What was the first train you went on??

[gswindale]

What a boring lot of first train rides from you youngsters!!

Well thats not our fault is it? and I personally don't think of my first train ride that I remember as boring!

[117305]

guess it would have been an epb from Gillingham(kent),up to london when i was a wee baby sometime in the 1970s!

[wolly1380]

I can't remember for sure but it was almost certainly a class 503 and probably between Wallasey Grove Road and Liverpool Central in about 1978 (so the 503 would presumably have been in BR blue / grey with Merseyrail logo).

Paul

Wow small world I was using that line as my daily commut just last month. Yeah before my time 1 year excact the 503's were the unit's of those day's.
Ex LMS I think they were

[Tonysmedley]

Quote "What a boring lot of first train rides from you youngsters!!"

I was very privileged to know railways in the days when they were exciting! Modern trains are marvels of engineering, but most of it is hidden. My engines were colourful, smelly and smoky, very noisy and to a small boy, exciting.

Tony

[martinhodgson]

The odds are that it was Bare Lane to Lancaster in about 1988/89 - which could make it a class 101, 108, 142, 144, 150 or 156, all of which were supplying traction on the Morecambe line in those days!

[alexnick]

I was just thinking that a more interesting would be: what is your oldest memory of train travel?

Mine was when I was two and my parents took my on holiday to Switzerland. I remember the RhB with it's bright red trains in the snow, and passing a rotary snowplough at one point.

AN

[chrisiveson]

I was told by my parents that I first travelled by train at the age of two, but I can only recall a journey when I was seven, ( 1954 ) that was the overnight Newcastle - Bristol from York as far as Mangotsfield where we changed to catch the first Bristol - Bath Green Park local of the day.
It was a mail train and stopped for long periods at most stations, seemed like an hour or so at New Street and I remember being very thirsty with no drinks on the train. Also remember seeing "Black & White" buses at New Street.

Chris.

[PaulH2]

I can't remember for sure but it was almost certainly a class 503 and probably between Wallasey Grove Road and Liverpool Central in about 1978 (so the 503 would presumably have been in BR blue / grey with Merseyrail logo).

Paul

Wow small world I was using that line as my daily commut just last month. Yeah before my time 1 year excact the 503's were the unit's of those day's.
Ex LMS I think they were

They were indeed (with BR building some additional units in the late 50s I think but to an essentially identical design). Oddly, I don't remember travelling on a 502 to Southport although I'm sure I must have, but do remember going on a 507 (or 508) on that route just after they were introduced. For their age, other than the styling and wood interior, the 503s were surprisingly modern feeling units at the time with their air-operated sliding doors for example.

[wolly1380]

Yeah they must of considering whilst the southern regon was well use to these sort of units. And merseyside get's there very own.

[oldrocker]

Somebody was saying on the wireless yesterday how much more quiet stations are these days. All sliding doors no slamming like years ago.

Never thought about that before !

[Tonysmedley]

Not a first train ride, but a rare treat was a summer holiday at Southport, during which we visited Liverpool and rode on the Overhead Railway.
Coming from the centre of England and never having seen large ships before, the sight of the many liners moored up near the railway was incredible. We actually visited one of them - I think that they encouraged people in the hope that they might book a passage. It was the Cunard liner "Scythia" and to me an enormous boat. I now know that at under 20,000 tons it was smaller than some modern cross-channel ferries.
The Liverpool Overhead Railway was marvellous.

Tony

[kenpix]

Mid-fifties sunday school excursion from Walthamstow Hoe Street (now Walthamstow Central) via Temple Mills and Stratford to Walton on the Naze, in Gresley teak coaches painted blood and custard hauled by B17 "Gayton Hall" - hows that for a good memory? Can't remember what happened yesterday though.
Ken