Affinity to the Big Four

My reasons may make less sense than most. I grew up in a north-east suburb of a city in the north-east part of Australia. When learning about the railways of Britain at around age 10, I guess I just started to have an affection for the north east - LNER.

Maybe the magnificent shape of the A4s and the superb apple green livery of other classes also had something to do with it.

I love and appreciate LMS pacifics and Black 5s (my first model was a Triang Princess), I have spent many hours over several visits admiring green & copper locos at Didcot (+ the occasional blue King) and Bulleid pacifics in original condition are a particular favourite. But my affinity with the LNER has remained strong and I think of it as "my" railway.

Rather odd, when you consider how far away I live and that it ceased to exist 18 years before I was born.

 

Of course, in addressing the subject of which is our favourite of the big four, there is also the question of what it means in practical terms. For me, I guess it means that all the heritage railways of which I am a member and follow the most closely are from my favourite "big four" company - in my case, th SR. This doesn't necessarily apply to financial support, as I have given in support non-SR projects.

It also means that if it's a pleasant Saturday with sun forecast and I feel like going to photograph a main line steam special, given a choice of several different trains, all things being equal, I will always choose one with, say 34067 or 35028 on the front. Having said this, when it comes to travelling on a mail line steam special, I haven't followed th same logic. For example,when 6233 worked a few trains in the South of England picking up fairly near where I lived, I deliberately booked on a trip hauled by this engine simply because I wanted to travel behind a Duchess (and fortunately managed to choose its trip to Oxford in warm sunshine rather than the "Soggy South Express" to Weymouth!)

But to reiterate, I reallly enjoy steam. Full stop. Like others, I happen to enjoy some locos a bit more.

 

Gosh, I'd've said that the Night Mail poem is stunning, and that on the EE a travesty!

 

I like virtually any steam locomotive (in any gauge) and would be happy to work on the footplate of any company's engines. I even have a sneaking admiration for French and American things too.

I also think that 95% of the 'vitriol' is actually meant as friendly banter but when written down it doesn't appear so. Just like City and United fans tease each other in the pub, it would look terrible if written down, but when delivered with a smile by a friend, you know it is meant in jest. The other 5%......

 

Born and bred in a house overlooking Folkestone Junction I spent my whole childhood in the forties and fifties watching and listening to Boat Trains and service trains arriving and leaving. I could lay in bed and tell you what class of Loco' had just arrived, left or passed without ever seeing them. I also had family members working on the Railway so the 'Southern' (by then BRSR) was even the topic of conversation over the meal table. I also had family living in The New Forest so summer holidays were spent on the platforms of Brockenhurst, Southampton, Bournemouth and Eastleigh, to name but a few. I now live many thousands of miles away but I am surrounded by glass cabinets as I write filled with SR Loco's and rolling stock of the model variety. I do allow the Standard Classes to feature and my love of the S&D allows me to display some WR and LMR types. The photo's I took as a young man,suitably enlarged, adorn what wall space is left. Every night as I lay in bed I still hear the echo's in my mind of Bulleid whistles and the loose shunting of wagons.

 

Im more biased towards the GWR because because I live just down the road from Tyseley, an ex GWR depot where I spent a lot of my days as a kid with my dad admiring 7029, 5080 and the Panniers at weekends, a young kid of 7/8 looking up at this big steaming monster elegantly adorned with copper and brass named Defiant with an almighty bark when opened up left a big impression.

Really I've nothing against Loco's of other companies, just a preference for anything with 'Built Swindon' on the side, I just find it a bit of fun similar to Football Banter ro rib others about their loyalty, just a bit of a laugh rather than anything malicious as far as im concerned.

Depiste my Swindon bias, Loco's from other companies have found their way into my favourites list, the roar of 46115 storming Grayrigg for example sticks out, as do 60532 and 60163, the Peppercorn Pacifics seem more workmanlike and capable of doing a job in my opinion, more so than their Gresley predecessors.

 

Out of interest, are there any GWR designed locos extant that were built at Stafford Road?

