Forget the Anorak: What Trainspotting Was Really Like

by Michael G. Harvey

Offers readers the excitement of trainspotting in the 1950s and '60s, the hobby's heyday. This title provides a personal account of what the hobby entailed - teenagers roaming the railways of Britain, sleeping on deserted platforms on porters' trolleys, 'bunking' dimly lit depots and eluding catpure, and stink bombs on the Underground.

Genres: Railways

208 pages, Paperback

First published March 30, 2004

Reviews

[Kriegslok · Rating 3 out of 5]

An autobiographical account of the glory days of ferroequinology. Of interest to anyone with an interest in the social history of railway enthusiasm or with a general interest in how youngsters used to innocently occupy themselves for hours on end for very little cost in the pre hi-tech age. Reading this book I was reminded myself of the excitement in the early 1970/80s derived from spotting diesels and electrics, the early rises, the miles walked, the extremes of weather endured, the hours spent on platforms, the meals missed, the depots bunked and the camaraderie. As Michael Harvey records it was all good harmless fun and generally the worse thing to happen was you returned home late and filthy. While it's from pre my era it was a good read and I could connect with it. What someone with no personal connection or familiarity with that bygone railway era would make of it I'm not so sure

[Ipswichblade · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice and short memoirs of a trainspotter in the 1950s and 1960's. Ok read nothong special but not hard work!