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Spring 2013 : March and the onset of Spring, and about time too after the relatively cold grey weather we've endured these last few weeks. Officially the winter has been about average but here in SE England and East Anglia it really has been quite miserable. The coming of March saw brighter weather over the first weekend and warmer weather at the begining of the following week. But that didn't last. Winter returned with a vengeance on March 23rd, even the Bluebell Railway's gala opening of the East Grinstead extension wasn't spared the snow although conditions elsewhere were very much worse. The final week of the month features the new East Grinstead extension of the Bluebell Railway, including the first through train from Victoria on the 28th, headed by GBRf 66739 which was named Bluebell Railway in a ceremony at Horsted Keynes. As I work in East Grinstead these days I expect it may feature more in my pictures over the coming months. My first domestic pictures in April were taken on the 10th & 11th in London and South Wales, in somewhat contrasting weather conditions. April 20th brought the first proper spring day, wall to wall sunshine so I took myself around London for the day. The following week was progressively warm and sunny, although my opportunities to take advantage were a bit limited. On Monday 29th, Tuesday 30th and Wednesday 1st I managed pictures of the 1M16 Caledonian Sleeper on the ECML, the Dollands Moor to Dagenham Channel Tunnel Express and its return in the evening and sundry MU shots on London Overground, crossing the Thames and at Norwood Junction. On Thursday 2nd I spent a very enjoyable couple of hours in the evening on London Overground's rebuilt East London Line, between Dalston and Surrey Quays. Our May Day bank holiday weekend was spent, as it always is with a number of old friends and their children, this time in a farmhouse overlooking the River Wye near Symonds Yat. I had a few opportunities for some pictures. The following week was generally disappointing weatherwise, although I did get a picture of the 7L23 in the early morning sunshine at Crouch Hill on my way to work on Tuesday and on Saturday spent an enjoyable afternoon, alternately getting soaked and baked (well sort of) in the fens around March.

Spring 2013

March and the onset of Spring, and about time too after the relatively ...

Updated: May 13, 2013 11:37am PST

24 inch gauge Weekend : A long weekend on the 2' gauge railways of Wales, ostensibly to ride Saturday's Snowdonian, over the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railway in both directions, some 80 miles. Add to which we rode the Vale of Rheidol on Friday 12th and paid a visit to the Brecon Mountain Railway and it's extraordinary Baldwin pacific on Sunday 14th. Compared to last year the weather was pretty poor unfortunately, but the whole weekend was still great fun.

24 inch gauge Weekend

A long weekend on the 2' gauge railways of Wales, ostensibly to ride S ...

Updated: Apr 21, 2013 5:46am PST

On the Isle of Man : My first ever visit to the Isle of Man. An enjoyable four day break, mainly spent walking along the coast footpath and from Douglas to Peel along the old railway, but with the opportunity of both some photographs of and a couple of rides on the Isle of Man Steam Railway. No chance of riding the Snaefell Railway unfortunately, as the bad weather of mid-March meant the summit remains closed and the season won't now start until May 1st. We saw the Manx Electric but any pictures of that unique line will have to wait for a subsequent visit.

On the Isle of Man

My first ever visit to the Isle of Man. An enjoyable four day break, m ...

Updated: Apr 02, 2013 3:07pm PST

On the slow train to East Grinstead : Having been banished from the relative sophistication of Three Bridges to the back of beyond that is East Grinstead, and set to remain there for up to 2 years, I thought I would use the time to chronicle the comings and goings over the railway into the town. Despite East Grinstead being only 440 yards further from London Bridge than Three Bridges the fastest train takes a whopping 47 minutes compared to just over half an hour, and even that's unusual, most take about an hour. On the plus side it is quite scenic, especially the climb through the Surrey Hills and there are the three steel truss viaducts - Riddlesdown, Oxted and Cook's Pond - which are quite unusual in SE England and, of course, the imminent reconnection of the Bluebell Railway to the national network, after almost 50 years of isolation, is an exciting prospect. So come with me for a journey aboard the train of delights that is Snail Rail

On the slow train to East Grinstead

Having been banished from the relative sophistication of Three Bridges ...

Updated: Mar 28, 2013 2:56pm PST

Winter 2012/2013 : Winter 2012 started on December 1st in proper wintry fashion, with a widespread frost and later a cold north westerly wind. 60163 Tornado was on an Ipswich to Bath and Bristol Cathedrals Express along the North London Line and later in the day I cycled over to Silkstream Junction Hendon for the Earles cement and the Lindsey tanks. Sunday was equally cold but brighter, I went out to Cowroast on the WCML and caught the Daventry to Tilbury Stobart train and the RHTT. During the week there were a couple of opportunities to see the 1Q14 test train, I managed one picture, at Horsham on Wednesday. On Friday I had to be in Bexleyheath at lunchtime, whilst changing trains at Lewisham I saw both the 4O88 (Lawley Street to Grain) and the 6O88 (Paddington Crossrail to Northfleet) whilst Saturday morning found me at the Ouse Washes waiting for 60059 on an extra 6L75, carrying limestone to Ely, presumably bound for British Sugar at Wissington. Despite the bright but cold weather during the following week I had little or no opportunity to take any pictures, it was Saturday 15th before I got out again, this time to King's Sutton in Northants, just south of Banbury. December 21st saw me back in East Anglia for a day out prior to Christmas. After the rain of the previous 24 hours Friday was surprisingly benign. The last pictures of 2012 were taken back in London during my lunch break on Thursday and Friday, Goblin regulars 6X44 and 4M71 After a week in Jordan and my encounter with the Aqaba Railway Corporation my first outing back home was on January 13th to see Metropolitan E class no.1 and Sarah Siddon on the LU150 VIP train. What a treat. After our snowy interlude I had a very pleasant few hours on the last Saturday of the month running around North London after Pathfinder's Buffer Puffer 10 tour and on the final day of the month an hour late morning on the Goblin at South Tottenham and Harringay Park Junction. As February began the weather started to get colder once more, it was really bitter at Old Linslade where I spent a few hours on Saturday afternoon. Snow returned to London and the South East on the 10th & 11th although it didn't last very long, by the end of the week the weather was showing signs of calming down. The cold returned with a vengeance during the third week of the month and stayed that way. We had a few days in the Lake District to go walking, I managed a few Settle and Carlisle shots.

Winter 2012/2013

Winter 2012 started on December 1st in proper wintry fashion, with a w ...

Updated: Feb 23, 2013 10:03am PST

Snow 2013 : The 18th January brought the first significant snowfall of the year to Southern Britain. I was in Central London on Friday and managed a few pictures as I travelled from St Johns Wood back to North London. On Saturday morning I went out to Manea getting a couple of pictures in the rather gloomy light. More snow fell on Sunday 20th which rendered Monday's journey to work somewhat fraught as Network Rail and Southern somehow contrived to miss the forecasts and seemingly took no precautions, resulting in chaotic scenes at London Bridge, East Croydon and Three Bridges. Not a great start to the week. By Friday a thaw had started which accelerated dramatically overnight and by Saturday afternoon the snow was all but gone.

Snow 2013

The 18th January brought the first significant snowfall of the year to ...

Updated: Jan 22, 2013 11:37am PST

The Aqaba Railway Corporation : A very brief look at the Aqaba Railway Corporation during a half day stopover in Aqaba, Jordan on January 4th 2013. The ARC is a relatively new railway, a 60 mile extension from a junction with the mainline of the Hejaz Railway at Batn al Ghul to carry phosphates, Jordan's only natural resource, to the port-resort of Aqaba for export. It was laid to the Hejaz Railway's unique 1.05m gauge. Today about five round trips run each day from a number of mines in and around Ma'an to Aqaba. I was lucky on Friday to see both a loaded train arrive and empties depart. It warrants a return visit.

The Aqaba Railway Corporation

A very brief look at the Aqaba Railway Corporation during a half day s ...

Updated: Jan 06, 2013 11:08am PST

Pick of 2012 : 2012 has not been a vintage year photograhically, at least not for me. Probably down to the rotten weather we endured for much of it. I did have three enjoyable foreign jaunts, to Finland in March, Northern Spain in May and Chile at the end of September, as well as a couple of decent days out at home. As last year I make no particular claims for any of the pictures, they are just ones that give me some pleasure.

Pick of 2012

2012 has not been a vintage year photograhically, at least not for me. ...

Updated: Dec 09, 2012 12:30pm PST

Autumn 2012 : After the wettest summer since 1912 it was a pleasure when September began on a dry note and I enjoyed a curate's egg of an afternoon at Old Linslade. Sunday saw me at West Drayton to catch the Colnbrook to Lindsey empty oil tanks and Monday morning on my way to London Bridge I stopped off at Upper Holloway for the welcome return of 7L22. On September 6th the VSOE paid a visit to the South Coast, running ecs through Three Bridges morning and late afternoon and on Saturday I was out and about in the fenland once more. September 15th marked the first of nine weekends which will see the GEML closed between Shenfield and Witham as the OHLE is upgraded. Consequently the fens saw an upsurge in container traffic to and from Felixstowe as well as engineering trains too and from Whitemoor. I caught a train to Ely, rode round to Soham, back to Ely to catch a train to March and then biked it to Whittlesey and Peterborough, catching an East Coast train back to King's Cross. September 26th was a sad day, the final day of London Underground's A stock in routine service prior to the farewell railtour on September 29th. Friday 28th saw 87002 en route to York with a special. After returning from Chile on October 7th I didn't actually get my camera out until Saturday 20th, mainly on account of the terrible weather. Saturday 27th was forecast for much of the previous week to be cold but sunny, cold it certainly was but after initial brightness by late morning the sun had all but gone, at east around London. Overall October 2012 was quite a contrast to October 2011. The first four days of November in East Anglia yielded a single morning's worth of pictures around Ely and the Ouse Washes on Friday 2nd. Remembrance Sunday found me in Kent.

Autumn 2012

After the wettest summer since 1912 it was a pleasure when September b ...

Updated: Nov 21, 2012 12:04am PST

Chile 2012 - F cab and box cabs : Since my last visit to Chile in 2004 I've been planning to return, and this year all the pieces fell into place. And these are the results, which I hope you will enjoy. I think the two railways featured in this gallery, the Antofagasta and Bolivia (FCAB) and the Ferrocarril Tocopilla al Toco (FCTT) of mining company Soqumich are possibly among the most interesting operations anywhere in the world. The FCAB is a heavy haul metre gauge railway, on which Chile and Bolivia's mining industries rely. In Chile copper mining has enjoyed a boom over the past decade, hence the power hungry FCAB's acquisition of second hand power from Australia, Colombia and Canada. North of Antofagasta SQM's nitrate extraction and processing operation, the last in Chile, continues at Maria Elena and Pedro de Valdivia in the harsh conditions of the nitrate pampa. The finished product is shipped to Tocopilla for export over the former FCTT, which despite the acquisition of modern electric power still relies on their 85 year old 1500v GE box cabs over the difficult ascent/descent of the coast range, on which the gradient is never less than 1 in 25 (4%). But the box cabs days probably are numbered, so long as the railway and their locomotive builder - Casa Grande Motori in Santiago - can iron out the bugs in the new locomotives, which were assembled locally from imported components (from Siemens?). We shall see. The final few pictures were taken in the rain on Saturday with Santiago resident Alan Miller during my stopover on the way home, we chased two trains carrying domestic waste from Santiago to a land fill site at Montenegro, a Chilean bin-liner. Finally, Chile is a great place to visit whether you are in to trains or not. The country is endlessly fascinating, the geography amazingly varied and the people are extremely welcoming. A knowledge of Spanish is useful but not essential. Driving standards are not too dissimilar to Europe, although minor roads are often unsurfaced. I had no problems at all taking pictures, just a few curious stares but no more than one gets at home. Chilean railwaymen are also extremely friendly, never was I told that I could not take pictures. So here is a snapshot of a week in Chile in October 2012. My thanks to Mel Turner for an up to date FCAB roster which has enabled me to identify the variety of motive power, both indigenous and second hand that the FCAB employs.

