Steam Train Photography

Picture of the Week: QJ 205 Shenyang China

Alan Ledger June 15, 2014

China Rail class QJ 205 2-10-2 one of the first batch ever built of which they were to finally number in their thousands, we saw QJ 66xx at Datong works and they were still being built. Seen getting underway from the main freight yard at Shenyang north east China with a long train of tanks for Harbin. This was a very busy place with trains departing or arriving about every 10 minutes or so going to and from the far

Picture of the Week: A3 2582

Alan Ledger May 22, 2014

What a fantastic 3/4 rear view of Gresley A3 Pacific 2582 “Sir Hugo” looking absolutely immaculate still right hand drive as well. It must have been one of the first through Doncaster works after the Second World War. It has Just come off the shed at Grantham to work north in August 1946. The fireman and driver are aware of the photographer at work as they look down from the cab. The old boy must be in his sixties and

Picture of the Week: 001-202 Neunmarkt Wirsberg

Alan Ledger May 15, 2014

West German 2 cylinder 4-6-2 Pacific 001-202 sweeps down from the Schife Ebene incline into Neaunmarkt Wirsberg station with the 15.52 from Hof to Stuttgart and Tubingen. Up ahead is the east junction and signal box, left to Hof and right to Beyreuth. Up above the signal box on the bridge is a VW Beatle, I wonder how many of these are left now? they were everywhere at the time. The tender of the engine is piled high, there will

Picture of the week: 25NC3506

Alan Ledger May 1, 2014

Big country big engine. Two pictures of South African Railways condensing class 25-3506 4-8-4. All of the class were mechanical stokers. Heading north at the isolated station of Biesiesport with a Beaufort West to De Aar freight probably returning empty coal wagons on the single track main line up from Cape Town. Five huge fans were on the tender top to cool the exhaust steam back into water and then returned it back into the tender tank. A fan drew

Picture of the Week: 33005 Reading South depot

Alan Ledger April 21, 2014

Some of you may never have seen one of these but at least one would be standing around on Reading South Southern shed when paying a visit along with Maunsell U 2-6-0’s and even a School 4-4-0 if you were lucky. It’s a Bullied Q1 0-6-0 33005. They were never clean except when in ex works condition. Forty were built during the second world war and were the most powerful 0-6-0’s in Britain. Nothing elegant about them but always unmistakable

Picture(s) of the day: Bicester

Alan Ledger April 13, 2014

Shirley wanted to go to the Bicester Village today so left her to it as by coincidence West Country 4-6-2 34046 Braunton was passing by! although unable to finding anything remotely scenic today. 6116. Here it is north of Bicester with the 10.45 Paddington to Stratford On Avon. 6119. Again now north of Banbury at Cropredy, Great Bourton Crossing. 6129, 6130. At Leamington catching the late evening sun as it returns with the 18.35 from Stratford to Paddington. Enjoy. Regards

Picture of the Week: 61033 At Chesterfield

Alan Ledger April 10, 2014

For those from Derbyshire here is Thompson B1 4-6-0 61033 “Dibatag” from York 50A (can anyone tell me what sort of creature a Dibatag is!? I’ll have to Google it) looking a bit worse for wear but steaming well. The only clean thing is the headlamp on the top bracket. Here it is heading south to Nottingham along the Great Central loop around Chesterfield in 1961 before closure, probably June the Lupins are in flower behind the engine . The

Picture of the week

Alan Ledger March 6, 2014

Two photographs to look at. Don’t open the second one yet. The first photograph was not the cab of a steam engine in a museum. I repeat this was not an engine in a museum. Just look at it shine it’s unbelievable. It puts our old Diesel cabs to shame. The next photograph is the engine itself this was an every day working engine and had just been coaled (look at it piled high on the tender) and serviced at

Picture of the week: West German 2-10-0, 052-817

Alan Ledger February 23, 2014

A West German 2-10-0, 052-817 is silhouetted against the late afternoon sunset on a bitter cold winters day, working the 16.43 Neunmarkt Wirsberg to Hof local passenger train. Heavy snow fell later overnight which made it extremely hard going on foot the next day getting out into the country side to take photographs. This is the Schife Ebene the German equivalent to the Lickey incline only with bends and situated in glorious rolling countryside, a walkers paradise. All the heavy

Picture of the week: German 2-10-2 tank 99-7244

Alan Ledger February 6, 2014

A winter theme. Ex East German metre gauge 2-10-2 tank 99-7244 gets away from Sorge with the 11.02 from Wernigerode to Benneckenstein in the Harz mountains of Germany. This was definitely not a station to get off at when under East German rule as the border with the west was very close by and you were told in no uncertain terms not to do so. The trains ran along side the fence and no mans land for some distance, it

Picture of the Week: East Germany 1994

Alan Ledger January 9, 2014

I have always wanted a cherry tree in blossom in a picture with a steam engine. We had been walking the line out in the country side near Kubshutz and there it was, so I had to get it at all costs! The bonus was when the train came two people from the house came out and the lady can be seen waving to the driver. Here we are 38 kilometres 600 meters from Dresden on the line to Gorlitz

Picture of the Week: Prabichl, Austria

Alan Ledger December 27, 2013

Here we are at Prabichl station, Austria, mentioned with last weeks picture and high up in the mountains above Vordernberg. As you can see the snow is deep here and all the points in use are well cleared. Skiers cars are parked in the station car park, the ski run heading off into the trees is right behind the left hand engine out of sight. This engine is rack tank 97-211 and is running round its 2 coach train, one

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