READING about Flying Scotsman being held-up by foolish people trespassing onto the railway line (Letters, May 14) took me back to those halcyon days when I was an avid trainspotter.

Every Saturday I, with my pal, would head from New Earswick (number 10 bus) to York station equipped with a bottle of lemonade, some sandwiches and the all-important Ian Allen trainspotters book (North East Region).

Those books had every locomotive’s number in them.

There would be many youngsters of similar age all crowding onto the main platforms in order to log the numbers of the locos.

Occasionally we would hear the chime whistle of an A4 Class loco which, with rising excitement, we knew heralded the imminent arrival of a streaker (a stream-lined loco). Should that be Mallard our excitement was palpable.

However, in all those visits nobody would dare trespass onto the tracks, as has happened of late when people have caused all kinds of mayhem through their thoughtless, dangerous, behaviour.

Not only was the threat of a £5 fine a huge deterrent, there was much more respect for authority.

Philip Roe, Roman Avenue South, Stamford Bridge