Chile 2012 - F cab and box cabs

Since my last visit to Chile in 2004 I've been planning to return, and ...

Updated: Nov 17, 2012 1:19am PST

August 2012 - summer's last chance? : August is not a favourite month of mine, by and large the countryside looks brown, but not this year! In fact on my journey from Ely to March on Saturday 11th I was not surprised that the Ouse Washes remain under water. But so far August has been less wet and warmer than either June or July. The weekend of 18th & 19th was positively hot, so much so that I took myself ff to Old Linslade for the first time this year for the pre-breakfast parade of trains, enlivened this Saturday by the Northern Belle and GBRf's two morning services to and from Hams Hall which ran WCML rather than cross country. The penultimate week and the bank holiday weekend found me in London and East Anglia

August 2012 - summer's last chance?

August is not a favourite month of mine, by and large the countryside ...

Updated: Aug 31, 2012 6:45am PST

July 2012 - more rain? : District Dave's site on all things London Underground alerted me to the possibility that at least one of the trains in service on Sunday July 1st between Wembley Park and Aldgate was an A stock train. So naturally as the weather remained dry I went out to look... The following week was characterised by rain and more rain. Despite that I managed a few pictures. On Saturday 7th I spent the afternoon at Kew East, dodging all the showers too! The following week was, if anything, worse so not much picture taking opportunities, just an early evening at Greenford. July 13th saw us off on holiday, to the Outer Hebrides. I managed a few pictures of trains on the way and coming back but our main mode of transport was by CalMac ferry. The final weekend was spent in Wiltshire, with a flying visit to South Wales on Sunday.

July 2012 - more rain?

District Dave's site on all things London Underground alerted me to th ...

Updated: Jul 30, 2012 1:01pm PST

June 2012 - God makes it clear she's a republican! : The first weekend of June was that of the Jubilee bank holiday and as is usually the case for formal state occasions, the weather was pretty terrible, especially on Sunday. Working from home on the Friday I went out at lunch time for a stakeout on the Goblin before heading off to Norfolk for the holiday. In East Anglia only Sunday was a complete wash-out, it rained from dawn 'til dusk. Saturday morning was actually quite bright, I went out to Green Drove between Stonea and March for the four morning intermodals (4E05, 4M29, 4L02 and 4E22). The Fens seemed to mark the boundary between the bright weather of Norfolk and Lincolnshire and the duller, cloudier conditions further south. Although never actually sunny it was bright enough. the rest of the weekend was spent walking, cycling and falling in the water, but that's another story :-) The few days after the extended holiday saw more wind and rain, on most days it felt more like October than flamin' June. And it's not even Wimbledon yet! I took some pictures on all three days around North London on the way too and from work. On Saturday 9th I had to go to Hunstanton by train and bus to pick up a bike. Catching the 06:45 from King's Cross I stopped off at Ely for the four breakfast time workings which, in the event, turned out to be three, 4L02 didn't show on account of problems loading and unloading the previous day at Felixstowe as a consequence of the high winds. I was fortunate that week commencing 11th did see some bright and sunny weather, particularly in the morning which is my favourite time of the day. On the strength of the weather forecast I took a day's holiday on Tuesday 19th and embarked on a round tour of the Northern Home Counties. It was a most enjoyable day out, topped and tailed by Chiltern's 1H09 & 1U53 with cherry red 67018 Keith Heller still doing the business. The remainder of the month was spent taking a few pictures here and there, whilst going to and coming from work and a Saturday morning session in the fens. I spent the final Friday of the month riding and photographing the last few A Stock trains on the Met before they were relegated to cover for S stock and for a couple of peak hour extras. On the final day of the month, Saturday, I took myself off with bike to Bedford, cycling to Wellingborough via Oakley, Sharnbrook and Souldrop, catching the Elstow to Mountsorrel, West Thurrock to Earles and Colnbrook to Lindsey. I also got a complete soaking courtesy of a 'Spanish Plume' shower.

June 2012 - God makes it clear she's a republican!

The first weekend of June was that of the Jubilee bank holiday and as ...

Updated: Jun 30, 2012 10:57am PST

May 2012 - the prelude to summer : May started on quite a positive note with both the 7L22 and it's return, the 7O81, running on time. On Friday we set off to Pembrokeshire for a weekend away, stopping off at Chepstow for the 6B13 which obligingly also appeared on time. Despite staying in SW Wales I spent Saturday 5th in Snowdonia, joining in the Ffestiniog's celebrations marking the 30th anniversary of the railway returning to its original terminus, Blaenau Ffestiniog having overcome all sorts of obstacles in the 27 years since the first train ran in the preservation era. Long slog from south to north and back again but worth it. For the third week of the month something a bit different; together with five colleagues I cycled from London to Paris via Newhaven and Dieppe. From Dieppe the first 30+ miles to Serqueux are along the old railway, which has now been turned into a cycle way, part of the Avenue Verte Londres–Paris which eventually will provide an off road route between the two cities. Today the route is better marked in France than it is in Britain, hopefully that will change. Beyond Serqueux the route follows the railway on minor roads, the rail infrastructure still intact despite being out of service. After Gourney en Bray our route and that of the railway diverged until we crossed it again at Santeuil le Perchay, where it is electrified and used by commuter trains to Gisors. Over thirty years ago I caught a relief boat train from Newhaven to Paris (Gare St Lazare) which took the Serqueux and Gisors route. Never thought I'd cycle it as well! The last full week of the month heralded a spell of warm and sunny weather. A few shots during the working week and an early morning trackside between Ely and the Ouse Washes on Saturday. I didn't stay out very long as after mid morning the sun is very high and shadows are hard to come by. The weather remained largely fine for the last few days of the month. I was extremely busy at work so was only able to take a few pictures on my way in and on the way home.

May 2012 - the prelude to summer

May started on quite a positive note with both the 7L22 and it's retur ...

Updated: May 31, 2012 1:08pm PST

Vuelva a Asturias - return to Asturias : When I got back home after my last visit to Spain, in September last year, I totted up all what I'd seen and what I'd missed and resolved to go back in 2012 to rectify some of the misses. They were, in no particular order - FEVE coal trains to Soto de Ribera and/or Guardo power stations - Aluminium trains on the Gijon-Ferrol line west of Pravia - La Maruca Yard in Aviles - Iron Ore on the broad gauge Arcelor-Mittal (ex-ENSIDESA) railway between Aviles and Abono - the line through the Nalon Valley between Pravia and Trubia - the line between Pravia and Aviles - the former Langreo Railway between Gijon and El Berron - the Ponferrada and Villablino (metre gauge, operated by coal mining company, Coto Minero Cantábrico) I managed some of these, I also contrived to miss a few so it looks like another visit is on the cards :-)

Vuelva a Asturias - return to Asturias

When I got back home after my last visit to Spain, in September last y ...

Updated: May 13, 2012 8:32am PST

April - sunshine and showers? : On April 1st (a rather appropriate date) I cycled from home in North London to Newhaven in Sussex, primarily to see whether I could do it as I'm riding with colleagues from London to Paris in May and the first leg is to Newhaven. I took my camera with me with the intention of taking as many pictures of moving trains on the lines I crossed en-route. No freights I'm afraid but it was a Sunday in deepest Sussex. Leaving home just after 07:00 I arrived in Newhaven just in time to catch the 17:00 back to Brighton. The 2012 Easter weekend was about as different as last year as it could possible be, the only decent weather in East Anglia was early on Good Friday morning (and late on Saturday afternoon). I went out for a couple of surprisingly rewarding hours at Ely early on Friday morning in, to begin with, sub-zero temperatures. Last year on the same day it was 20C+ Tuesday the 10th was most definitely a day of sunshine and showers, I stopped off at Willesden Green on my way home to shoot the new Arriva Trains Wales DVT currently in service with Chiltern on the Banbury set (18:13 ex-Marylebone) taking a few pictures of the Met and Jubilee Line in the process. The weather didn't get any better as the month progressed, indeed at times it got decidely worse, feeling more like October than April. A range of pictures during the last half, mainly Chiltern Trains loco hauls and Brighton Line stuff, with some Goblin thrown in.

April - sunshine and showers?

On April 1st (a rather appropriate date) I cycled from home in North L ...

Updated: Apr 29, 2012 8:00am PST

The Snowdonian - a weekend in North Wales : Back to North Wales for a weekend of two foot gauge steam, both watching and riding. The riding bit was quite special, the railway companies ran an all day special - the Snowdonian - from Porthmadog to Caernarfon and back via Blaenau Ffestiniog. Over the Ffestiniog the two Penrhyn Quarry sisters, Linda and Blanche provided the power but over the steeper gradients of the WHR two of the boys, double Fairlies Merddin Emrys and Earl of Merioneth, were called for. Listening to them lift the heavy train up the 1 in 40 grades through Beddgelert Forest was spine tingling. For narrow gauge suckers like me it was unmissable

The Snowdonian - a weekend in North Wales

Back to North Wales for a weekend of two foot gauge steam, both watchi ...

Updated: May 07, 2012 9:33am PST

March 2012 - an early taste of Spring (or was it the Summer?) : March arrived accompanied by warm, if hazy sunshine. I had a day off work and spent most of it around Peterborough, with an ultimately fruitless visit to Boston for the 6E07/6M08 steel train, which in the event were cancelled. After returning to Stanground one of Peterborough's eastern suburbs I headed east and finished the day at the Ouse Washes, near Pymoor. On Sunday 4th the weather changed quite dramatically and we enjoyed (I think that's the word) a day of almost continual rain and sleet, with temperatures to match. Under normal circumstances I'd have stayed at home but this Sunday would be the only opportunity to get pictures of the East Coast diverts, so I went out and got wet :-) The rain was fairly short lived, the following week was mainly dry and increasingly warm. On Saturday 10th I drove to Thirsk in North Yorkshire, taking a few pictures on the way. Saturday 24th was another warm and sunny day in Eastern England, at least once the fog had dispersed. Summer appears to have come early! The last week of the month has been remarkable, unbroken sunshine by day, and now the clocks have gone forward the opportunity to take early evening pictures on my way home along the Gospel Oak to Barking Line.

March 2012 - an early taste of Spring (or was it the Summer?)

March arrived accompanied by warm, if hazy sunshine. I had a day off w ...

