Today the 24th of May 1957 55 years ago I took my last train ride on my beloved British Railways steam loco, the old GWR King James II pulled us from Snow Hill Station in Birmingham to London then onto an old Tilbury Tank loco Tilbury Docks to get on the ship.

Yep 55 years ago and I am still peed off with my parents for taking me out of my home in West Heath B'Ham and all my school mates.

Did you manage to keep in contact with your friends?

Wow.  That's a sad anniversary.

I hope I don't feel the same way about moving here.  Probably will, but I can't blame anyone else!

My travel to my port of exit (Heathrow) was in a Nissan hire car.  A bit crap compared to yours.

Quote from: Mustermark on May 24, 2012, 04:15:20 PM
Wow.  That's a sad anniversary.

I hope I don't feel the same way about moving here.

You can always move back. Actually I've got a friend who after 2 years in NC did indeed go screaming back to the UK where as he put it "at least all the trees look different to one another"

I would guess with the job situation the way it is, I'll be here till I retire (probably about the same time that I finish my layout).  But who knows... I have given up trying to plan my life... I'll stick to planning my layout.

And apart from my wife, the layout is one good reason never to move again.

To be fair, some of the pines here are actually taller than some of the other pines.

And look on the bright side, I am never more than 1/4 of a mile from a McDonalds.

I don't think being that close to the big M is an advantage, but I'm glad the wife's worth being away !

Quote from: BobB on May 24, 2012, 07:00:50 PM
I don't think being that close to the big M is an advantage, but I'm glad the wife's worth being away !

Yes, irony was at work in my post there... I do love a Big Mac every so often, but can't understand why there are so many McD's.

And yes, Liz is one in 6 billion.

We have gone a bit off topic.  This was supposed to be about Dave.

Are there redeeming features about Oz?  Apart from the weather and the surfing and the girls and the barbeques...?

Thanks for the replies chaps and our nearest McDonalds is a 5 minute drive away and like Mark I am also a bit partial to a Big Mac 

Tank asked me if I kept in contact with my mates, sadly no, I guess you could say I was one of the boys after I played goalie in a school soccer match and head butted the goal post trying to make a save, the result was a fractured skull and I ain't been the same since 

I joined Faceache for about a month to search for old friends from Oz and back home but found no one, I decided Faceache was not for me so I checked Twatter no luck there either so I closed that as well.

Its sad you have lost contact with your old school mates back in UK, but you have new mates here at

And if you need a fix of home, i will take a few pictures of Snow Hill (although it will be a lot different from 1957!),
I spend alot of my time in the West Mids, particularly Blackheath/Halesowen and would be more than happy to get some snaps for you.

All the best Dave, im glad your on here and one of my mates

Quote from: oldrailbug on May 24, 2012, 08:43:45 PM
Thanks for the replies chaps and our nearest McDonalds is a 5 minute drive away and like Mark I am also a bit partial to a Big Mac 

Tank asked me if I kept in contact with my mates, sadly no, I guess you could say I was one of the boys after I played goalie in a school soccer match and head butted the goal post trying to make a save, the result was a fractured skull and I ain't been the same since 

I joined Faceache for about a month to search for old friends from Oz and back home but found no one, I decided Faceache was not for me so I checked Twatter no luck there either so I closed that as well.

Dunno wjhether you fancy trying Friends Reunited, Dave??
They can be a bit of a pain though. There's a bloke trying to contact me and I nicked his bird when I was 17 and I'm not sure if he just wants to catch up on old times

What sort was it Mick?  Canary? Minah bird? Parrot, perhaps?  He can't be too cut up about a parrot after all these years...

I think he probably wants to kick your a$$.

Thanks for the replies lads, crikey Mick I would follow up on your past girlfriend or it could be an opportunity missed

You guys worry me - I've only been here a few months. Have I done the right thing ? 

I must admit once you move you soon seem to be forgotten. All those promises of I'll keep in touch seem to vanish once you're out of sight. I've sent a host of emails but the replies seem to come back in the ration 5 sent 1 rec.

Must admit not really missing the UK yet even though we are heading into winter here and the days are getting chillier. I know that when those sunny days kick in again they'll be the envious ones.

Quote from: trainsdownunder on May 26, 2012, 02:34:33 AM
You guys worry me - I've only been here a few months. Have I done the right thing ? 

I must admit once you move you soon seem to be forgotten. All those promises of I'll keep in touch seem to vanish once you're out of sight. I've sent a host of emails but the replies seem to come back in the ration 5 sent 1 rec.

Must admit not really missing the UK yet even though we are heading into winter here and the days are getting chillier. I know that when those sunny days kick in again they'll be the envious ones.

:smiley-laughing:I was Ok up until about 2006 when I decided to build a OO gauge layout, as usual the memories came flooding back from my train spotting days on the B'Ham - Bristol mail line, I did what I usually do and that is get lots of DVDs, magazines and books on the subject but found that I got pretty homesick when I saw how beautiful the English countryside and little villages were, it brought back great times of growing up in a large English family, sob sob.

The layout looked a bit out of place in a 10ft x 5 ft shed so last year I decided to build a British N gauge layout and found the steam stuff I was buying was not what I would call great so decided to go Yankee, homesickness is over for now.

I hope in the not to distant future to build a British N gauge layout but only using diesel locos, no doubt I will be getting homesick again, I dunno I guess I will never be anything else but an Englishman even after being away from home for 55 years, its in my blood and I love to see the Aussies get their but kicked in cricket.