How did you get interested in rail?

ParkesHub · Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2003 3:46 pm

I was thinking about the diversity of people who are interested in rail. This leads me to pose the question....how did YOU get interested in railways?

For me, it was growing up in Chiltern, Vic. Our preschool teacher was married to the stationmaster. We were always going up to the station for 'excursions'! At least, it seemed that way to me. What about you?

Cheers! Smile

Thomas the tank engine · Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2003 7:01 pm

I'm interested in all kinds of transport. I have to rely on public transport all my life, particularly trains.

pennoes · Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2003 3:27 pm

I'm not sure exactly what started my interest in trains, but I am sure it had something to do with a couple of things:

1) Receiving a model train set as a kid, and then being fascinated by all those amazing model train displays that would sometimes be in shopping centres or model stores

2) When going on walks as a kid with grandparents and parents, stopping near the railway to trainspot, and then gestering to the drivers to honk their horn, which occasionally they oblidged, and when they did you got a blast!

I also remember counting all the stations between my home station in the Sydney suburbs and the city which was lots of fun as a kid!

Another thing which is a little difficult to explain is that I like the 'connectivity' of rail networks. The fact that a whole network can take you to many different places, and service different areas is something that I find fascinating, and hence I love looking at railmaps etc, which seems a little weird to normal ppl, but to me is interesting! Wink

Thus I am very interested in the development of new rail lines to service more areas, both in suburban and regional settings.

Bwana · Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2003 1:42 pm

A good question...

For me, my grandfather was a signalman at Hurstville, one of the few signal boxes in Sydney that was on the platform, so quite often on our way somewhere we stopped in and saw Grandad at work. I was fascinated by the row of levers, and admired Grandad for the fact that he always knew which one to pull. Time to gloat - quite often I got to pull the levers too!

Even before that Dad gave me a model railway for my secong birthday (but it was for me, not him, honestly!!). I also loved the ability to go anywhere worth going (back then), and these days the ability to sit back and relax, without having to worry about some jerk cutting you off, or how slowly the traffic is moving etc.

K163 · Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2003 3:49 pm

for me, i think it partly runs in the family, as my grandpa from my dad's side worked at Seymore as a loco maintainer.

Regards,
Craig Walton
What I say here is my thoughts, and doesn't represent the MRPS or Woolworths ltd... smeg imagine it did!

If you want to loose weight, don't eat anything that comes in a BUCKET!

ninthnotch · Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2003 10:29 pm

This I think has been covered in other topics, but two factors spring to mind: Having a train-obcessed father, and having his mate work in Tottenham B up until the mid 1990's. Dad dragging me (completely willingly mind you) around Australia looking at trains (and pubs - I was able to boast when 16 that I'd been in more pubs than all of my teachers, except one who is a very well-known railfan Very Happy

).

That's an attention-getter!

tote · Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2003 7:28 pm

I've always been interested in rail although being a govt apprentice and travelling from Orange to Newcastle every 3 weeks for block release TAFE using 620/72 railcars, Inter urban electrics, and a sleeper on the Western Mail home probably had some effect Smile

Regds,
Tote

jm1941 · Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2003 10:00 am

I was born and bought up with trains one might say, as my father was a Railway Station Master, and as kids, we lived on the job literally (railway station houses), so for me it was obvious I suppose, I would when old enough, play (work) with real trains and the railway was my whole life till I retired, but thankfully MSTS (Micro$oft Train Simulator) came along, so back now again playing trains, and coming here at Railpage Australia™ amongst other railway minded people, Smile

but sadly, not the old real trains anymore though. Sad

Actually a strange thing has happened since retired from railways. I've always only ever seen railways from the inside, looking out, but since being retired I have HAD to learn to look at Railways from the outside looking in, like most of you do. (is very different) It is really quite a new experience, to now view railways as most do looking in. Silly as this sounds, is truly a totally opposite view to come to terms with.

Regards,
John.

John

Web site: "Johnny's Pages"

Railfan9949 · Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2003 3:16 pm

For me it sort of started when I was 3, traveling to the city by train and seeing the old Jolimont yard.. but because I didn't know much about them so I wasn't much of a gunzel back then till about last year where I started working at Puffing Billy where I made many friends with full time gunzels and from them I learnt alot about trains starting from the basics like the different gauges in Australia <- that’s one u don't learn at school Laughing

to the types of brakes on our sparks so now I can pretty much name most parts of any sparks that pass by me.. my next goal learn to drive them!!

I. Hon
PBPS volunteer member
YVTR volunteer member
SRHC volunteer member
CMRS member

'to another railfan no explanation is necessary, but to you, no explanation is possible' - late David P Morgan

Comments made are that of my own..

sarail · Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2003 6:44 pm

I supose I began my fasination with rail waiting at Woodville station waiting for my Dad to return from Work on what was then a regular combo of 4 x 400/300 class Redhens.

