First Generation DMUs

Maiden Newton 7.8.1973

FACEBOOK - FIRST GENERATION DMUs

Many of us grew up with these diesel units that were ubiquitous all over the UK. I grew up in the heart of Southern Electric territory (Littlehampton) so these were quite exotic to me! Heading west on a rover ticket I'd run into diesels at Hilsea, as the line west to Southampton wasn't electrified at that time. These were the then common 'Thumpers', which to me just looked like electric units with a big grill on the side! They also ran in threes which was a change from the twos and fours further east. Further west I'd hit Weymouth where the Western Region DMUs would mix with our Class 33 headed trains, splitting off in Dorchester to take the scenic route through Maiden Newton and Yeovil and on up to Castle Cary and Bristol.

Eastleigh 13.5.1973.

I gradually got to travel all over the UK and met these units in their various forms all over the place. We didn't really appreciate them at the time, but with their front windows (in most cases) it was a real treat to get a forward view. I particularly remember the Dawlish sea wall stretch, the Tamar Bridge and the run from Exeter to Okehampton with the forward view.

Leyland, 24.5.1985.

Doncaster 7.7.1986.

B405 Oxford 2.7.1986.

These units of course no longer run on the Network. many second generation ones have also vanished. The new units are smart and look good, but I've not travelled on any yet, I rarely travel on trains these days sadly, though hopefully that will change in the future.

So to celebrate the first generation units that were such a huge part of my early railway life I've started a Facebook group just for them. Please come and join us and, if you have pictures, memories etc, please share!

Down the Line

Crowborough

Isfield

Oxted

(All pics 1970s copyright Steve Sainsbury/Rail Thing)

FACEBOOK - DOWN THE LINE - OXTED TO LEWES

RAIL THING WEBSITE

Over the last few years The Rail Thing has expanded from a single Facebook group into over 500, there is of course also a website and this blog. But alongside the Rail Thing groups I've also built about 50 Flashback groups, which look at various aspects of social history and places. Two of these groups have over 5000 members, others are a lot smaller.

I've decided to try to combine these two interests and Down the Line - Oxted to Lewes is the first. The idea is to set the railway within a social history framework, and vice versa. Railways were - and soon will be again - the very centre of social life and history, so it seems a logical development.

If successful (and I'm sure it will be!) this will be rolled out over many different rail routes (Littlehampton to Portsmouth Harbour will be next) over the next year or so.

What I'm looking for is both railway pictures and pictures of the towns and villages through which the line runs or ran. These can be recent or older of course, as history never stops. It may even get some civilians interested in railways, or even get railfans interested in more than just railways! And it may bring out some really interesting and unseen pics linking the two!

Facebook Spotlight Rail Thing - 80s UK Railscene

Weymouth Quay 33 118 14.8.1986

Salisbury 50 043 14.4.1986

206 101 Rye 19.8.1986

(All pics copyright Steve Sainsbury/Rail Thing)

FACEBOOK - RAIL THING - 80s UK RAILSCENE

I had a pretty varied 1980s with four long trips to Europe, a driving job that took me all over the country and a reasonable income that allowed me to buy all the film I wanted! I probably took more photos in the 80s than in any other decade - at least until I discovered digital in around 2005.

So I have a vast collection of 1980s shots, many of which still haven't been scanned and uploaded. 

In general the 80s were a transitional decade for rail in the UK. Closures finally came to a halt, the last real closure happening in 1985 when the Eridge to Tunbridge Wells line closed. The first steps towards privatisation were made near the end of the decade, and liveries started to change. I'm not a big loco fan but I'm pretty sure some of the familar locos (and units) started to vanish in this decade too! 

I got to know Switzerland really well and spent probably a year or more there in the 80s - this is reflected in my photos (though not on this group of course!) All in all a great decade for me when I got to do a lot of travelling and photography.

Of course the group isn't just about my photos and travels, there are currently 2,468 members so there is a wide variety of pics and memories on the site!

Facebook Spotlight Rail Thing - 70s UK Railscene

Medstead and Four Marks 24.6.1976

313 030 Finsbury Park 19.7.1978

Farncombe 6.7.1977

7724 Balcombe 8.7.1977

Ropley 24.6.1976

(All pics copyright Steve Sainsbury/Rail Thing)

FACEBOOK - RAIL THING - 70s UK RAILSCENE

I'm going to highlight our various Facebook groups over the coming months as there as so many of them - what started as a single Facebook group has blossomed to around 500!

