 06:38 ... gonna make me late yet again ..

Also Lee,

I got a question for you.. My mate wants to become a conductor for TPE (sheffield) how does he go about it, the website doesnt promote it as a career that i can see..

Cheers bud.

TFSPhoto

Quoting TFSPhoto (Reply 46): I got a question for you.. My mate wants to become a conductor for TPE (sheffield) how does he go about it, the website doesnt promote it as a career that i can see..

Hello.

Send him here:-

http://www.firstgroup.com/tpexpress/recruitment/recruitment.htm

Can download an application form and go from there. Ive done the job 5 years now. Its not that bad once you get settled in....  



Cheers,

Lee

Cheers matey,

Doesnt say nothing about conductors on there, can he just download the form and state conductor is the job he is after?

Is there alot of training for it?