I was then introduced to Steamranger, and took many trips to Victor Harbour behind 621 or 520.

Not sure what else to add other than my grand dad was a gaurd with the SAR in the good ol' days of big power steam, and he often had me encaptulated for hours telling me stories of failed trains half way up the Mount Lofty Ranges, nearly being run down by a reversing 500B at Tailem Bend etc.

I supose that was how I became interested in the railways of South Australia and Victoria.

Peter Michalak

Maikha · Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2003 6:47 pm

I've always had a thing for trains before I could even speak.
Although I come from a Vietnamese background, none of my family were
into trains, but seemed to 'encourage' me to it, as they had noticed
I had a 'thing' for trains.

Watching through past family videos, my first encounter with a
train, was a model of one in an outdoor garden in Canada. After
that, I kept saying the word 'train' in Vietnamese!

Living near Werrington, there were times where my father took me out
to the station for a few hours to watch any passing traffic. At the
time, there were mostly sparks, but also U-BOATs, and alot of candy
painted locos on all sorts of freight trains and the Indian Pacific
was also hauled by AN locos.

At other times, while my family was grocery shopping at Cabramatta
and Flemington, my father always took me out onto the station
footbridge for a few hours. At Flemo, there was your usual sparks,
but also a large variety of freight trains and light loco movements.
The same at Cabramatta.

While this was going on, my parents seemed to encourage me with
trains. Taping every episode of Thomas the Tank Engine (Is this a
reason why I've seen every episode, and know an episode from its
name?), buying alot of their merchandise and a few actual wooden toy
trains. We also lived not far from the Luddenham Model Park, and
went there everytime it opened.

My first encounter with a steam engine was at Cabramatta in 1994, as
3801 came steaming through one night. The awesome sight of the headlight coming in, and the chuffing noise as the engine went past, and the smoke was lit up by the engine's headlights and the cab lights. That's probably what has got me into steam. A year later, they took me to the Zig Zag Railway at Lithgow, furthering my interest in steam. Would they ever realise that 8 years later, I would end up working there as a train guard? Smile

Being a young gunzel, I never got to
experience the glory of the railways even 15yrs ago, with the
variety of freight trains, steam trains (On tours), railmotors and
the hustle and bustle of Central station (Compared to the past where
there were all sorts of trains, loco hauled, mail/express trains, U-
BOATs, etc, all you see today are just V-SETs).

This is the main reason why I am involved alot with preservation
organisations, to experience something that I never have seen
operate. My involvement with HET is because of the abscense of
experiences with Red sets and U-BOATs, whereas 3801 Limited and Zig
Zag Railway to acheive my long term goal, of one day, becoming a
steam train driver.

If anyone has a copy of the December, 2001 Railway Digest, I wrote a
similar column called "Though the eyes of a younger railfan". A
short 1/2 page column summarising the 'developement' of my railway
interest into what it is today.

Thanks for reading
Maikha "V" Ly

Cheers
Maikha Ly

The Intercity Platform & Valve Gear Media!
http://www.theintercityplatform.com/

Comments made are that of my own, and do not reflect those of organisations mentioned.

jm1941 · Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2003 8:27 am

Eaglemist · Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2003 9:13 am

It must be in the blood!

I first remember a black steam loco (would have been LNER) when I was about 2 (so I've been told). Holidays to aunts were always good because we would go to Waterloo and travel behind West Countries etc to Southampton. Went across to the Isle of Wight and travelled behind those 0-4-4 tanks when they were still running in the early 1960s! Joined Puffing Billy in 1963 and never looked back.

My father had a Hornby 3-rail model railway with some Marklin stock which he sold to buy my mother a vacuum cleaner! How disgusting.... Crying or Very sad

Maikha · Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2003 5:33 pm

John

K163 · Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2003 5:52 pm

speaking of showing the kids the cab of the steamer, passengers at the MR generaly have a 'pattern' of timming,
they never look at the K before the first trip (this is good as it gives us (loco crew) a chance to finnish getting the loco ready for the days running),
then they would swarm around the cab for about the first 10 minutes after we arrive at Moorooduc, then they all get either on the train or go home.
and they only come up to the loco after the last trip to watch us run around the train to shunt the train (i we need to).

Now that i have been working on the loco for about 18 months now, i don't know why kids always stare at the loco all the time, must be the smoke or someting.

Regards,
Craig Walton
What I say here is my thoughts, and doesn't represent the MRPS or Woolworths ltd... smeg imagine it did!

If you want to loose weight, don't eat anything that comes in a BUCKET!