1975 was a bad year for going abroad, I had just bought a house that needed plenty of work on it so just one trip was made on a two dayer to northern Germany. Unfortunately the weather was dire. Day one thick grey cloud, day two thick grey cloud and heavy rain. We had given up on the action shots and had made our way to Rheine and the depot even here you needed a tripod! To get any decent
Hi all, This was the scene a few weeks ago out near Tamworth on the Statfold Farm Railway at their steam weekend where approximately 12 engines were in steam running a very busy timetable. First of two pictures of two engines waiting to back up to the station at Statfold Junction. The second picture is taken at Oak Tree Halt a busy passing point for the trains bout halfway round the circuit. It’s really a nice day out to just
Hi all, We had moved on from Karren and Olienhoutplaat in South Africa to finish the day along the single line from Bloemfontein to Bethlehem almost exclusively worked by Bloemfonteins allocation of class 15F 4-8-2s, in this case 15F 2992. A really nice study of it in black and white working the PM freight from Bloemfontein to Bethlehem near Kilmarnock. We would not see it again until the following day at Bethlehem loco. Tomorrow we would spend the day chasing
Hi all, After restoration 60103 “ Flying Scotsman” was always going to be difficult to photograph with out hoards of people in the picture and so Water Orton was going to be a good bet sat on the wall of The Dog public house car park, the footbridge and station were a mass of people who head come to see the famous engine as it passed by working the The Great Britain rail tour, here it is coming along the
Hi all, First of all apologies for the last few weeks of missed pictures, as some of you know I have been in hospital with a suspect water infection and deep vein thrombosis in my right leg. Fortunately the latter was not what they thought so got away with that one but still had to spend a week in Good Hope, not feeling great though, and to top all that my GP suddenly passed away, a lovely big bear of
Hi all, Two S&DJR old timers (Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway) both built for the company at Derby by the Midland Railway Company, 0-6-0 44560 in 1922 and 53806 in 1914. They are working a mixed bag of parcel vehicle’s and two or more coaches. It’s said to be approaching Evercreech Junction but I’m not so sure, I can only assume they are approaching from the south because of the geography of the line and have just passed the up
HI all, A seasonal taste for you this week which I’m sure has been sent before though in colour but a number of you late comers have never received it. We had trudged through the falling snow from Honebach the border station with East Germany over the top of the mile long Honebach tunnel to the location here and got quite a few photographs of trains leaving the tunnel and climbing from Bebra. This is the first East German rebuilt
Hi all, Here we are at 4000 feet in the centre of South Africa looking at a Class 24 2-8-4, 24 3653 Working the 08.10 thrice weekly freight from Molteno, a small town that can be seen in the distance. The freight is heading for Jamestown the end of the line in the middle of nowhere. Imagine an American cowboy film and a dusty one street town and there you have it Jamestown in the middle of nowhere. We hadn’t
Hi all, Reflections. I Decided at the last minute to head off to Kidderminster on Saturday the 5th January to see the Severn Valley Winter Steam Gala arriving at 11.50 in time to see 4930 “ Hagley Hall” arrive with the 10.45 from Bridgnorth. Having seen photo’s of the railway taken at Foley Park crossing the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal I thought I would give it a go and set off on my trusty chair down into the town to
Hi all, A trip out before Christmas to see A4 class 60007 “Sir Nigel Gresley” on the down slow line storming through Lichfield Trent Valley working the 07.00 Chelmsford to Chester 1Z86 rail tour with a lovely rake of blood and custard coaching stock. A class 47 Diesel brings up the rear but fortunately is blotted out by the signage at the platform end. Lichfield High Level station over bridge on the Aston to Wichnor Junction line is right behind
HI all, Picture of the year 2014. I had a good haul of photographs in 2014 but my choice is of Ex Great Western Castle 5043 “Earl of Mount Edgcombe” Just after sun rise as it approaches Elford north of Tamworth, a 45 minute drive from home. It’s working the 07.50 Tyseley to York “Christmas White Rose” The exhaust is wonderful. The sun was only just up and almost straight into the camera lens and a rainbow has crept into
Hi all, On the spur of the moment I decided to head off to Solihull to see the last day of the Polar Express. As usual it was headed by 7029 “Clun Castle” for this years outing. I had a nice chat with the driver at Moor Street Station. I told him that I had fired the engine twice many moons ago when steam engines were allowed back on the main line after their demise on British Railways back in