To come out as a trainspotter.

[ComposHat]

. I love the romance of railway stations at night. I love the anticipation and then the sudden rush of wind as an express train races through a station.

Without trying I have accumulated heaps of knowledge about mainline locomotives and buy the occasional shameful copy of Rail Magazine.
I spend a lot of time travelling by train.

Would it be so very wrong to start recording loco numbers?

"Uggh gooid grief no. DMU/EMU spotting is for saddos. It is all about diesel locos with me."

but DMUs are diesel OP!

I met my dh on a steam train......was very brief encounter (without the grit in my eye),we used to meet under the signalbox steps.

Botanicbaby, DMU/EMU = self propelled train carriage. Locomotive = traction for set of train carriages.

keith - oops, that's outed me!
well, there are a large number of station cottages you know ;)

The National Railway Museum in York is heaven for a weekend.

Very excited about Cross Rail in this house too...

punk rocker I think the 50s were phased out in the mid 80s I used to like the 58s as a kid they looked really futuristic. They've all gone too.

I used to collect car numbers...until I got done for removing the plates

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2480955/The-420-000-ticket-past-19th-century-train-station-left-untouched-closure-Dr-Beechings-cuts-1965-goes-sale.html

Cheers Aga! Beat me to it! Still think nothing beats loco hauled mark3 carriages for comfort and ride quality.

sorry agapanthers didn't realise OP specifically meant locos although reading back I should have spotted that!

great thread OP.

Gosh I would really love that station, I have just found it on google earth. Main problem is I don't have £420,000 but I can dream- pottering around in my own little railway museum, serving tea in the tea room...mmm..... lovely.................

I know Norham well.
It's just around the corner from where I am staying...

We do have a view of a branchline at chez compo. Purely coincidental I swear. Sometimes I wave at the driver like I was in the railway children.

YANBU. It's about history, geography, science, travel, retro style... what's not to like?

Here's another. Not as trainspottery, more expensive: www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-43506245.html

This one is good:

www.davidjames.org.uk/lotimages/336z.pdf

Unsold at £550k in December

Complete with steam train.

This one has active track outside, 4 trains a day on the Whitby-Middlesbrough line:

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-35833901.html

Burscough Bridge:

www.burscoughtrainstation.co.uk/gallery/thumbs/

This one has a ride-on model railway:

www.thecourier.co.uk/news/local/perth-kinross/video-end-of-the-line-perthshire-man-puts-his-private-railway-up-for-sale-1.129386
www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/31181929

I'm not a spotter as such but am always amazed at others interest in in DHs career change to Train Driver. And whilst don't give a fig about the machine names or classes or whatever I do love travelling on trains ,old stations, old transport posters etc I predict it will come back in fashion

The second one Aga linked to has steam trains running past it too during the summer. It's near where we live and it's where DH volunteers.

Compos, the North Yorkshire Moors Railway do a good Diesel gala every September.

OP do you spend large amounts of time standing on platform's for hours with a camera recording trains coming and going even when it's freezing and pouring with rain?
Do you take your kids shopping for their birthday, make them go to town on the train for 8am and trainspot while they sit on the platform bored out their brain, take them to one shop then return to platform to trainspot?
If you went on holiday would you come back with 72hrs of train footage?
Do you go to model railway shows?
Is every single family trip to somewhere near a railway line so you can ignore your wife and kids and trainspot the entire time?
Do you buy your kids spotting books in the hope that they will become trainspotters too?
If the answer to any of these questions is no then I'm not sure you can be considered a real trainspotter
My dad is a trainspotter, I don't really get his obsession but he's extremely well known amongst trainspotters.

Burnt

No, unless I am waiting for trains, then I take a great interest in what is going on.
No, I don't really like video cameras (but I understand)
Yes I have been to a model railway show. It was ace.
No children.

Perhaps I am just train-curious rather than a full blown spotter.

McKayz - I thought the Mangotsfield line was closed ages ago, do you mean the Avon Valley Railway? That runs steam trains but it is not the same line as the one advertised here. It is a pretty looking property though I don't know how noisy it would be right next to the ring road! The Devon one is nice too.

No sorry I meant the 3rd one. I missed the 1st link.

Burntpancake Sounds like our dads are very similar! He used to drive us to the ribblehead viaduct (about 1.5 hrs journey) because he's heard a special was coming through.
A whole day out would focus around a trip to a level crossing near a main line! I used to take several books with me we'd be in the car so long.

Hello Kayz, fancy seeing you here!

Hons, in a couple of weeks we might be going to Ribblehead to see a train. Or to Newcastle, depends which DH wants to see more.