Updated: Mar 31, 2012 10:46am PST

Having fun in Finland : I first visited Finland, specifically Helsinki, with school in 1973 and rode a commuter train from Central Station to Tikkurila in the north eastern suburbs. It was to be 22 years before my next visit, a couple of days en-route home to London after two weeks touring the newly independent Baltic States, and a further 17 years before I landed at Helsinki's Vantaa Airport last Wednesday, March 14th. Coincidentally I stayed in a hotel adjacent to the same suburban station, Tikkurila, I had been to some 40 years ago. These are some of the pictures I took. As you will see it was a varied weekend weather wise - two sunny days and two not so sunny days. Well you can't win 'em all. It was also good to meet up with Finnish railfans John, Stas and Ilkka of http://www.4rail.net with whom I've been corresponding for a number of years.

Having fun in Finland

I first visited Finland, specifically Helsinki, with school in 1973 an ...

Updated: Mar 21, 2012 11:20pm PST

February 2012 - a month of two halves : February 2012 started off here in the south as the coldest month of the winter so far. On Friday 3rd overnight temperatures, even in North London were around -6C. There was no let up in the cold weather as the month progressed, more snow on the following Thursday was followed on Friday by the coldest night of the winter so far, -15C at Holbeach. On Saturday morning in the fens freezing fog shrouded everything in ice. By the following week the cold weather was replaced by dull, overcast but warmer conditions, not much good for picture taking. The cold and clear weather returned, briefly on Sunday 19th when I went out into the Home Counties to get the 4L48 Tesco train. Monday 20th and Tuesday 21st found me taking pictures of stations - London Bridge and the Gare du Nord in Paris. The final weekend of the month was both sunny and remarkably warm for the end of February, I spent Saturday at Llanvihangel and Cwmbargoed.

February 2012 - a month of two halves

February 2012 started off here in the south as the coldest month of th ...

Updated: Feb 26, 2012 1:11pm PST

January 2012 : The year kicked off with a solitary picture of a class 376 leaving Cannon Street and a handful of shots of the WCML in Hertfordshire. The weekend of the 14th and 15th was sunny and cold, on Saturday I took myself off to Manningtree for the first time in winter since 2007. A bit of a curates egg of a day, trains were disrupted by a broken rail on the Felixstowe branch but there was plenty of birdlife to watch. Saturday 21st dawned damp but with the hint of brighter weather later. DRS were running a convoy from Carlisle to Whitemoor to provide power for Saturday evening/Sunday engineering trains, sufficient reason I thought to venture out on such an unpromising day The following weekend I was in London and spent Saturday afternoon along the North London Line

January 2012

The year kicked off with a solitary picture of a class 376 leaving Can ...

Updated: Jan 29, 2012 8:58am PST

Best of 2011 : As New Year's Eve approaches I've gone through the pictures I took throughout the year and come up with 21 real favourites. I'm not claiming any particular artistic merit for the chosen shots, they are just ones which gave me a certain satisfaction both at the time of their taking but also afterwards when I saw how they had come out. I haven't tried to come up with a Top 10, they are in date order but my all time favourite shot of the year is in there, please be my guest and guess :-)

Best of 2011

As New Year's Eve approaches I've gone through the pictures I took thr ...

Updated: Dec 28, 2011 3:58pm PST

A tale of two Decembers : Given that for much of December 2010 the country was covered with snow and that in 2011 December follows the second warmest autumn on record I thought I'd prepare a compare and contrast gallery, so here goes.

A tale of two Decembers

Given that for much of December 2010 the country was covered with snow ...

Updated: Jan 02, 2012 10:48am PST

November 2011 - presumably Winter is on the horizon : November started with a few bright days but it didn’t last, at least not in the South East. I booked our Mini-E out a couple of times during my lunch break and took some pictures along the Brighton Line in some pretty variable conditions. On Friday 11th and Saturday 12th a friend and fellow railfan from Chicago paid us a flying visit. On Friday we went out in search of the two Remembrance Day steam charters to Kent. Unfortunately the weather was uniformly dreich and the RTC train, hauled by Tangmere suffered all sorts of problems, including stalling on Martin Mill bank which meant it was five hours late back in London! Needless to say we had gone home by then. Saturday was altogether a better and more successful day, on both sides of the Severn estuary in search of class 60s. The following week was benignly mild with some decent sun after generally misty starts, I went out for the 6O10 spoil train on four out of the five days and a variety of Brighton Line stuff as well. Saturday 19th saw me out along the WCML again, trying a few locations that I hadn't visited the last time I was out that way on October1st. On Saturday 26th I took myself off early to March but managed to leave my lens bag at home, so only had the 180mm telephoto which was on the camera. It was a bit greyer than I expected, the local weather forecast on Friday evening suggested a morning of unbroken sunshine. The 4L02 from Hams Hall was diverted via London on account of engineering works, leaving me with the 4E05, 4M24 and 4E22 before I headed home for breakfast.

November 2011 - presumably Winter is on the horizon

November started with a few bright days but it didn’t last, at least n ...

Updated: Nov 27, 2011 1:08pm PST

October 2011 - expect the unexpected : October 1st 2011 was the hottest October day on record in Britain, the temperature reached 29.9C in that Thameside hotspot of Gravesend in Kent. I was a few miles away in the northern home counties, where it too was hot and sunny. And to compliment the weather the trains all behaved themselves! The hot weather continued on Sunday and thanks to FMi I got heads up to the first working into the London area of 67001, repainted in ATW colours for use on the Holyhead to Cardiff service, which was a bit of a coup - it was on the rear of an engineers train from Kentish Town back to Toton. By Tuesday the weather was rapidly returning to what one might expect in October, I went out to see the Brighton Line Test Train 1Q01 and one of the Horsham based RHTT MPVs By the Saturday 8th the weather had taken on a distinct autumnal tinge. Although it wasn’t quite the best day to go photographing trains, I decided to make the effort on account of a.) the intermodal diverts to and from Felixstowe via Leicester, Peterborough and Bury St Edmunds and b.) the impending abolition of Kennett signal-box. But I didn't stay out long, too damn cold! Saturday 15th was, by contrast, a day of warm autumnal sunshine and I was back in East Anglia on the trail of the Felixstowe diverts. In addition DRS ran a train of flats to Felixstowe for to pick up new Tesco curtainsiders as they are expanding their use of rail, which is great news. I only had the morning and early afternoon free, having to be back home by mid-afternoon but despite a truncated day it was very, very enjoyable. Saturday 22nd saw me down in the South West with fellow FMi member Hooverman. Again the weather was pretty spectacular, sunny for all our pictures and we were treated to not one, but two class 60s. It really was a splendid day out. Wednesday 26th. A lunchtime drive over to Dormans Park in the pool Mini-E at lunchtime for one last shot of the 6O10 Imberhorne tip spoil train, which I believe comes to an end on Friday. Friday 28th. A day out chasing the Welsh Highland Railway courtesy of Virgin Trains/ATW, a taxi, my bike and the Snowdon Sherpa bus. Final pictures of the month were taken on a grey Sunday, the first Sunday run of DRS new Tesco express from Daventry to Ripple Lane and Tilbury, combining Tesco's new route with their well established Daventry to Tilbury intermodal carrying tanks of sugar products from Tate & Lyle. A great end to an exceptional month.

October 2011 - expect the unexpected

October 1st 2011 was the hottest October day on record in Britain, the ...

Updated: Oct 30, 2011 9:28am PST

Autumn colours at Souldrop : Today (October 9th) I went to Souldrop in the hope of catching the 6B01 and 7B02 engineering trains from the West Hampstead area back to Toton. In the event I saw one but not the other (7B02 ran over an hour early). Whilst I was there it occured to me that I only ever seem to go to Souldrop in October, so I've collected all my autumnal Souldrop pictures in one gallery.

Autumn colours at Souldrop

Today (October 9th) I went to Souldrop in the hope of catching the 6B0 ...

Updated: Oct 09, 2011 10:53am PST

September, the commencement of autumn : On the first day of the month, In a break from working at home I ventured down to the ECML and the Goblin, it was a lovely late summer day. After a misty start Saturday 3rd too was dry and fine, and considerably warmer than the last week of August! I spent it knocking about North London. From Saturday 10th to Tuesday 13th I was in Cornwall for a short holiday with my in-laws in a small village called Duloe, between Liskeard and Looe. It was the first time I’d been back to Cornwall since 2007. To cap the visit I had a splendid day out on Tuesday 13th and returned that night on the ‘beds’ from Liskeard (23:21 Night Riviera). Back in London I took a couple of pictures at Lewisham and then on the last weekend of the month enjoyed another day out in fenland. The last week of the month saw a mini-heatwave and the 73 hauled test train out and about on Brighton metals.

September, the commencement of autumn

On the first day of the month, In a break from working at home I ventu ...

Updated: Sep 29, 2011 1:01pm PST

Bienvenidos a Asturias : A return to Asturias in Northern Spain for my third visit this year before the winter sets in and the weather deteriorates (it can be every bit as wet as England), ostensibly to sample more FEVE metre gauge freight operation but as you will see I also got to see plenty of RENFE activity too and, as a bonus, a torpedo train on the Arcelor-Mittal Railway between Abono and Avilés. Asturias has the densest network of narrow gauge lines in Northern Spain, made up of the former FC Economico de Asturias, FC Vasco Asturiano, FC Langreo (originally standard gauge but converted to metre in the 1980s), FC Carreno and the FC de Ferrol a Gijón. And as well as the narrow gauge there was a network of broad gauge lines of the FC del Norte (now RENFE). All this railway activity was on account of the coal mining and iron and steel smelting that went on in the steep sided Nalon and Caudal Valleys, which turned Asturias into an industrial powerhouse in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Today steel production has migrated to the coast, around Avilés, where Ensidesa (now Arcelor-Mittal) set up an integrated steel plant in the 1950s. Coal mining is also much reduced, and looks to shrink further if graffiti about saying no to an end to mining is to go by. All mining is in the hands of Hunosa - Hulleras del Norte, S.A. – set up by the government in the 1960s to take over the failing mining companies. As well as mining it is also a major player in promoting inward investment to provide alternative jobs in the mining region. Today domestic mined coal is burnt in two power plants in the Nalon Valley, supplemented by imported coal from the terminal at Abono near Gijon. The FEVE serves the Soto de Ribera plant with coal from both sources. So there is plenty to see in and around the three central Asturian cities of Oviedo, Avilés and Gijón, and venturing a bit further afield there is the RENFE line over the Pajares Pass between Asturias and Leon, a spectacular alpine-like railway, and the western end of the metre gauge FC La Robla – El Hullero – just to the south of Pajares at La Robla and Leon.

Bienvenidos a Asturias

A return to Asturias in Northern Spain for my third visit this year be ...

Updated: Sep 09, 2011 11:02am PST

My August Bank Holiday : My August Bank Holiday 2011 weekend in Norfolk started a day early, on Friday 27th, as family commitments meant we had to be back in London on Sunday evening. The weather on Friday was pretty terrible, apart from a couple of hours around mid-day, which happened to coincide with the 6E88. As the weekend progressed it got progressively less wet, but not a whole lot warmer, feeling more like October than late August, compounded by some trees already displaying their autumn tints. Ah the joys of an English summer. ☺

My August Bank Holiday

My August Bank Holiday 2011 weekend in Norfolk started a day early, on ...

