My interest in diesel and electric has mainly come around because it is that I have grown up with. I would like to have seen some of the first generation diesels in action, and indeed second generation, but I am too young. I thank my Grandmother for taking me to Berrylands Station when I was a little boy, I would sit there with my sausage roll and iced bun from the now closed Buttons Bakery and would watch the trains go by. I asked her whether she remembered diesel engines on the trains when we sat at Berrylands, her reply was yes. Is that good or bad... it is good that I got to see 33s, 47s and 50s, but bad that I cant actually remember them.
I have spent a great amount of time on work experience, getting to know diesel and electric stock. I thank James Stearn of Trains Today and the SR Diesel & Electric Modelling Group for getting me out and re-lighting my trainspotting flame. We regularly go out and generally 'grice' whatever is going, however we are concentrating on Mk1 stock- EMUs and DEMUs, before they are withdrawn and scrapped (or are they scrapped?). We make good use of an all zones travel card, very often getting extensions to Woking or Uckfield. We have also been on a few long distance runs to Cardiff and Southampton, whilst also meeting at York for Railfest.