Back To The Future Indeed!

The whole world is going crazy this week due to the date being the one featured in the 1989 film Back To The Future II, which I confess I've never seen all the way through. However while all and sundry are discussing what they got wrong it suddenly struck me that had they gone back 26 years instead of forward two things would have been rather familiar.

This week has seen First Yarmouth's RML2480 on regular service in the town. This RML dates from 1966, like myself, only has survived in better condition. OK it wouldn't have been around had Marty and Doc gone back to 1963 but the RM certainly was around then. Many thanks to Roy from East Norfolk Bus Blog for letting me use his pic, which he took on Monday, as a result of Grahame's tip off.

RML2480 on the 7 to Belton in Gorleston on Monday.   pic (c) East Norfolk Bus Blog

So if you caught a bus in Yarmouth this week it could have been nearly 50 years old. I stress the nearly bit - plenty of time to go yet there really is!! Had you caught the train to Yarmouth the chances are it could have been even older, at least the locos involved. The short set, which runs between Norwich and Yarmouth/Lowestoft all day is propelled by two 1965 Class 37 locos, that are still arguably the most awesome locos ever made. Any excuse to republish my fav picture of the year, taken near Brundall Gardens in their first week of service on the short set on June 17th this year.

37405, formerly D6982 and 37282 heads to Yarmouth.

The Class 37 locos were introduced from 1961 so again had Doc and Marty travelled back 26 years they would have been an everyday sight like the Routemasters. Then they could really have said they were going back to the future, with both iconic vehicles still transporting passengers around half a century into the future  (I stress the "around" bit again!). Thanks to preservationists both should still be around for the next half century too.