Updated: Aug 29, 2011 12:00pm PST

The dog days of August : The first few days of August were most definitely dog days - hot and sultry - with temperatures peaking at about 30C on Wednesday, at least in London. After a mainly sunny Friday it was back to normal on Saturday with a mixture of sunshine and showers, I paid a return visit to Old Linslade and was rewarded by a full house of trains! Sunday August 14th was spent on the trail of engineering trains in the fens, where the grain harvest is in full swing. On Friday 19th I took some pictures of the VSOE which ran an empty stock train too and from Chichester via the Brighton mainline. On Saturday I started out with the intention of going to Kent but a number of factors changed my mind so instead I stayed in London, using a combination of train and push bike to get from location to location. On Sunday a solitary picture of standard 7MT pacific 70000 Britannia on Steam Dreams' Cathedrals Express to Norwich from King's Cross.

The dog days of August

The first few days of August were most definitely dog days - hot and s ...

Updated: Aug 21, 2011 8:59am PST

High Summer July 2011 : Fingers crossed for a more settled month than June. On Saturday 2nd I spent the day wandering around London courtesy of my Oyster Card. Using Freightmaster to plan my day I saw 10 (and photographed 8) of the scheduled freight trains running through London on a Saturday. Pictures from London during the week and a Saturday afternoon in the fens with plenty of motive power surprises (at least they were to me!). Finally the antics of our resident wren. On Thursday 14th I spent the day with Steve 'Gridnutter' Clark on a voyage of discovery down the Thames Valley plus some early morning Chiltern shots around Brill and of the bubblecar. Friday 15th I was back in more familiar territory around Marylebone and at East Grinstead for the spoil empties plus a stop off at Shepherds Bush for the Friday Llanwern to Dollands Moor The final week of the month was spent discovering new parts of the country, on board a canal boat on the Shropshire Union and Llangollen Canals. Unlike our canal holiday last year the Llangollen does not run close to any railways, with the exception of a couple of miles north of Chirk, so I had my bike with me which meant I got to see a few trains. And for once this month we enjoyed some settled dry weather with plenty of sunshine.

High Summer July 2011

Fingers crossed for a more settled month than June. On Saturday 2nd I ...

Updated: Jul 31, 2011 3:53am PST

Flamin' June : So far no sign of a prolonged dry spell, June to date having been a mixture of sunshine, showers and distinctly un-June temperatures. Nevertheless the first week saw me out on Tuesday before and after a meeting in London and Saturday morning found me taking advantage of a brief sunny window of opportunity in the fens, greened by Friday’s heavy rain. During the following week I was dodging the showers too and from work. Saturday 18th saw me in Kent for the first time in ages, 60163 Tornado was going to Canterbury. The following week was more of the same, shower dodging. On the last Saturday of the month I headed out in the afternoon to Dudswell and Mentmore on the WCML, Sunday and the following week saw more London pictures, including my first of the 6Z25 Croft to Ferme Park stone train. The last day of the month saw me underground saying goodbye to London Underground's 1967 Stock on the Victoria Line.

Flamin' June

So far no sign of a prolonged dry spell, June to date having been a mi ...

Updated: Apr 02, 2012 3:10pm PST

El Hullero – metre gauge freight in Northern Spain : The FEVE – Spain’s nationalised narrow gauge railway operator – still carries plenty of heavy freight traffic over its network in the provinces of Northern Spain. Following my brief encounter with the FEVE in April I planned a return, this time to concentrate on freight operations centred around Bilbao in the Basque province of Bizkaia (easily reached by Brittany Ferries or, in my case, Easyjet) There isn’t a huge amount of enthusiast gen about the FEVE, especially in English. But equipped with Dr Mike Bent's book ‘Narrow Gauge Rails through the Cordillera’ (highly recommended) and a pdf presentation available to download off the FEVE’s website ‘TRAFICO DE MERCANCÍAS POR FERROCARRIL’ (www.feve.es/recursos/doc/servicios/unidad-de-negocio-de-mercancias.pdf if you are interested) which usefully spells out how much of what goes where, I set out to try and capture pictures of some of the typical flows. (this map is very useful too http://www.feve.es/recursos/doc/servicios/mapa-de-mercancias.pdf ) I stayed in Bilbao, concentrating on the lines of the former FC de Santander a Bilbao and the FC La Robla, the latter known as El Hullero on account of its reliance (in earlier days) on moving coal (hullera translates as coal mine). Today there is a single route from Bilbao’s Estacion Concordia (and Ariz freight yard) to Aranguren (23kms from Bilbao) from where the lines go their separate ways. The FC La Robla was the longest metre gauge railway in Europe, stretching 335kms from Bilbao to the city of Leon. Today it still clings to life, there’s a daily passenger train in each direction, which leaves Bilbao at 14:30, Leon at 14:00 and arrives at their respective destinations at 21:48 and 21:30, plus the sand trains from Arija (of which more anon) and coal to the power station at Guardo (which I didn’t see). The other mainline metre gauge system in Bilbao, the former FC Vascongados now Euskotren, which connects Bilbao with Donostia/San Sebastian, Irun and Hendaye in France is these days a passenger operation only.

El Hullero – metre gauge freight in Northern Spain

The FEVE – Spain’s nationalised narrow gauge railway operator – still ...

Updated: Jun 06, 2011 10:53pm PST

May 2011 - the arrival of summer : May started off with a bit of a coup, an early 6V42 Tilbury to Trostre. the following day I was out on the hunt for Chiltern loco hauled trains and at the weekend a vist to Beggar's Bridge in the Fenland. The following week it was back to going out early for Chiltern's loco hauled trains plus my first site of the new S stock in service. On Saturday 14th I was out at Old Linslade for the early morning parade of trains starting with the Caledonian Sleeper from Glasgow and Edinburgh and ending with a pair of 86s on the 4L97. After over 40 years service London Underground’s 1967 stock on the Victoria Line is about to retire. To celebrate their life and times the London Transport Museum organised a farewell tour from Seven Sisters to Uxbridge and Ealing Broadway on Sunday 15th. I ventured out west to take some pictures of trains which normally spend their working days underground. After a few days in North Wales (see separate gallery) we stopped off at Old Linslade for an afternoon's train watching. Very eventful as it happened, two extra Freightliners (Crewe to Ipswich and Thamesport to Crewe) plus the new GBRf Hams Hall service and 5043 'Earl of Mount Edgcumbe' on a charter from Brum to Euston. In the last full week of May I was out for Chiltern Railway's loco hauled trains and a chance picture of 7O81 with reefers among the Transfesa flats. On the last day of the month morning and evening visits to Neasden produced Chiltern loco and MU services and the indestructible A stock on the Metropolitan Line.

May 2011 - the arrival of summer

May started off with a bit of a coup, an early 6V42 Tilbury to Trostre ...

Updated: Jun 01, 2011 11:40am PST

Rheilffyrdd Ffestiniog ac Eryri – the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways : The visit of an old friend, Mel Finzer, from Chicago, who I had last seen back in November on our expedition around Colorado and Wyoming, was the perfect opportunity for a return visit to North Wales, and it didn’t disappoint. The WHR were running two of their NGG16 Beyer-Garratts, 87 (Cockerill 1936) and 138 (Beyer-Peacock 1958) as well as the two mainline diesels, Vale of Ffestiniog (C H Funkey 1968) and Castell Caernarfon (C H Funkey 1968) whilst the Ffestiniog rostered two Double Fairlies; Merddin Emrys (Boston Lodge 1879) and Earl of Merioneth/Iarll Meirionydd (Boston Lodge 1979). And although it wasn’t wall to wall sun – this is North Wales after all – we enjoyed some sun or bright conditions on all three days. And to top it all Friday 20th was the first day of the WHR’s Rail Ale Beer Festival ☺. To round things off, on our return journey we stopped off at Llanfair and Welshpool for a quick look at the W&LLR before an afternoon at Old Linslade and a date with Earl of Mount Edgcumbe – but that’s another story. All in all it was a very enjoyable few days away from the hustle and bustle of SE England enjoying the sounds and smells of steam (and diesel) trains, amid some great mountain scenery.

Rheilffyrdd Ffestiniog ac Eryri – the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways

The visit of an old friend, Mel Finzer, from Chicago, who I had last s ...

Updated: May 24, 2011 12:20pm PST

A couple of hours at Villeneuve-St Georges : On Wednesday May 4th I had a few hours free to go and look at trains. Based on a recommendation from a fellow subscriber to Freightmaster Interactive I took myself off to Villeneuve St Georges, on the former PLM mainline out of the Gare du Lyon, and the site of a major freight yard and passenger stock servicing facility located alongside the Seine in the SE quarter of the city. I was there for less than two hours and as you can see there was never a dull moment.

A couple of hours at Villeneuve-St Georges

On Wednesday May 4th I had a few hours free to go and look at trains. ...

Updated: May 05, 2011 11:32pm PST

A tale of two Easters : Easter Saturday 2010 saw me in and around March with a friend from the US. Admittedly it was early April but as I recall it was pretty chilly. We saw a number of diverted Freightliners plus the 'usual suspects' and an extra Norwich to Mountsorrel empty stone train. This year couldn't have been more different. Coming three weeks later than 2010 Easter 2011 was characterised, in Eastern England at least, by clear skies and warm days. Like last year there were diverted Freightliners plus an extra sand train from Middleton Towers and an empty SDT from Chesterton Junction to Mountsorrel. There was also a plethora of wildlife to be seen; swallows, hares and buntings were all much in evidence.

A tale of two Easters

Easter Saturday 2010 saw me in and around March with a friend from the ...

Updated: Apr 25, 2011 1:38pm PST

Spring is in the air - allegedly : Now that the dark days of January & February are behind us I'm looking forward to the lighter mornings and evenings and warmer temperatures of spring. The first two weekend efforts both feature diversions in and around London plus odds and sods taken in the course of normal work day activities. On Saturday 19th I paid my first early morning visit to Old Linslade since last summer before heading north to Yorkshire. On Friday 25th I went out to West Hampstead and Willesden Green first thing for Chiltern's loco hauled offerings before heading off to East Anglia and Beggars Bridge and March in the afternoon and a stakeout in Thetford Forest on Saturday morning for the Hastings units visit to the Mid Norfolk Railway. On April 2nd I spent a productive morning around Kew, as all north south freight was diverted via Kew East and New Kew on account of engineering works between Olympia and Clapham Junction. After our week in Spain I had intended to spend Saturday 16th at Old Linslade but in the event the closure of the M1 caused me to stick around North London, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise thanks to the appearance of both 60040 on a Dagenham sand turn and the new GBRf Barton Dock to Ripple Lane intermodal, complete with reefer. During the last week of the month, between the Easter and May Day bank holidays, I had to attend a couple of meetings in London and managed a few pictures; between Upper Holloway and Harringay Park on Tuesday, at Alexandra Palace and Lewisham on Wednresday. Final pictures of the month were takn on Friday 29th and Saturday 30th on the West Somerset Railway. The weather was a but indifferent but the sun did peep out on occasions even though it remained pretty chilly.

Spring is in the air - allegedly

Now that the dark days of January & February are behind us I'm looking ...

