Something that I'm quite curious by is what got you interested in trains? Personally, I grew up using Public Transportation one of which (Obviously) being trains. Most of the schools I had attended were quite far away from me, and since I am In europe, there's no School buses to take me. Memorable rainy evenings, getting on the SBB Re 450, second class, always the 1st floor as I didn't feel comfortable on the 2nd. Tuning out the world with headphones, never forget. I'm interested to know what is it that brought you in the hobby of trains
Fairly classic tale from me. My father got me started as a child. I can't remember a time I haven't been interested in trains.
It was my Grandfather that got me interested in trains. He was a big GWR fan and consequently that was what I was brought up with. He bought me books and told me lots of stories. Back then (Late Sixties early seventies) it was all diesels, which he didn’t really approve of, but we could sit in his kitchen and see Newton Abbot yards and talk about trains for hours. When I got a train set, it had to be GWR and Steam based. If he came around to play, I didn’t get a look in. Miss him lots. He would be amazed to see TSC and TSW.
Probably this… Plus my parents taking us on trips to the coast by train from Felling, either to Seaburn, South Shields or round the Tynemouth loop to one of the North Tyne coastal towns. There was also the Triang clockwork train set complete with plastic tunnel. And I do have vague memories of one or two longer distance trips to visit relatives living in the south, though generally my parents tended to use the coach as they were not that well off. What would we give now for a 6 hour United Automobile RELH thrash up or down the A1 and M1!
I had that book as well (long since lost). Along with the Ladybird book of the Motor Car. My two favourite books as a child. My sister recently saw the Car one on eBay and sent it to me as a surprise gift and it brought back a lot of memories. I’ll have to drop hints about the train book.
My dad's tales of his footplate days on the LMS were what got me hooked in the first place. Here he is at Patricroft, Manchester, oiling a Stanier Black 5.Then a Hornby Dublo train set for Christmas sealed the deal. He would have been amazed at TSW but no doubt annoyed that the injectors don't work on the steam locomotives. Mind you, sometimes they don't work on the real thing and that can really spoil your day.
Well I decided to see Flying Scotman in June 2019, then I seen a Black 5 and Mayflower which lead to me buying hornby stuff. Then I bought TSW in late 2019 and it went from there.
Here's my story: I was watching Youtube videos in the summer of 2020, and one of the adverts that comes up before the video has some terrible music, but also has a London Underground train in it. There were some other trains as well, but I had no idea what they were, nor was I interested. The adverts ran for a couple of weeks, and I skipped them every time, but then they went away, and I continued on my merry way. January 2021 comes, and I find in my recommended feed a video from this creator called Moleman978 entitled, 'London Underground Bakerloo Line! | Train Sim World 2'. Having looked at the excessive video length, I clicked on it, intrigued, and was blown away by what I had stumbled across! The detail, the realism, everything! Having watched the video, I decided to do a bit more research (during which I discovered TSW2020 and Train Sim 2020), and then bought it (in a bundle that included the East Coastway). Suddenly a lot of other train were available to me as DLC, and I started to gain an appreciation for the railways. This means that basically all my railway knowledge comes from Train Sim World and from these forums. Yes - you - the reader of this post - are the source of my railway knowledge. I later found an appreciation for German and American Railways too, and discovered later that the other trains on the Youtube advert came from Schnellefarhstrecke Koln-Aachen, and Sand Patch Grade. That is my story. I still like aviation, but during lockdown, I found a much cheaper passion to follow!
Me a DK book of trains and Rapid transit system in Manila Philippines. That same time I was living in Manila Philippines my father collected Marklin catalogues which have almost all the German trains we have in the Game. The exception is the Trix catlogue which I got from a 2004 Model Railway exhibition in Edison, NJ. That one has the RSN DB BR 155 with a matching DR Y-wagen set. Also in that year my first NJ transit ride on the NEC Trenton to Boston via NYC which was on an Arrow III which then became my profile picture in the forums.
Definitely got pushed towards rail enthusiasm by my dad. I probably still have this somewhere- anyone else?
Probably a train driver that I realise today did not follow the security protocols. On a trip back from the sea as a little kid the train driver invited me to sit in the cockpit. Suddenly the train ride became the best part of the trip. I only remembered this whilst playing this game.
Living near a big junction in northern Warsaw until I moved to Sweden 2001. I could see all the trains from my room on 9th floor, I could hear all the trains passing by on that jointed track. Local, Intercity and freight. It was wonderful.
I would say I wasn't the biggest/loudest fan of trains when I was younger but I certainly was a fan, I had a sort of model train set; this piece I remember most from it, I collected quite a few of the trains for it, not sure where they are nowadays though tbh. Also when I was younger I was taken kinda train spotting once a bit at Durham Station and went on a trip down to York Railway museum when something to do with Thomas the Tank Engine was on (it would have been sometime between about 2002-2010 ish) after that I kinda at some point got into watching some train simulator videos on YouTube wishing one would come to console and not just be PC exclusives, then comes 2017 when i by chance stumbled upon a recommended stream showing of Train Sim world Founders edition, and that’s where my TSW story began after going to the console Xbox store and picking it up. trains aren’t very efficient means of transport in my area, so taking them is quite a rare opportunity though I definitely enjoy every minute of them when I do, I’ve also always counted the transport means of going on holiday as one of the main parts of the holiday experience.
My father work in the railway and I live near two lines. I think that I awlays love trains. I love seing these big iron snakes taking curves at speed without any problem. The variety of system and companies all over the world is also a big reason. There's so much more diversity than with car or even planes.
Grew up using them to go here there any everywhere. My dad didn't drive until I was 10/11, so everywhere we went for days out or for football was via public transport. Trains were the ideal option for getting out of town. Due to that, Railways became one of my interests. Although, I prefer the stations, scenery and the places associated with the railways over the trains themselves. I love both, but the Railways themselves are the best part for me.
I have just kind of been doomed since birth. I have lived alongside a railway line for ALL of my life (majority the ECML), both my parents worked on the railway, we went on many, many railway trips as a youngster, then I got my first job and it was on the railway and I haven't left the industry since!
I guess it was when I moved to NYC . I was only ten and I had never since elevated or underground subway (6 train line) which had lest graffity than most.lol . I was so intrigued by it. Although my number one has always been airplanes since I was born to this day which It continues to be in my everyday life. I think the aircrafts are getting jealous
Thomas the Tank Engine. My Dad took me to Ipswich station when I was 3 years old. The sights and sounds of real trains started my interest in railways.
My uncle was a BR employee, worked on the WCML back then when it was loco hauled with the class 80 family, he worked at BR and then Virgin for over 40 years, begun working in the 70s and retired in 2017, one of the few people that managed to drive the APT, and the pendolino. He started my love in trains as he was also a VERY big model railway lover, got me the intercity 225 which is still at his shed today on his model railway
I suppose it was a few things really. I grew up in Stamford within walking distance of the railway station and when I was 15 or 16 my first proper girlfriend lived in Grantham and we would travel by train to see each other so I would wait on the railway station to meet her there. One day a steam train came through (no idea which) and I knew it were different, so I did a Google and became more aware of the railways then. Along with this I now use the trains for both leisure and business purposes. Another factor is that I met another girlfriend (who I am marrying in about a week) on a train which sort of reignited my interest more recently!