European Railroad Discussion > Legalised trainspotting!

April 1975 again. Having left my wife and mother-in-law behind in Cornwall, I headed to Manchester for a week at the annual Railway Study Association conference, hosted by the British Rail Divisional Manager. What an outrageous wheeze, with a whole week of swanning around the northwest in our own private dmu, all expenses paid by my employer (London Transport)!

Some pics:

1 The 3-car unit we had for the week, at a limestone quarry in the Peak District in Derbyshire. I recall we were treated with a slap up lunch in a pub by the quarry company!

2 On the way up to Peak Forest, passing a class 40 on a cement train.

3 A class 25 Bo-Bo on a stone train - note the 4 character headcode which most trains displayed instead of marker lights. These were removed years later as the importance of visual identification of trains declined.

---

---

---

good pics but pic #2 looks like a sad face LOL

A few more:

Pic 4 A peak class 45 on another stone train

Pics 5 & 6 Midnight at Manchester Victoria/Exchange stations. I believe this was the famous platform 11, shared by both stations and reputedly the longest in the UK. The train is for parcels - then a huge BR business - with a class 50 loco.

(Edited) I note this is a class 1 train - presumably carrying passengers as well. Can any timetable nerd identify it from the reporting number?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/08/14 13:19 by spflow.

---

---

---

spflow Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I note this is a class 1 train -
> presumably carrying passengers as well. Can any
> timetable nerd identify it from the reporting
> number?

Mail trains are class 1 with or without passengers, the S presuemably means it's bound for Scotland.

Great set, those defintely were the days. I love the Noddy Holder-like hair do of, presumably, the guard in picture 2.

BTW for those not familiar with British pop ephemera http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noddy_Holder



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/08/14 13:27 by 86235.

86235 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
I love
> the Noddy Holder-like hair do of, presumably, the
> guard in picture 2.
>
> BTW for those not familiar with British pop
> ephemera http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noddy_Holder

I'd completely forgotten about him - fantastic comment!

I could of course fill the board with 1970s hairstyle pictures, including my own, but then perhaps I'd better not.....



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/09/14 10:17 by spflow.

What a fabulous unique event! Pic 4 is at Peak Forest. Loved to have been able to wander around the quarries in my own train! Chris uk.

Looks a bit like James May from Top Gear with that hair haha!

spflow Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 86235 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> I love
> > the Noddy Holder-like hair do of, presumably,
> the
> > guard in picture 2.
> >
> > BTW for those not familiar with British pop
> > ephemera
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noddy_Holder
>
> I'd completely forgotten about him - fantastic
> comment!
>
> I could of course fill the board with 1970s
> hairstyle pictures, including my own, but then
> perhaps I'd better not.....

I looked up Noddy Holder and found that he was in the rock band Slade, which I remember from back about 30 years ago for their song "Run Run Away." I have the 45 single recording of that somewhere.