Updated: May 02, 2011 12:30pm PST

On the FFCC Economico de Asturias : Spain’s Ferrocarriles de Via Estrecha (FEVE) and its Basque counterpart – Eusko Trenbideak – operate Europe’s longest metre gauge route, stretching for almost 800 kms along the north coast of Spain, from Hendaye on the border with France to El Ferrol in Galicia. These pictures were taken during a weeks family holiday based in Ribadesella in Asturias, in a gite a few hundred metres from the former Economic Asturias Railway (FFCC E de A) between Llanes and Oviedo, part of today's through route from Santander to Oviedo.

On the FFCC Economico de Asturias

Spain’s Ferrocarriles de Via Estrecha (FEVE) and its Basque counterpar ...

Updated: Apr 15, 2011 3:20pm PST

January & February 2011 - the long cold winter : The months of January and February 2011 were generally dull and cold, with few breaks in the overall gloom. Nevertheless there was plenty of interest for the railfan, which I hope I've captured, in part at least

January & February 2011 - the long cold winter

The months of January and February 2011 were generally dull and cold, ...

Updated: Mar 22, 2011 2:01pm PST

London Underground's A60/62 stock - the final years : 2012 will see the final withdrawal of London Underground's oldest fleet of trains, the A60/A62 stock which made their first run in revenue service on June 12th 1961. I can recall them when new as my parents had good friends who lived in Eastcote who we would visit by train. When I returned to London after university I lived in Uxbridge and then North Harrow and so became steeped in Met lore. Later when I changed jobs I commuted from North Harrow to Stratford E15 on the Met, before eventually moving away from Northwest London in the early 1980s. A stock has a no nonsense style about them, a handsome looking unit in a slightly old fashioned style. It will be sad to see them go but having travelled in the comparative comfort of the new S stock I think they are worthy successors.

London Underground's A60/62 stock - the final years

2012 will see the final withdrawal of London Underground's oldest flee ...

Updated: Feb 07, 2013 2:29pm PST

EWS Heavy Haul champion - the class 60 : The Brush/Mirrlees class 60 may well turn out to be the swansong of British mainline diesel locomotives. They have led relatively interesting lives; the story about their specification, the awardiing of the contract to Brush, when the smart money was on GEC/EMD, their early teething troubles and protracted delivery are all chronicled in Modern Railways and make fascinating reading. More recently the work by DBS to overhaul and refurbish a clutch for the remaining heavy haul traffic should ensure that the class will still be in service for the next few years, maybe even in 2018 when they celebrate their 30th birthday. I think they are very impressive, I recall, when I first saw one on an MGR at Oxford, the ease with which it restarted its heavy train, in particular the lack of nose from its Mirrlees prime mover.

EWS Heavy Haul champion - the class 60

The Brush/Mirrlees class 60 may well turn out to be the swansong of Br ...

Updated: May 06, 2013 1:58pm PST

Britain's Favourite Diesel : Like them or loathe them, the EMD JT42CWR, better known as the class 66 or, thanks to that peaked roof, Shed has become a ubiquitous feature of the British railway scene, and is set to remain so for years to come. There can be few places on the national network which haven't seen a Shed at some time since their introduction in 1998. Although built in Canada they originate from the US mid-west, from McCook in the Chicago suburbs, where the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors had their locomotive building plant, and where the prime mover for the 66 is still manufactured. The engine in the 66, a 12N-710-G3B-EC is a linear descendant of the first two stroke diesel developed specifically for rail use by the Winton Engine Company and Electromotive Corporation in 1938, the 567. The two companies, Winton & EMC, had been bought by GM in 1929, they were merged in 1941 to form the Electromotive Division. The 567 was succeeded by the 645 series in 1966 which in turn was superseded by the 710 in 1984. The numbers incidentally refer to the cubic capacity (in cu inches) of each cylinder. Two stroke technology was adopted by Winton in the early 1930s on the back of research money from the US government into improved submarine engine designs. It offered the promise of greater power for a given weight of engine block than could be obtained from contemporary four stroke engines. Although less fuel efficient than four strokes, EMD have stuck with their two stroke designs now for over 70 years, each succeeding type being more powerful, and more efficient whilst emitting fewer pollutants, than its predecessor. In the North American market EMD had, by 1969, seen off almost all their competitors; Fairbanks-Morse, Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton and Alco. Only GE remained and it is GE which in the past 20 years has overtaken EMD in the locomotive sales stakes. But here, for the moment, and elsewhere in Europe the 66 remains the best selling diesel of recent years, although with the advent of GE's Powerhaul product (aka Ugly Betty) that may change. GM sold EMD to two private equity groups in 2005, who in June 2010 sold it to Caterpillar Inc. EMD and their predecessors have been in the rail internal combustion engine market almost from the beginning (EMC was originally founded in 1922), I for one hope they survive and prosper in the 21st Century. Here is a selection of shed pictures, from other galleries on the site for those of you who can't get enough of Britain's Favourite Diesel :-)

Britain's Favourite Diesel

Like them or loathe them, the EMD JT42CWR, better known as the class 6 ...

Updated: May 13, 2013 12:26pm PST

The 67s : The class 67 (EMD type JT 42HW-HS) was ordered by EWS primarily for mail traffic, which they worked away from the electrified network until Royal Mail abandoned rail, and EWS, in 2001. Since then they have continued to find work both on freight and, more recently, as frontline passenger power with Scotrail, open access operator Wrexham, Shropshire and Marylebone and Chiltern Railways. In terms of livery most still wear the EWS maroon and gold, but a number were repainted for Wrexham and Shropshire and continue in the same livery for Chiltern, two wear the blue of DBS subsidiary Arriva Trains Wales whilst 67018 is in DB cherry red and sports a giant maple leaf and is named Keith Heller after the Canadian CEO of EWS and DBS who retired back in early 2010. I think they are quite attractive machines as modern diesels go. Railfans nicknamed them Skips on account of their shape. This gallery celebrates their varied career since losing the mail contract.

The 67s

The class 67 (EMD type JT 42HW-HS) was ordered by EWS primarily for ma ...

Updated: Mar 05, 2013 9:59am PST

HST : The BR High Speed Train, or Intercity 125 as it was marketed, is possibly our most successful class of passenger trains, having first entered service in 1976, and still beng used by four Train Operating Companies (EMT, East Coast, Arriva XC and FGW) and one open access operator, Grand Central. Over the years they've been extensively rebuilt, both mechanically and in terms of seating arrangements. Today the bulk of the fleet have been re-engined with MTU prime movers although the EMT allocated units are equipped with Paxman VP185s. They will continue in frontline service for a number of years yet, although electrification of the GW and Midland mainlines and the uncertain prospect of the Hitachi IEP may doom them by the end of the 2020s, by when they will have been in service, racing up and down the country for over 50 years.

HST

The BR High Speed Train, or Intercity 125 as it was marketed, is possi ...

Updated: May 06, 2013 2:03pm PST

The evergreen Class 47 : The Brush/Sulzer class 47 was British Railway's maid of all work for almost 40 years, finally bowing out of regular scheduled daytime passenger service in 2002 when First Great Western and Virgin Cross Country withdrew their final loco hauled services, with the sole exception of FGW's Night Riviera sleeper to Penzance. Because they were everywhere for so long they tended to get overlooked, until those last few years when they became cherished by railfans who, a few years earlier had dismissively nicknamed then Duffs. Duff or not they still soldier on today, West Coast maintain a small fleet for charter work and they can be found on many preserved railways, the throaty roar of the Sulzer 12LDA28-C has yet to be silenced permanently.

The evergreen Class 47

The Brush/Sulzer class 47 was British Railway's maid of all work for a ...

Updated: Apr 09, 2013 3:03pm PST

Wagons of the World - a gallery of freight cars : It is often the case that today the wagons which comprise a modern freight train (and the loads they carry) are rather more interesting than the locomotives pulling them. As I enjoy taking pictures of freight trains it is also the case that I rather like wagons and the stuff they carry, even though I don't know very much about them.

Wagons of the World - a gallery of freight cars

It is often the case that today the wagons which comprise a modern fre ...

Updated: May 12, 2013 2:14pm PST

Away Fixtures 2010 - train chasing in India, Sweden and the USA : My first trip abroad in 2010 was a return visit to India in February and March, starting in Kolkata and taking in Assam, Sikkim and Darjeeling. We travelled on two long distance trains, one overnight, saw the Darjeeling Himalayan and I had a day out with a driver chasing trains across West Bengal. At the end of June I took advantage of a give away fare on Ryanair's Stansted to Gothenberg (Save) route to spend a couple of days shooting trains on the mainlines to the south and east of Gothenberg. It was a trip of two halves, the first day being warm and sunny, the second day being less warm, less sunny and wetter! My third overseas adventure was a week in Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska in early November with my friend from Chicago, Mel Finzer. The reason for time and place was to see UP 4-8-4 8444 on her return to Cheyenne from North Platte on November 14th but also to become acquainted for the first time with railroading along the Front Range. I arrived in Denver late afternoon on Tuesday 9th November. The day before the temperature had reached 21C, when we landed it was -1C and snowing! After meeting author Joe MacMillan, Mel has contributed to Joe’s books on the Santa Fe, and attending a meeting of the Rocky Mountain Railroad Club in Denver we drove south and stopped for the night at Castle Rock. I’ve provided a brief journey log to give some context to the pictures: Day 1: Castle Rock – Crystal Lake – Pueblo – Walsenburg - Trinidad. Day 2: Trinidad – Ludlow – Trinidad – Raton, NM – Trinidad – Denver Day 3: Denver – East Portal – Tolland – Loveland – Fort Collins Day 4: Fort Collins – Loveland – CO/WY state line – Fort Collins – Sherman Hill, WY – Cheyenne – Sidney, NE Day 5: Sidney – Peetz, CO – Chapple, NE – Lodgepole – Sidney – Brownson – Pine Bluff – Cheyenne, WY – Borie – Shellback – Federal – Cheyenne Day 6: Cheyenne – Federal – Iron Mountain – Sherman Hill – Laramie – Hermosa – Loveland, CO – Fort Collins. Day 7: Fort Collins – Loveland – Johnstown – DIA and then home via Calgary. In total we drove about 2500 miles, with no major problems save for a puncture on our second day, which necessitated a replacement tyre. It was a truly tremendous week, one not to be forgotten in a hurry. PS For beer lovers I would recommend Fort Collin’s New Belgium Brewery’s Fat Tire and the sports bar-cum-brewery in Cheyenne’s old Union Station, where you can drink good beer – Big Boy being a favourite – and watch trains.

Away Fixtures 2010 - train chasing in India, Sweden and the USA

My first trip abroad in 2010 was a return visit to India in February a ...

Updated: Mar 29, 2011 2:40pm PST

A Grand Day Out - Southampton October 2010 : Until last October I had never knowingly set foot in Southampton. Being an alumnus of what is now the University of Portsmouth, that might not be so surprising. In the intervening years I’ve been through the city a few times, caught ferries to France and the Isle of Wight, but never actually explored the place. On Thursday 21st, thanks to Nutter Tours ™ (proprietor Steve Clark☺) I had a cracking introduction to the freight scene in and around Southampton, which is both busy (I saw 21 separate workings in 7 hours) and varied; freightliner and DBS inter-modals, engineering, cars for export (and the return empties), oil tanks, sand, MoD and an FHH extra from Margam to Eastleigh works featuring German hooded steel carriers. Add to that the ability to watch the action at both Maritime and Millbrook Freightliner terminals and the Western Docks car unloading ramp and Southampton clearly is one of the country’s major freight hotspots.