This one currently has 855 members and covers the UK railscene in the 1970s. My very first railway photo was taken on 9.7.1971 so I covered almost this entire decade. I was just 13 at the start of it and just beginning to get a real interest in railways. Holidays at Dawlish Warren spurred this on - the line along the seafront was a real eye opener! It was mainly Westerns back then of course, I even remember maroon coaches, but was still very wet behind the ears then and didn't even realise they were anything special or different! 

So if you've an interest in this transitional decade this is the group for you. There are many active members and you'll see a wide range of pics from around the UK.

The Rail Thing (and the rest) 2014

(Villars, Switzerland, 1987 pic copyright Steve Sainsbury/Rail Thing)

FACEBOOK RAIL THING

Right, it's all winding down for Christmas now and this is my very last piece of work before I take a break!

2014 has been an amazing year for the Rail Thing Facebook groups (and also Flashback and Reversing Beeching groups) with about 400 groups now, most added this year. Many now have well over 1000 members and the biggest (Disused Railways) is  not far off 10,000! 

I'd like to thanks all the various admins and, of course, the members who have been so kind sending in their photos and memories. It's the content (plus the fairly strict rules!) that make the groups what they are. 

I've had a busy year with all this explosion of Facebook activity - I suspect 2015 will be a year for consolidation rather than rapid expansion.

Out in the real world we only managed to take two holidays this year, the first in Lisbon and the second in Dawlish Warren. Both, of course, have loads of rail interest! In fact I took my first ever railway photograph at Dawlish Warren on 9 July 1971.

The other place I've been to a lot this year is Bristol Temple Meads. My son Wulfric moved to Sway in September and since then has regularly come up to visit by train. No big deal for a 20 year old you'd think, but before he moved he rarely went more than 10 feet by himself! He's blind and the railway has been fantastic with their support services giving him a confidence I thought he'd never gain!

So a big Christmas thanks to the railway companies for doing this, to all of you who have joined the Facebook groups and to everyone (even non-members!) who have worked like demons to keep our railways and tramways moving, whether of the national network type or the heritage type!

See you again after the festivities!

Lisbon Elevador Gloria March 2014

Dawlish September 2014

Bristol Temple Meads 15.12.2014

(All pics copyright Steve Sainsbury/Rail Thing)

rails in the road

Many of my favourite lines include a stretch or two of street running, and I know a lot of rail fans are fascinated by these displays of the superiority of rail over road, so to keep you all happy I've just started a new Facebook group 'RAILS IN THE ROAD'.

Please feel free to join and add pics and stories of your own!

more littlehampton miniature railway

I love this video because it captures the atmosphere of the Littlehampton Miniature Railway, currently under threat due to the stupidity of the local council.

The Facebook group is rapidly aproaching 500 members! Please join.

save the LMR

Littlehampton Miniature Railway is under threat. The council want to throw the current tenant off the line and rip up the track. The LMR is part of my childhood as I was raised here. It was steam worked right up to the 1970s. It was also of a unique gauge (12¼"), being 2" wider than the more normal 10¼" gauge. It even had engines from the ill-fated Surrey Border and Camberley Railway running on it when I was a kid.

As a teenager I got wildly drunk and walked the whole length of the line at about two in the morning!

I have got photos (somewhere) of the diversion of the line from the early seventies when the new sewage works was being built.

In the 80s there was a serious proposal to extend the line along the prom to Smarts' Amusements, bringing it to the centre of the resort. The line was actually extended about 50 metres, as shown in the pic above. The original Norfolk Road station was in the bushes in the background.

What I've suggested is to set up a preservation society and propose this extension to the river again. This would give Littlehampton a superb 2 mile line serving a real transport need.

There's an excellent Facebook group set up for this line. Please join!

facebook future

If you think rail investment should be directed at restoring Britain's closed railways as well as building many NEW branches, ensuring that all towns and villages with a population of 500+ have modern transport facilities, rather than being wasted on prestige High Speed lines, please join this new Facebook group.

(Pics Beeding, Shrewsbury Abbey, Bideford and Woodhead)