Today marks the one year anniversary since my dad passed away from a long battle with lung cancer, and i just thought it would be nice if i made a little tribute of screenshots and photos of places and locos that mean something to me and to him.
Probably the wrong place to post this but as i post most in this area i thought it would be fitting.
My dad was and still is the reason why i have a passion for railways, we never went anywhere on holiday without visiting a preserved line and i very much miss looking back at the platform and seeing dad taking a shot of a loco or station.
I'll start off with Clacton, where dad was born and bred which used to offer sights of dads favourite EMU's, the 309's, "Never traveled on a more comfortable EMU than them"
Ive also included a shot of the only steam locomotive to grace clacton metals since steam days, Standard 4 number 80098 on "The Scandinavian" in 2000.
Princess Elizabeth was dads favourite Steam Locomotive, sadly he never got to see her, criminal in my opinion for a steam enthusiast to never see their favourite loco,
but last year i got the chance to see her for him at the SVR gala.
(With thanks to BATS for sending me this model to screenshot for this thread)
The Mid hants Line was my dad's favourite preserved line and is still mine today. I will always remember arriving at Alresford station (my favourite station)
after our long drive from Clacton and sitting on the platform watching the last train run round and depart. Sadly i cant go to this railway without thinking about
my dad but i consider that as a comfort.
Canadian Pacific... Well most people probably know that my favourite steam locomotive is Canadian Pacific, but only since a couple of years ago (previously it was Port Line)
But this loco was the last loco me and dad traveled behind on the Mid hants, so i consider it as special.
Brockenhurst and the New Forest, my mum's favourite place, her dream was that we would move here one day. We stayed at the New Forest almost every year and every year since i was a little kid we used to sit at the station in the evenings and watch the trains go by. Strange i know, but thats a memory that still brings a tear to my eye...
Standard 5 73096 was the first steam locomotive i saw at Brockenhurst, atmosphere was amazing. Rainy Evening, fire engine in the car park hooting away while 73096 whistled.
City of Truro was the first loco i saw at the North Norfolk Railway's Gala, me and dad just looked up at her and thought "Wow"... amazing how a steam loco can make you be amazed just by its appearance.
And finally Union of South Africa, this was the last loco me and dad admired together and below is the last photo my dad ever took.
I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their kind words they sent me last year on UKTrainsim and BluearrowTS. And to thank all the people who have helped me get through the past year, you know who you are.
The logo that now stands proud on my fotopic site.