A Grand Day Out - Southampton October 2010

Until last October I had never knowingly set foot in Southampton. Bein ...

Updated: Jun 23, 2011 2:21pm PST

A foretaste of East Coast diverts : In anticipation of this years diverts over the Joint Line in October and November I've resurrected the pictures I took last year, on the 9th and 16th October when the ECML was closed and the Joint Line came alive with HSTs, 67 hauled drags and Adelantes. The two days couldn't have been more different. the forecast for the 9th was pretty good, but in the event the low cloud which plagued the eastern counties never burnt off and it was cold all day. The following Saturday started, in Norfolk at least with some torrential downpours. I caught the bus from King's Lynn to Spalding, by the time I arrived the sun had come out and remained out for the rest of the afternoon. On both days the first down train was the 1S12 10:40 Kings Cross to Inverness and the first up train was the 1G50 10:33 Newcastle Central to King's Cross, both were booked for HSTs

A foretaste of East Coast diverts

In anticipation of this years diverts over the Joint Line in October a ...

Updated: Oct 05, 2011 12:23pm PST

The Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways 2009 & 2010 : My first visits to North Wales in the digital era were in 2009 and 2010, primarily to see the rebuilt Welsh Highland but also to rediscover the Ffestiniog which I had first ridden back in the early 1970s, just after the opening of the extension to Dduallt.

The Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways 2009 & 2010

My first visits to North Wales in the digital era were in 2009 and 201 ...

Updated: Nov 08, 2011 1:10pm PST

Round Britain in 2010 : As anyone following this website will know I take most of my pictures in London, South East England and East Anglia. But as a family we do try and get away to other parts of Britain now and again, which is what this gallery is all about.

Round Britain in 2010

As anyone following this website will know I take most of my pictures ...

Updated: Sep 20, 2012 1:13pm PST

Die Rhatische Bahn 2009 : Pictures from my first encounter with the Rhatische Bahn which, I'm almost ashamed to say had to wait until 2009 and my renewed interest in all things narrow gauge.

Die Rhatische Bahn 2009

Pictures from my first encounter with the Rhatische Bahn which, I'm al ...

Updated: Jun 09, 2011 11:52pm PST

Upper Midwest - September 2009 : Back in September 2009 I spent 10 days in the mid west. The Labor Day weekend was spent in the lakeside cabin of our Chicago-land friends and then Mel and I took off for a four day swing around the upper Great Lakes and Mississippi Valley.

Upper Midwest - September 2009

Back in September 2009 I spent 10 days in the mid west. The Labor Day ...

Updated: Oct 08, 2011 12:39pm PST

Germany and Austria in 2008 & 2009 : Pictures taken in 2008 and 2009 on a number of brief visits to Germany and Austria, starting with New Year 2008 in the Harz Mountains. We flew from London to Hannover on December 29th and then caught the train to Wernigerode. The next four days were spent walking in the Harz Mountains with incidental encounters with the HSB. In April I took advantage of Ryanair's double daily flights to and from Hamburg-Lubeck for a day out on the Molli - the Mecklenburgische Bäderbahn Molli - another steam operated narrow gauge railway which, like the HSB, owes its survival to the benign neglect of the DDR. It links the old spa town of Bad Doberan, not far from Rostock, with the Baltic Sea resorts of Heiligendamm and Kühlungsborn. The weather as you will see was not great but it was still a most enjoyable day out. In August we went to Munich to visit a friend from London who was working in Bavaria. On the Sunday the three of us went to Prien on the Chiemsee, I spent the day alongside the Salzburg to Munich mainline between Prien and the next town to the east, Bernau. In October 2008 I took another day trip courtesy of Ryanair, this time to Austria and specifically the Zillertalbahn, which links Jenbach with Mayrhofen in the heart of the Tyrol east of Innsbruck. At weekends and midweek the ZB run steam tourist trains in addition to their regular diesel hauled passenger service. As in April the weather was generally rubbish. Having had a taster of Austria I went back again the following March, this time for two days, staying overnight in Innsbruck. As you can see the weather was much better. The ZB ran a single steam service but double headed with Bosnian 0-8-2 and a Krauss 0-6-2T. I was spoilt.

Germany and Austria in 2008 & 2009

Pictures taken in 2008 and 2009 on a number of brief visits to Germany ...

Updated: Aug 31, 2011 2:27pm PST

On the route of the Southern Belle - March 2008 : In March 2008 I flew to Houston to meet up with fellow rail fan Mel Finzer from Chicago for a 5-day odyssey along the route of the Kansas City Southern Railway through Arkansas, Oklahoma and Louisiana. We also got to see the Arkansas and Missouri, Texas Oklahoma and Eastern and DeQueen and Eastern short lines too. I didn’t know what to expect when we started out, the KCS and the states through which it runs were unknown quantities. The scenery is not particularly special, with the exception of Rich Mountain between Mena AR and Heavener OK. The further north one goes, we reached Monett in Missouri, the more plains-like the landscape becomes. The KCS is a very busy railroad funnelling coal from Wyoming to power producers in Texas and other southern states, grain for export from Gulf Coast ports plus bridge traffic bound for Mexico. So all in all we saw plenty of diverse trains in a variety of landscapes, I don’t think it could have been better!

On the route of the Southern Belle - March 2008

In March 2008 I flew to Houston to meet up with fellow rail fan Mel Fi ...

Updated: Oct 30, 2011 4:17am PST

Highlights of 2008 : Another composite gallery of the best of 2008. I'll remember 2008 for the impact of the Open Access Operators on the rail scene. Both Grand Central and Wrexham, Shropshire and Marylebone commenced services in 2008 and First Hull Trains used 86101 and Cargo-D Mk 3s at weekends whilst one of their 222s was repaired following it's accident at Crofton depot in 2007. The first couple of months of the year were remarkably sunny if my pictures are to go by, but the spring if I remember rightly was a much duller affair, which coincided with Grand Central's reliability woes and their reliance on borrowed HSTs and class 67s topping and tailing loco hauled stock. Towards the end of Spring Wrexham & Shropshire commenced operations, again with topped and tailed 67s and hired Cargo-D Mk 3s. Of course we know now that ultimately their attempt to develop a profitable business failed but at the time it was a very exciting development indeed. We spent the May Day bank holiday weekend in Devon, hence some pictures on the South Devon banks of 71000 Duke of Gloucester, and there is a sequence of early morning shots of Freightliner diverts around Ely in mid-June. At the end of the month London Underground ran their 1938 stock set up and down the Northern Line to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the creation of London Transport, I covered all three round trips on the High Barnet branch. I recall that July was a bit hit and miss weatherwise but there was a settled spell towards the end of the month during which I had to go to both Felixstowe and Exeter on business, giving me some picture taking opportunities. A long weekend in Norfolk at the end of the month was quite profitable picture-wise too. We finished the summer with a long weekend over the August bank-holiday in Abergavenny, and once again the weather was mixed. The autumn was dull and wet with precious few picture taking opportunities - or maybe I was more selective:-). There was also some unseasonable snow fall in October in London and November in Norfolk The year ended with a flourish, a first visit to Onllwyn washery on the last Saturday of November, a fine day in and around Banbury, 34067 Tangmere here, there and everywhere and, finally, a day out in the fens on December 30th

Highlights of 2008

Another composite gallery of the best of 2008. I'll remember 2008 for ...

Updated: Apr 28, 2011 1:02pm PST

Days out in 2007 : I've concentrated in this gallery on some of the more memorable days out that I enjoyed in 2007. As you might expect East Anglia and North London feature, but so too do the Thames Valley, Cornwall and Barnetby. It's amazing what has changed in 5 years - no more GNER, Virgin XC, Central Trains or One. 222s are history on Hull Trains services as are the rotating vane searchlight signals at Colchester and the semaphores at Kennett and March.

Days out in 2007

I've concentrated in this gallery on some of the more memorable days o ...

Updated: Jun 25, 2012 11:35am PST

Away Fixtures 2007 - chasing trains in Brasil, Sweden, the Netherlands and Croatia : In 2007 I was lucky enough to travel abroad for the first time on business, as well as for pleasure. This collection reflects my year on the move. It starts in January on a family holiday to Brasil. I managed a couple of day taking pictures of the EFVM – Estrada de Ferro Vitoria a Minas – one of the world’s great iron ore hauling railways, transporting millions of tonnes from the mines of Minas Gerais to the Atlantic port of Tubarao adjacent to the city of Vitoria in Espirito Santo. We were staying in Ouro Preto, south of Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais, which was adjacent to the EFVM Fabrica branch. I drove from Ouro Preto to Costa Lacerda, where the Fabrica branch meets the Belo Horizonte to Vitoria mainline. These pictures were all taken adjacent to Costa Lacerda or along the Fabrica branch, with a few on the Belo Horizonte line near Santa Barbara. In April 2007 I went to Sweden on business. The arrangements meant that I arrived in Gothenberg around lunchtime for a meeting the following morning. The meeting was in Kungsbacka, a town on the mainline between Gothenberg and Helsingborg, some 20 miles to the south of the former. I hired a car and spent the afternoon chasing trains as far south as Karlstad. In May 2007 I attended a two-day conference in Amsterdam, at a venue at Schiphol Airport. I flew over on Sunday morning and spent the day chasing trains, in particular an afternoon inter-modal service operated by ACTS from Veendam near Groningen to Rotterdam for which a class 58 was diagrammed. I also made a couple of forays during and after the conference before flying home on Tuesday evening.

Away Fixtures 2007 - chasing trains in Brasil, Sweden, the Netherlands and Croatia

In 2007 I was lucky enough to travel abroad for the first time on busi ...

Updated: Aug 04, 2011 6:07am PST

2006 in retrospect : It was in 2006 when I took the digital plunge and bought my first digital SLR - A Nikon D70s. I know that digital isn't universally liked but I think that over the past five years I've become a better photographer thanks to digital photography; being able to experiment, delete, try again, something I never had the guts to do with good old fashioned slide film. This gallery features just some of the pictures I took in 2006, almost all of them were featured on my former fotopic site. I may, as time permits, re-create the former fotopic galleries but until then here are some highlights (for me) of the year.

2006 in retrospect

It was in 2006 when I took the digital plunge and bought my first digi ...

Updated: Mar 17, 2011 3:24pm PST

Goblin : My first encounter with the Gospel Oak to Barking Line was in the late 1960s when with the son of a neighbour we caught the train, a DMU of course, to Barking from Kentish Town. I don't remember much else to be truthful. Over the years its fortunes have waxed and waned, I recall that in the 1980s, when I was living in Forest Gate in East London, there was very little freight traffic over the route owing to weight restrictions on some parts of the line. Today it is enjoying a renaissance thanks to the injection of upgrade funds from Transport for London and Network Rail, although it no longer hosts boat trains from St Pancras to Tilbury as it did in years gone by. The line's history is quite complicated, what we know today as a single integrated route was in fact two railways. The oldest was the Tottenham and Hampstead Junction which opened in 1868. Originally owned by the Great Eastern (who promoted it) it later fell into the hands of the Midland and, later still, became a joint Midland & GER operation. East of what is now South Tottenham is the route of the Tottenham and Forest Gate which opened in 1894 and was a Midland and London Tilbury & Southend undertaking. Today the 'join' between the two lines at South Tottenham is still quite evident by the track geometry! Being non-electrified there are a number of decent shots from overbridges and stations, the bridge shots often needing steps foir a decent view. Until 2009 the line boasted a mechanical signal box at Harringay Park and a slew of both motor worked and manual semaphores. Now it's LED colour lights, which control both a busy freight scene and also LOROL's 15 minute interval passenger service with new class 172 Turbostars.

