Railways...they get in the blood !

It all started back in the 60's, being taken to my fathers workplace as a small terrified boy of about 5 or 6, and going through a shed side door and seeing large green diesels that i now know as Class 33 locomotives.

That shed was none other than Eastleigh Diesel Depot, a place my father moved to from Eastleigh works, and later to Fratton

I can remember the smell and sounds of 2 BIL units on a trip from Havant station, and i think that day also involved a trip behind a Bullied pacific...(another engine that will later feature during my career.... i still get the abuse today, and i am still waiting to receive my £25 reward money !)

Many weekend saturdays spent with my father at Fratton Inspection shed,further instilled the railway in me,

Happy days were spent fuelling 47s, and class 33s at Fratton and watching Hymeks, Westerns and the odd green class 45 from my local road bridge near home .

Fast forward to 1978 and an Electrical apprenticeship with BREL Eastleigh Locomotive works at the very place my father started way back in 1955 and later a further transfer from the works to the Diesel depot happened in 1985 after my apprenticeship, all thanks to Mr George Morgan.

Eastleigh Depot, a great place, with great people and a chance to have been able to learn lots along the way ...and get paid for it !...happy days indeed.

No doubt i am going to be in for some stick for these pictures, i dont care ! but if it brings back memories for those i have worked with , then i have at least paid back something, to those that have taken the time to educate me, since i started back in 1978.

Credit also needs to go to two others here that prompted me to reveal pictures that would otherwise remain in a cupboard...Thanks Ian / Chris.