Steam Train Photography

Hi all, Christmas is fast approaching once again which means the return of the Polar Express running between Birmingham Moor Street station and well Lapland! (Dorridge) After the snow last week two glorious days followed with bright winters light and blue sky. Then Saturday arrives with rain thick dark overcast clouds and high winds on the first day of the service. Marverlous. So I ventured out much to the amazement of everyone to take this photograph traveling by train into

Hi all, I always loved going to Portugal as it was possible to see really old steam engines at work. This wonderful portrait shot we were able to get is of E102 a 2-6-0 Tank built in 1907 by Esslingen of Germany and still happily at work 66 years later. They had such character, with large electric lights, brass numbers, safety valves on top of the dome, a jack on the running plate along with an oil can, and a

I always loved going to Portugal as it was possible to see really old steam engines at work. This wonderful portrait shot we were able to get is of E102 a 2-6-0 Tank built in 1907 by Esslingen of Germany and still happily at work 66 years later. They had such character, with large electric lights, brass numbers, safety valves on top of the dome, a jack on the running plate along with an oil can, and a big wooden

Hi all, It’s nice not to have to travel very far from home to see steam in action which is the case near Tamworth Staffordshire. Here we are at the Statfold Farm Railway in the late afternoon winter sunshine as two 0-4-0 narrow gauge tank engines Marchlin and Ogwen head back to the terminus at Statfold Farm with a nice train of wooden coaches. It’s always worth while to see the steam gala here as there will be 12 or

Two Beyer Garrett GMAM class climb away from City View at walking pace working a freight from Petermaritsberg to Greytown. To gain hight here at the water stop these two engines are moving at a crawl and have to negotiate two 180 degree curves, this being the first one. When we were there a train left Petermaritsberg every hour on the hour. With one coming down from Greytown, this single line was extremely busy a train would be waiting at

It’s only just after sunrise as Austrian 2-10-0 6976 hurries along near Wilfensdorf through featureless country side on a misty and frosty Autumn morning with the 06.26 Bruck Ad Leitha to Vienna train. In tow are eleven four wheeled coaches which must have made for a most uncomfortable ride. 03/10/1972 Regards Ledg.

Hi all, Another picture from our recent visit to the Severn Valley Railways Steam Gala. Here is 4-6-0 3 cylinder 5XP Jubilee 4-6-0 45596 “Bahamas” looking magnificent in its British Railways green as it drops into Highley with the 14.15 Bridgnorth to Kidderminster train. In tow is a fine rake of blood and custard coaches to take you back to the 1950s. I can well remember these engines usually from Bristol Barrow Road or Leeds Holbeck getting into their stride

British Railways Standard 5MT 73125 fitted with Caprotti valve gear at Patricroft Manchester the depot only weeks away from closure. Their huge coal hopper looms large in the background. Beyond that one of the first railways in the country the Liverpool to Manchester line famous for the Rocket which ran along here during the trials of 1825 at Rainhill. For those that knew him John Bloor walks across from the cab of 73125 after moving the engine out of the

CP Portuguese E111 2-6-0 narrow gauge tank engine is being readied at the depot at Mirandela, the end of the line high up in the hills of northern Portugal. E113 stands just inside the shed building and in front although not in view was E112. The second picture is of E111 now standing in the station with a train for Braganca. A mixture of freight wagons and a lone coach at the rear for passengers are in tow ready for

Hi all, On our way from Bebra having seen the East German Pacifics at work we stopped off at Paderborn and soon after arriving a West German oil burning 2-10-0 043-133 rolled in with a freight train from Hamm to Kassel. The local shunter is seen riding on the foot steps to the cab after he had hooked the train off and was about to pick up some more wagons.This engine will soon to be transferred to Rheine once the

A visit to the Severn Valley Steam Gala last Friday. The weather was very poor but never managed to rain thankfully. Here is 4930 “Hagley Hall” dropping into Highley station with the 12.10 Kidderminster to Bridgnorth on Friday 20th September 2024 looking very smart. Regards Ledg.

This first picture was taken from the railway bridge over the river Duero a most precarious location to be in. This was at the village of Ferradosa Portugal taken with with a telephoto lens of 4-6-0 284 built by Henschal of Germany coming up the most spectacular gorge to the west of the village working the 0920 Oporto to Barca de Alva. They looked very similar to the Great Eastern Railway B12 class also 4-6-0s. Around the corner where the