Goblin

My first encounter with the Gospel Oak to Barking Line was in the late ...

Updated: May 13, 2013 12:26pm PST

East Anglia : I have always had a very strong attachment to the counties of East Anglia, my mum's side of the family can trace their ancestry back 200 plus years to Sheringham in North Norfolk, where my great grandfather x 12, John Shinkfield, was the blacksmith and is buried in the churchyard of what is now the parish church of Upper Sheringham. The family probably originated in the Netherlands, moving to Norfolk at some time in the sixteenth or seventeenth century, possibly for religious reasons. Consequently I probably take more pictures of the railways of East Angllia than anywhere else. This gallery brings them all together.

East Anglia

I have always had a very strong attachment to the counties of East Ang ...

Updated: May 13, 2013 1:26am PST

North London Line : As I've lived in London continuously since 1977, and specifically North London since 1994, I've probably taken more pictures on the NLL than on any other line within London, with the possible exception of Gospel Oak to Barking. Over the years the NLL's fortunes have risen, fallen and risen agin, the nadir coming in the late 1970s and early 1980s when closure was hinted at. But then came a renaissance; firstly the restoration of passenger service east of Dalston Junction in 1980, then came electrification from Dalston to Stratford and North Woolwich, albeit tempered by the closure of the line into Broad Street. Electrification of the freight lines at 25kV and the rebuilding of the line between Willesden and Camden Road (for North of London Eurostar service, which never happened) plus the transfer of responsibility for operations to TfL set the scene for the final act; the complete modernisation of the route, end to end re-signalling, new longer trains and, on 28th Febnruary 2011 the extension of East London service, partially over the old line from Dalston to Broad Street, and for the first time connecting Highbury & Islington with Crystal Palace and Croydon. The final act in the renaissance came in December 2012 with the completion of the orbital route from Canada Water to Queens Road Peckham and the introduction of a Highbury & Islington to Clapham Junction via Whtechapel service

North London Line

As I've lived in London continuously since 1977, and specifically Nort ...

Updated: Apr 21, 2013 1:44pm PST

London Underground : I might be slightly biased, having been born in High Barnet and growing up alongside the Mill Hill East branch of the Northern Line but I think that London Transport is the greatest urban transport system in the world, bar none. Despite all the brickbats hurled at the Underground it still manages to transport millions of passenger safely every day of the year, on an infrastructure which varies from being almost brand new (the Jubilee Line) to 150 years old (the Metropolitan). And although it is quintissentially London it has antecedents which looked to the USA and to Europe for their inspiration (and capital!).

London Underground

I might be slightly biased, having been born in High Barnet and growin ...

Updated: Feb 12, 2013 10:50am PST

Scotland : We try and visit Scotland at least once a year, and usually in mid summer to ride in the Edinburgh to St Andrews charity bike ride which normally takes place on the third Saturday of June. We've not done that for the last two years and in fact didn't set foot north of the border at all in 2011. This gallery looks back over the last 20 odd years at our Scottish visits, starting off with my digital pictures but it will include my slide pictures, as and when time permits. It also includes ferries, which are an integral part of the Scottish transport scene.

Scotland

We try and visit Scotland at least once a year, and usually in mid sum ...

Updated: Feb 14, 2013 1:54pm PST

Wagonload : Today most freight in Britain and across Europe is handled either by unit trains carrying a single commodity, or in containers on dedicated services linking port to inland terminals. Wagonload traffic has almost ceased, although it enjoyed a brief renaissance in the early days of EWS and the Channel Tunnel with the Enterprise and Connectrail networks. Unfortunately the lack of private sidings, the costs of moving single loads and a lack of continental connections probably means that without some fundamental changes it's unlikely we'll see much future growth.

Wagonload

Today most freight in Britain and across Europe is handled either by u ...

Updated: Mar 06, 2013 3:20am PST

2002 Home and Away : 2002 was the year of moving house, hence the sometimes large gaps between picture sets. Much of the winter and spring was spent house hunting which was both time consuming, expensive and, ultimately fruitless. It wasn't until the autumn that our luck changed and we eventually completed on December 18th, having started some 10 months earlier. Why do we do it? Much of the late summer and early autumn was spent chronicling the final days of First Great Western's locomotive hauled services, which, with the exception of the Night Riviera, ceased at the end of September with the belated introduction of FGW's new high speed class 180 Adelante fleet. August and September were blessed, so it seems with plenty of warm, dry and, for the most part, sunny weekends. Summer also saw the end of Virgin Cross Country's loco hauled services too, which garnered much more attention than the final FGW trains. I rather preferred the latter, mainly because I liked the grey/green livery with the gold FGW band but I guess because the VXC trains could be seen almost anywhere in the country they were going to appeal to more railfans than those connecting London with Devon and Cornwall. To provide a bit of variety I've also included in this collection some pictures from three overseas holidays, to Canada in February, New York and New Mexico at Easter and Japan in October

2002 Home and Away

2002 was the year of moving house, hence the sometimes large gaps betw ...

Updated: Feb 27, 2013 1:08pm PST

Y2K - 2000 and the dawn of the new millenium : The millenium year as I recall was pretty wet, and its noticeable that my slide collection goes weeks at a time when I apparently took no pictures (I was a very fair weather photographer). As usual there are a number of well trodden paths in London, the Home Counties, East Anglia and around York, as well as a few expeditions further afield, notably to Cornwall, South Wales and the Welsh Marches One really memorable day out was on November 4th when I took my dad with me to Barnetby! My father was not a rail-fan but he was well disposed towards trains in general and travelling by train in particular, even though he would always refer to them as chuff chuffs to wind me up :-) We set off from Easingwold, stopping firstly at Elsham for the 56 hauled Enterprise from Doncaster to Immingham, and then on to Grimsby and Cleethorpes before returning to Melton Ross for more pictures. The reason for the side trip into Grimsby and Cleethorpes, and the real reason why dad had come with me is that he'd lived in Grimsby as a boy and was interested to see what remained of the family house. For reasons I could never fathom out he remained a committed armchair supporter of Grimsby Town FC for the rest of his life, our weekly phone conversations invariably dwelt on the latest indignity visited on the Mariners :-( Finally I've added some pictures from two visits to North America during the year; to the USA and Canada in May/June, which included my first visit to the iron ore railroads of Eastern Canada and the, almost legendary, Alco/MLW fleet of the Chemin de Fer du Cartier and to Florida for Thanksgiving

Y2K - 2000 and the dawn of the new millenium

The millenium year as I recall was pretty wet, and its noticeable that ...

Updated: Mar 10, 2013 3:38pm PST

1999 - the rise of the 66 : It was in 1999 that the GM-EMD class 66 really started to dominate railfreight in Britain. Prior to that I had only seen one 66, back in December the previous year working an intermodal train from Dollands Moor to Wembley. But that was soon to change and by the end of the year they were pretty much everywhere.

1999 - the rise of the 66

It was in 1999 that the GM-EMD class 66 really started to dominate rai ...

Updated: Nov 26, 2012 2:02pm PST

1998 - mainly freight : 1998 was another year when I tried to capture as much of the freight scene on the routes to and from the Channel Tunnel as possible. It was also the first year that the 92s started to dominate on the cross channel flows between the Tunnel and London. It really felt like the start of a new railfreight era, unfortunately that all came crashing down a year or two later with the problem of illegal immigrants hopping trains and the apparent reluctance of the authorities in France to put preventative measures in place. By the time they had most of the traffic gained in the previous five years had been lost. Easter was spent in Scotland, we drove to Scrabster and caught the ferry across the Pentland Firth to Orkney and in July we spent a week in Cornwall which gave me the opportunity of catching up with the 37s which handled the china clay traffic. Back home it was business as usual; Channel Tunnel traffic, West Coast Main Line stuff around Old Linslade and the odd visit to East Anglia.

1998 - mainly freight

1998 was another year when I tried to capture as much of the freight s ...

Updated: Aug 21, 2012 1:05pm PST

1997 - the Freightmaster Era (Part 2) : The weather, not having shown any improvement in the past week, has prompted a further meander down memory lane and a look at 1997 which was my first full year as a Freightmaster subscriber. As you will see Channel Tunnel freight features quite prominently among the subjects, back then it was possible on a Sunday to see six of seven daylight services between London and Dollands Moor. A far cry from the present day, but we live in hope. And mostly made possible by Freightmaster, providing some predictability to the fraught business of photographing and identifying freight trains.

1997 - the Freightmaster Era (Part 2)

The weather, not having shown any improvement in the past week, has p ...

Updated: Aug 03, 2012 8:35am PST

1996 - the Freightmaster Era : In 1996 I first came across Freightmaster, I can't remember precisely where, but it was early in the year as my first copy of the quarterly timetable was that for Spring 1996. It has been an invaluable resource ever since. The pictures I've selected show scenes which are unlikely ever to be repeated, either the trains don't run, the motive power has gone to the great engine shed in the sky or the infrastructure has changed completely.

1996 - the Freightmaster Era

In 1996 I first came across Freightmaster, I can't remember precisely ...

Updated: Jul 08, 2012 11:28am PST

On the shores of the Baltic Sea in 1995. : In May 1995 my partner and I set off for a two and a half week safari around the (relatively) newly independent Baltic States - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, with stopovers in Sweden and Finland thrown in. We went in my Ford Mondeo, sailing from Harwich to Gothenburg and Stockholm to Tallinn, returning via Helsinki. Whilst western cars weren't entirely unknown, right hand drive cars most definitely were. We were frequently stopped by traffic police who seemed totally confused to find the driver on the 'wrong' side of the car. This gallery features the train and tram pictures I took on what was a fascinating and unpredictable holiday.

On the shores of the Baltic Sea in 1995.

In May 1995 my partner and I set off for a two and a half week safari ...

Updated: Apr 25, 2012 12:50pm PST

Channel Trains : Channel Train was the 'brand name' which South Eastern, later Connex, gave to the boat trains they and South Central operated from London Victoria to Dover, Folkestone and Newhaven. The summer of 1994 marked the last full season of dedicated boat train service to the Channel ports although a portion of a Charing Cross to Dover train used to be detached at Ashford for Folkestone Harbour for another couple of years. By this time the trains themselves were wholly unremarkable, slam door EMUs of the CEP, VEP and CIG varieties, of which the latter were probably the most comfortable to travel in. What French and Belgian tourists made of being incarcerated in a 4VEP for 90 minutes or more can only be imagined. It probably set back Anglo-French relations a decade or more. Although the trains were predictable the infrastructure was still interesting. Dover Western Docks station remained an impressive building, despite it feeling a tad unloved, it contains what is probably one of the most sombre and impressive railway war memorials anywhere. Thankfully the station, and the war memorial are still there but now serve as Dover's cruise terminal, no longer rail connected. Boat trains to Folkestone used to reverse at Folkestone Junction to descend the branch to the Harbour, one of the steepest section on British Rail. Even in 1994 the harbour branch was looking pretty careworn, but it survived, unused, until a couple of years ago. Network Rail did announce a proposal to close it but that hasn't proceeded, so the line is current intact but in limbo until a use can be found for it or Network Rail are finally allowed to close it. These pictures date from a solitary visit in 1993 and then a number of visits in 1994 to record the final season before the curtain came down forever with the opening of the Channel Tunnel and the start of the Three Capitals Eurostar service which has revolutionised cross channel rail traffic in the years since.

