What is your earliest memory of trains

[Dave F]

I've got three memories all mixed up, so I can't remember which came first. One is a very vague memory of standing at the top of an embankment with an older boy - I think he was some kind of cousin - and we were train spotting. All I can clearly remember is lots of noise and smoke and steam. Second memory is of my next door neighbour in the little village where I lived. He was a loco driver and I was fascinated by his hat and white and blue enammelled billy can which he brought home every night.

Third memory is a photo of my maternal grandfather in the signal box at Mottram sidings, which were on the Woodhead line. He was a signalman, but died when I was really young so I can't remember him much, but the photo was on my grandmother's mantelpiece until the 1980's.

Both the neighbour and my grandfather were old enough to have worked on the railways before nationalisation and my grandfather before the amalgamation in 1923, so I wish I had the chance to speak to them now. My mum had a load of stories from her childhood when she lived in a whole succession of railway houses along the line from Manchester to Derbyshire where they ended up and I vivdly remember them too.

Thinking about it railways are in my blood without me realising it. My dad was an engineer and started work as an apprentice at Beyer Peacock's in Gorton, where he worked during the war on loco's and tanks. I still have the very first thing he made as an apprentice - a very solid benchbox. I use it as my toolbox for my modelling tools, so what goes around comes around I suppose!

 

[Newportnobby]

Lovely story, Dave. It's what it's all about

[longbridge]

My earliest memory of trains was when I was about five, we were going on holidays I think to Minehead, I remember sitting in a station waiting room with a blazing fire place and about a dozen people with suitcases, I think it was about 10pm at night and I kept running in and out of the waiting room to see if the train was coming then out of the fog this mighty loco came hissing and panting out of the darkness, I remember the dimly lit carriage and seeing the station as we slowly moved away.

I was bitten, all I could think about from then on was trains.

[4x2]

I was about 10ish and i was going to Plymouth with my nan to see other relatives. As we walked on to platform 3 of Bristol Temple Meads, right in front of me was a blue 37 on the centre track - sat there just idling it's life away.... WOW !!! - What else would a 10 year old say ?

I've never forgot that day... I also was given a book by my nan the day before called 'O.S. Locomotives of the 20th century - part 1' which i left behind at the underground shop, because the train was about to go... My mum made me put my name in it just in case, so every time i go to a bookshop i look for that title, hoping that one day my name will be in it...

My Nan died last year, so although the odds of finding that one book are crazy, i still look at every single one just in case...

[Pengi]

Is it this book?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/O-S-Nock-British-Locomotives-20th-Century-Volume-1-1900-1930-/200610279813?pt=Non_Fiction&hash=item2eb54df185#ht_1605wt_948

[4x2]

Is it this book?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/O-S-Nock-British-Locomotives-20th-Century-Volume-1-1900-1930-/200610279813?pt=Non_Fiction&hash=item2eb54df185#ht_1605wt_948

Yep, thats the one. I have a copy of the book, but i'm still looking for the copy with my name in it - sounds crazy, but i would love to find it...

[Pengi]

This is a long shot but as there look to be a few copies on eBay, maybe an e mail to the seller to see if there is a name inside?

[4x2]

This is a long shot but as there look to be a few copies on eBay, maybe an e mail to the seller to see if there is a name inside?

Thanks for the suggestion  , I've just emailed them, but i feel it's more likely to turn up locally.