 

Unless someone can do better, nearest i can get is some 45XX's were built at Stafford Road, sadly non of the preserved 3 though, seems everything thats survived from pre 1908 was Swindon or outside built.

 

Error

 

Part 1.
The Elizabethan Express Pt1 - YouTube

Part 2.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euX65WsaxNk&context=C338953aADOEgsToPDskI7nUZ2eH6fQdSNJPDAH690

 

Herewith a short English Literature lesson (with thanks to buseng):

How NOT to do poetry: The Elizabethan Express Pt1 - YouTube

How to do poetry: Night Mail - Youtube

 

I personally have no prefrence to region. if its running, im happy. plus I also like industrials, narrow gauge and international stuff (and even the odd diesel). But if I had a favourite I would have to say LNER as i grew up listening to my dads tales of how he as a boy used to go down to Kings Cross and attempt to get all the numbers crossed off in his ian allen book and how he snook into engine sheds and once got a footplate ride on an A4. I also have a soft spot for anything western or southern.

 

Another LNER fan here, more because of a liking for Gresley locos than any inherant eastern bias. Finding a book called the The locomotive of Sir Nigel Gresley in the school library was the catalyst back in about 1966, and since then I've thought the A3 class to be the best looking loco and one of the best performing locos in the world. The apple green livery helps a lot too.

As to the vitriol, towards the GWR in particular, I think it depends on how the fans of the companies behave. Those who rubbish others can expect ot be rubbished back.

 

Although this thread is about affinity to the Big Four, I have been wondering about affinity to a pre-grouping company This doesn't seem to arouse such passions in my experience. There are quite a few lines that have one or two locos from the pre-grouping company that built the line, and these are usually universally liked (J15 at NNR, Q6 at NYMR, M7 at Swanage O4, at GCR). Life gets more interesting where a line has a mix of pre-grouping locos. I know the Bluebell well, and although founded by staunch LBSCR enthusiasts, my observation is that the footplate crews seem to prefer the SECR locos as being easier to operate. The LSWR B4 is also well thought of - a useful little engine - and of course, the other LSWR loco, the Adams Radial Tank, seems to rank highly amongvirtually every member as one of their favourite locos. The Bluebell also seem to regard highly their pre-grouping carriages, even if not built by a Southern constituent (e.g. the LNWR Observation saloon or the GNR directors' saloon). I'd be interested to hear if there are any pre-grouping rivalries at the Worth Valley, where besides the Midland 4F there are L&Y and LNWR engines also present and some L&Y coaches. Likewise at Bo'ness with 419 and Maude under one roof, is there still any feeling between those arch rivals the Caledonian and the NBR?

Hope this isn't going off at a tangent??

 

Oh, I'm definitely an LSWR man at heart, but as most got absorbed by the Southern, its easier to lump everything together as a result of the Grouping.

 

When the A3 "Flying Scotsman" was turned out in Bruswick Green as 60163, not just enthusiasts, but members of the generalpublic were up in arms over it. How many remember actually seeing it in LNER days though?

 

60163?

 

Although my user tag might suggest a strong bias, in reality I'm equally mad in most directions - I have family connections to the LNER and like the A1/A2 types, was brought up in the GWR area and had my first mainline run behind 6024, my first model rail loco was 6233, and was mesmorised by 21C123 on a visit to the Bluebell as a kid - so I can probably find something in most places to like - not so keen on the BR Standards (probably due to their more utilitarian appearance) but even there the 9F's were impressive and strangely attractive locos. In terms of pre-grouping, a number of summers spent near Fairbourne has left me with a lasting interest in the Cambrian - if I won the Euro millions I'd probably pay for a new build Cambrian like a Jones Goods as they bridge the Cambrian and GWR eras (they were one of the few designs the GWR didn't condemn on sight!).

 

Also like British Rails rerun:

[720p] Britain's Railway Advert in true 16:9 HD - YouTube

Anything steam for me.

 

Looks very much like a director used to very limited budgets was given a helicopter and went a bit loopy!

The poetry isn't quite to Auden's standard but still a massive improvement on the Elizabethan Express. Delivery was a bit dry though.