get rid of your steam??????????

[Acrylic-bob]

Originally Posted by Wynonie Harris

I remember my dad taking me down to stand at the little gate by the side of the"underground" at the bottom of Crossland Street to watch the first diesel train to come through Accy. Must've been the late 50's. It was actually announced in the Observer and a crowd of people had gathered to witness this momentous event (eeh, we knew how to live in them days!).

Can't say I was impressed...

As a child I lived opposite that gate, on Grant Street. I remember sitting on the wall as the steam trains came lumbering through to Accy Station; the whole wall shook as they passed! Funnily enough the drivers never bothered telling us to clear off, even though we shouldn't have been sitting a mere two feet away from certain death.

I also remember carriages of the Royal Train being parked there one afternoon.

[Busman747]

Digging into your memories to rememise steam trains I am surprised that no one has mentioned the wonderful smell that eminates from a locomotive.

My village had a quarry which used steam trains to haul chalk to the lime kilns and as I read through this thread, I could actually smell the locomotives chugging away with their tons of chalk.......wonderful!

Just had to edit this as I remembered something as soon as I clicked the "send."

Some weeks back I had a coach load of 5 - 7 year olds on my coach and they were playing a game which entailed making the sound of various forms of transport. When it came to trains, they all made the sound of a steam train - - complete with whistle! I mentioned this to one of the teachers and she was almost speechless as she confessed that she hadn't realised the significance of young children copying a sound that was in the main obsolete for the past 40 years!

[staggeringman]

i am not a train spotter but love to see history, you could call me a traditionalist ? i like to see buildings that they cant build today,engines they cant make to last today,culture that was made to last and not just dwell in the background, so many things are going to be lost in the near future we are going to be redundant? (in other words another number).maybe not we are lower than that these days!

[shillelagh]

Why has no one mentioned the Rawtenstall - Bury Line. Especially as since you can go on steam trains now every sat and sun from Rawtenstall and call off at Ramsbottom or go onto Bury and then come back. And coming up to xmas they normally have santa trains and thomas the tank engine visits pretty regular.

Its all run by volunteers a friend of mine trained as a steam engine driver and has done the run many a time.

[SPUGGIE J]

I have never heard of nor did I know it existed. Maybe a nice dose of publicity is required and not just for christmas.

[cashman]

Originally Posted by shillelagh

Why has no one mentioned the Rawtenstall - Bury Line. Especially as since you can go on steam trains now every sat and sun from Rawtenstall and call off at Ramsbottom or go onto Bury and then come back. And coming up to xmas they normally have santa trains and thomas the tank engine visits pretty regular.

Its all run by volunteers a friend of mine trained as a steam engine driver and has done the run many a time.

i never heard of it either agree with spug needs publicising maybe vitty could get his teeth into this?

[yerself]

For those who don't get out a lot:
http://www.east-lancs-rly.co.uk/index2.php

Also only about 40-50 minutes drive from Accrington. The Keighley and Worth Valley Railway:
http://www.kwvr.co.uk/

[staggeringman]

steamer comming through church today more info later..someone wants serving

[yerself]

The route for staggeringman's steamer:
http://www.uksteam.info/tours/t06/t0128a.htm

Next one's due on 4th March.

[Wynonie Harris]

A "Black 5" (as we trainspotters used to call them)! Superb! I'll make sure I see the next one!

[yerself]

Originally Posted by Wynonie Harris

(as we trainspotters used to call them)!

Do you mean as we Anoraks used to call them?