Toot toot!! When I was a young boy, many years ago, nearly every lad wanted to be a train driver when they grew up. Except Roger and he wanted to be in sales and marketing! There’s always one.
Train Drivers
I don’t think one lad I knew ever became a train driver when they left school or a pilot. Come to think of it, the school I went to, most of the pupils probably grew up to be inmates of their local prison! I’m only joking, they probably all turned out to be very nice people indeed. Although I would have ennjoyed being a train driver, I never did make a career as one. Probably the nearest I came to being one was visiting the local railway museum at Tyseley in Birmingham.
Old Grandad Me
Fast forward nearly 60 years (gulp) and now like most of the population of this giant ant farm I suddenly have a lot of spare time on my hands. Roll back a couple of months to Christmas, before anyone had any idea of what was about to be unleashed on planet earth. My eldest daughter and her husband treated me to an X-Box. Yes, old grandad me and I have a new state of the art X-Box to play what seems almost an infinite number of realistic games. No wonder they call it virtual reality. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hide myself away in the bedroom for 38 hours everyday playing shoot em ups.
Football
One of the games that came with it is Fifa 19 which is a football game. Oh boy, I’ve had some fun on that, managing Brentford FC and taking them to the top and winning every possible cup there is to win. Mainly because I keep the settings on beginner/novice level. There’s a racing car game too which I was playing with the son in law when he visited before the lockdown put a block on it. I came last in every race, simply because I couldn’t cheat by keeping the settings on ‘simple’. Then I discovered the joys of Train Simulator 2020 and my life changed.
Casey Jones
I’m thinking of changing my name to Casey Jones, the famous train driver from the wild west. Well, I think that’s who he was. “All aboarrrrrrddd” although I’ve heard others say they’re all bored. I can now jump into the cab of the 9:15 am from Paddington to Reading, start her up, unlock the doors for the passengers, let them board, lock the doors and off we chug. Watch out for those red lights, toot toot, slow down when the signal man tells you and make a safe and gentle approach into Reading station. What great fun I’m having. Park up at Reading and take the 10:40 am back to Paddington using a different locomotive. Tomorrow, I’m off to the Pennines in one of those big, powerful HSR engines. I can hardly wait. Toot toot, the Chatanooga Choo Choo is on his way.
Here’s a link to Train Sim 2020.
smzang
April 17, 2020A dream realized… Bravo!!
Trev
April 17, 2020Thank you, Sarah. In many ways, it is a dream realised.
librepaley
April 17, 2020“When you hear the tooting of a whistle; it’s Casey at the throttle of the Cannonball Express!”
Trev
April 17, 2020Hahaha, Libre, that’s the song, I knew someone would remember it. Thank you 🙂
SueW
April 17, 2020Oh I love this and can really imagine you as a train driver!
I’ve never played video games, used an X box and nor have I used the Playstation, but I do remember having hours of fun On the. ATARI, oh, how I loved that. Year’s later I became hooked on a very simple Google Plus game of tenpin bowling.
I’d like a game that takes me deep into the Dales and Along winding lanes and villages. I suppose I could just get into the car and drive there… Oh, damn this lockdown! ????
Trev
April 17, 2020I never thought I would ever be sat in front of the T.V. Playing games on a console, but I never expected to be locked down either. It has been a welcome distraction, Sue. Thank you as always, stay safe.
Jude
April 17, 2020Trev, you are so wonderfully young at heart. Don’t ever change!
Trev
April 17, 2020Thank you, Jude, I don’t intend to. ????
susiesopinions
April 17, 2020They say we go back to our childhood. Have fun.
Trev
April 17, 2020Thank you, Susie. Stay safe ????
Yetismith
April 17, 2020Paddington was the station we used to go “down to Wiltshire” when I was a child. Those big steam engines scared me a bit when I was small. I can still hear the sound and smell the particular odor of British Railways. I don’t remember wanting to be anything in particular when I grew up but I know my older brother expressed an interest in becoming a “Rag and Bone” man. I think he liked the idea of riding around in the horse cart. I don’t think my parents were too impressed by his ambition.
Trev
April 17, 2020Thank you, Yeti. Yes, I can believe it, them old steam engines were quite beasts when they were in the station, puffing and panting. 🙂
leegschrift
April 17, 2020Let’s start the virtual economy again. haha
Trev
April 17, 2020Indeed, it’s probably all there will be. 🙂
GP Cox
April 17, 2020A kid that wants to be in sales and marketing? That’s hilarious in itself!
https://pacificparatrooper.files.wordpress.com/2020/04/april-14th-7-e1587145564227.jpg
Trev
April 17, 2020Yes, they were very well educated at my school. 🙂 Thank you
Peter's pondering
April 17, 2020It’s a decent salary £44k to £65k. I wonder if they have an upper age limit?
Trev
April 17, 2020That’s not bad is it? Mind you, it must be quite a stressful job. Thank you, Peter.
parneetsachdev
April 18, 2020https://timelessmind.org/2020/04/18/another-liebster-award-thank-you/
nominating you
Abhishek pathania
April 18, 2020I love playing video games????
Enjoyed this post very much
Trev
April 18, 2020Thank you, Abhishek, I’ve certainly enjoyed playing them during the lockdown. 🙂
Kathy Waller
April 19, 2020A train goes through a town ten miles from where I grew up. When we had to stop for it, my mother tried to get me to wave at the caboose man, but I was too shy. Missed opportunity. No more caboose men to wave at.
Trev
April 19, 2020Thank you, Kathy. I know what you are saying. ????
neseknows
April 19, 2020Awesome post!
Trev
April 19, 2020Thank you, neseknows, your kind words are appreciated. ????
Farida Hakim
April 19, 2020Hi,
Go check on my post Liebster Blogger Award. I nominated you for the award. Follow the steps.
Farida Hakim
Trev
April 19, 2020Thanks, but I don’t get involved in the awards. 🙂
stainless steel soap dispenser
April 21, 2020that was your biggest dream 🙂
babymughal
April 21, 2020You are always good Trev ????????
Trev
April 21, 2020Thank you 🙂
KINDNESS
April 23, 2020Take care ????
Trev
April 23, 2020Thank you, KINDNESS 🙂
Vanessa Valeros Calapano
April 24, 2020Hi there, just dropped by to say hello. I enjoyed reading again your blog.
We’ll be waiting for your photo as a driver.
Trev
April 24, 2020Thank you, Vanessa for your kind words which are very much appreciated. Not sure I’ll have any photos of me actually driving. ????
azurea20
April 27, 2020A pesar de seguirte no me llagan tus post. Me resulta difícil entrar en tu blog.. Ya lo siento. Un saludo.
Trev
April 27, 2020Sorry you have had trouble getting my posts, I don’t know why. I hope you can view them in the future. Thank you for letting me know.
creativeenvision
April 27, 2020Hi Trev,
I would like to nominate you for the Liebster award. Congratulations.
https://themindseye5.home.blog/2020/04/27/liebster-award-2/
Trev
April 27, 2020Hi, thank you, but I don’t participate in the awards things. Thank you, again 🙂
Sunshiny SA, Kavitha
April 29, 2020X box games make me feel almost invincible. ????????
Dave Kingsbury
May 1, 2020Virtual reality beats the real thing right now. This got me back on the footplate … well, there for the first time … apart from my dreams. Cheers, Trev, take care!
Trev
May 2, 2020Thank you, Dave, it’s kept me going through these strange times. Stay safe and we shall all be together out the other side.
miniworldto
June 22, 2020Well said and written, loved the blog
Hope we stay connected on my new site????❤
https://lessonoflife.online/
Trev
June 25, 2020Thank you 🙂