I like train spotting.

The other day I was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of "37 517". It meant sitting up all night in the rain on an embankment just outside Crewe, but I took my copy of ``The Train-Spotters Complete Recognition Guide to British Desiel-Electric Trains 1965-1985'' and commited another 12-pages to memory while I waited. I also took my trusty thermos flask full of hot coffee to keep me warm. (Don't tell anyone, but I spiked it with a little fortified wine:-).

Seeing "37 517" was fabulous. The best day of my life so far.

I wish I could have got a little closer than 1/2 a mile, but that would have meant trespassing on British Rail Authority land (we don't recognise the new names. Stupid privatisation!), and that would be breaking the Ethical Train-Spotters oath.

Never mind, I could see it quite well through my dad's Zeiss 4x10 field glasses provided I shut my left eye so the cracked optics didn't get in the way.

I must have had it in view for a full 12 or 13 seconds before it disappeared behind the marshalling sheds. IT WAS BRILLIANT.

Of course, the "37 517" is very similar to "37 509 S", "37 510 S", "37 513 S", "37 515 S", "37 516 S" and "37 518 S". I've seen all of these at least twice, and two of them three times. (Only Henry Winterbottom has got more sightings than me at my local club, but I still doubt him. His log book show that he saw three in the same week. Once twice! Now, I ask you. Get real. Right!).

Of course all of the "37 5*" series are very similar, but "37 517" is special. The major difference between the rest of the "37 5*" series (traditionally that would be written as "37 5--", but * is much cooler.), is in the absence of the post-fixed specialisation designation. All of the other have a post-fixed specialisation designation of 'S' you see, but "37 517" doesn't.

That's what makes it special.

Although, strictly speaking, as the 'S' originally stood for 'Special', I guess that makes "37 517" not special. Hmm. Well it's special to me. So there.

You can find out more about my wonderful hobby at my website here. I haven't converted the website to Perl yet, but I do maintain the electronic version of my log using some perl scripts. Of course, the Train-Spotters Society hasn't accepted my proposal to legitimise the use of electronic logs yet, so I still have to keep my hand written log up to date, but I'm sure they'll get around to it within the next couple of years. They don't like to be rushed into major changes to the Society rules.

I hope you find this information interesting,

Walter Ethelred Buckét

(3rd runner up Eagle-Eyed Spotter of the Year. 1989).