Channel Trains

Channel Train was the 'brand name' which South Eastern, later Connex, ...

Updated: Apr 09, 2013 1:31pm PST

East of the Mississippi - Travels in the USA 1991 to 1994 : Most of my visits to the USA have been east of the Mississippi, I have always had a soft spot for the railroads of the east, of the various railroads which were amalgamated to form Conrail in 1976 two, the Lehigh Valley and the Erie Lackawanna are among my favourites. And the scenery's not bad either - Horseshoe Curve, Sandpatch Grade, the Canisteo River Valley and the Southern's Rathole are all splendid places along which to watch trains. So join me on three eastern odesseys of the early 1990s. Autumn 1991 saw me flying to Chicago and then catching the train to Altoona, Pa in order to spend a week chasing trains over the Allegheny Mountains, in particular along the former B&O mainline over Sandpatch Summit between Cumberland, Maryland and Connellsville, Pennsylvania. The weather over the weekend in Chicago was pretty appalling but dawn on Monday revealed a cloudless sky as the Broadway Limited pulled into Pittsburgh. And that's how it stayed for much of the following week before I returned to Chicago on Saturday. This was the first time I hired a car in the US, an Oldsmobile IIRC, which gave me the freedom to get away from towns and out into the countryside. I was back again at Easter 1992, which fell in mid-late April. Flying to Chicago I picked up a hire car and headed south, firstly through southern Illinios and then into Kentucky for some pictures along the Norfolk Southern's 'rathole' mainline (the grandly named Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific Railway) from Cincinatti to Chattanooga. At Somerset, Ky I turned east to stop my second night in Corbin, Ky a coal mining town with a large railroad yard. From Corbin I spent the next day, the Sunday before Easter, on the Virginia/Tennessee border near Natural Tunnel State Park before driving back to Somerset for the night. The first half of the holiday was characterised by reasonable weather, the latter half back in the Mid West was dismal! The company was much better as I met up with friend Mel Finzer for a traditional easter egg hunt at home in Naperville. In June 1994 I flew to Boston for a 10 day adventure zig zagging around New England and New York State, in particular looking for trains on the former Erie Lackawanna lines in upstate New York in and around Binghamton. I managed to do much of what I set out to, but there were a few missed opportunities, which still annoy me 19 years later :-)

East of the Mississippi - Travels in the USA 1991 to 1994

Most of my visits to the USA have been east of the Mississippi, I have ...

Updated: Mar 18, 2013 12:59am PST

USA and Canada 1988 & 1989 : In 1988 and 1989 I made an unprecedented three crossings of the Atlantic in search of trains (among other things). My first visit in the autumn of 1988 started and ended in Chicago and took in New York and Montreal. A post-christmas vacation to Montreal between December 26th and January 2nd yielded some snow shots. In 1989 I returned, this time with a friend who's father was teaching at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. We started and ended in New York, rode the train to Chicago, from Chicago to Indianapolis, Fort Wayne to Washington, Washington to Florida and back to New York. Unknown at the time but this was to be my last visit to North America for 30 months.

USA and Canada 1988 & 1989

In 1988 and 1989 I made an unprecedented three crossings of the Atlant ...

Updated: May 24, 2012 8:07am PST

USA 1987 : In 1987 I was lucky enough to enjoy two train chasing holidays in the USA. The first, at Easter, saw me riding an Amtrak Railpass, the second, in October, involved flying out to Chicago, home from Boston and riding trains in between. I started the Easter trip flying to New York on British Caledonian, then riding a 'clocker' from Penn Station to 30th Street Philadelphia. After a night and day around Philly I planned to catch the overnight Montrealer to Montreal and then by day train to Toronto, to meet up with a Canadian friend. But there was a problem, the Montrealer had just been suspended on account of track problems. Plan B involved abandoning Philly early the following day, heading back to New York for the day train to Montreal, the Adirondack over the former D&H. Once in Montreal I caught the Cavalier overnight to Toronto, sleeping in a section! and found myself the following morning at Burlington West in the Toronto suburbs.

USA 1987

In 1987 I was lucky enough to enjoy two train chasing holidays in the ...

Updated: May 01, 2012 12:20pm PST

South America 1984 to 2006 : I have been very fortunate in having had the opportunity and the means to visit South America on a number of occasions in the last 27 years. During that time the only countries I've not spent any time in have been Colombia and Bolivia. My first visit was in December 1984 and was to Peru and featured a train ride from Puno to Cuzco and from Cuzco to Macchu Picchu. At the time I had a tape of the BBC TV Great Railway Journey of the World which saw Miles Kington ride from Lima to Huancayo and on to Huancavelica, Cuzco and Puno. He started from Lima's Desamperados station, where my Peru adventure starts too. In 1989 I paid a first visit to Chile, it was just before the election which saw the end of the military dictatorship which had ruled Chile for 15 years, the sense of relief among the population that they were about to bid adios to General Pinochet was quite evident everywhere I went. And in 1990, after visa restrictions were lifted (in place since the Falklands War of 1982), I visited Argentina and spent a marvellous two weeks chasing trains around Buenos Aires and riding across the pampas to Mendoza, in the foothills of the Andes. It is difficult today to express just how excited I was to have been able to visit both Chile and Argentina in the space of a year. On my return from Buenos Aires I almost immediately started planning a second visit at Easter the following year, 1991, including a side trip to Paraguay after having seen a Channel 4 documentary on the North British Locomotive Works, which had featured Paraguayan steam. Once again I was not disappointed. It was 18 months before I returned to South America, courtesy of a British Airway's Autumn Citybreak to, where else, Buenos Aires. Much had changed in my absence, in particular the culling of many of the long distance passenger trains in preparation for the Menem government's breakup and privatisation of Ferrocarriles Argentinos. But there was still plenty to keep my occupied including a day out with Argentine railfan Marcelo Lopez to Mercedes and a ride on a Ferroclub Argentino steam special. I was back again in October 1994, this time for an 18 day holiday to both Argentina and Chile, it marked my last visit (to date) to Buenos Aires. Once again I met up with Argentine railfan Marcelo Lopez but the scene was very different to my last visit, UEPFP (Ferrobaires) was operating the only long-ish distance passenger trains, Ferro Sur Roca and Ferro Expreso Pampeano were in the freight business and new operators such as TMS were franchised to run commuter services. From Buenos Aires I flew over the Andes for my second visit to Chile. I spent about 12 days chasing trains, mainly between Santiago and Rancagua (80 kms south) using the newly introduced commuter rail service, Metrotren. I also rode the Rapido de Frontera to and from Puerto Montt and spent a day in Valpariaso courtesy of Tur Bus. In Autumn 1998 I returned to Chile on a family holiday which took in the Atacama and the Lake District but which allowed me for the first time to visit Tocopilla, where my mum was born and Antofagasta, the HQ of the FC Antofagasta y Bolivia. It was six years before our next South American adventure and it was again to Chile, this time in December 2004 to celebrate a landmark birthday - one of those with an 0 involved - much of it was spent in the far south, in Magallanes and on Tierra del Fuego but we started in the north, in Antofagasta and Tocopilla and on my birthday itself we rode Metrotren to San Fernando. I haven't been back to Chile since. Our last visit to South America in my 'pre-digital' era was in January 2006, to Panama and Ecuador, which includes a brief look at the Kansas City Southern-controlled Panama Canal Railway and the Ecuadorian State Railway's (ENFE) three times weekly service from Riobamba to Alausi and the ride down the Devil's Nose. ENFE was almost moribund at the time (lots of money have subsequently been spent restoring sections but I'm not sure how much joined up service is actually provided) with just this operation running with any certainty. I hope you have enjoyed this look, through my camera lens, at South America, in my pre-digital days. I've been back twice since; to Brazil in 2007, the pictures from which can be found here: http://nick86235.smugmug.com/Trains/Away-Fixtures-2007-chasing/ and to Chile in 2012

South America 1984 to 2006

I have been very fortunate in having had the opportunity and the means ...

Updated: Jan 29, 2012 4:08am PST

FEVE - narrow gauge in Northern Spain : When I was a teenager growing up in Mid Sussex I used to get a book out of Haywards Heath Library regularly. It was called Narrow Guage Railways around the World and one chapter in particular fascinated me, the metre gauge lines of Northern Spain, in those days still in private hands; companies like the La Robla, Santander-Bilbao, the Cantabrian, Astillero-Ontaneda, Vasco-Asturiano and the Economic Asturias. Today most of the lines are still in existence (unfortunately not the Astillero-Ontaneda which closed in the 1980s) and are in the hands of the state owned Ferrocarriles de Via Estrecha (Narrow Gauge Railways of Spain). These pictures were taken on three short vists to Spain in 2011, to Asturias and Vizcaya, and a fourth in May 2012.

FEVE - narrow gauge in Northern Spain

When I was a teenager growing up in Mid Sussex I used to get a book ou ...

Updated: Sep 19, 2011 2:01pm PST

Welsh Narrow Gauge Railways : As a young rail fan I was always attracted to railways with a gauge narrower than standard. I devoured books from the library on narrow gauge railways in all parts of the world, dreaming of the day I would be able to travel abroad and experience them myself. Over the years I have been very lucky and have managed to see lots of narrow gauge action in many parts of the world. But today it doesn't get much better than the narrow gauge railways in Wales, especially since the Ffestiniog Railway has spearheaded the rebuilding of the legendary Welsh Highland. So this gallery features pictures from a number of Welsh railways but concentrates on the FR and WHR.

Welsh Narrow Gauge Railways

As a young rail fan I was always attracted to railways with a gauge na ...

Updated: Apr 22, 2013 11:46am PST

My Smug Mug : Some picture of me and trains and exotic places (and Marylebone)

My Smug Mug

Some picture of me and trains and exotic places (and Marylebone)

Updated: Jan 11, 2013 11:39pm PST

Norton Hill Light Railway : The Norton Hill Light Railway is a private miniature railway in the village of Snettisham in North West Norfolk. It opens its doors to the public on a number of weekends during the summer to raise money for local good causes, the final operating day is usually the Sunday of the August Bank Holiday weekend. It is loosely based on the Bosnian 76cm gauge lines and features two locomotives, an 0-8-2 83-076 and a 2=6=2 73-019, plus a Duro Dakovic B-B diesel hydraulic. In 2012 a new arrival made its appearance, based on the legendaty Maine two footer, the Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railway.

Norton Hill Light Railway

The Norton Hill Light Railway is a private miniature railway in the vi ...

Updated: Aug 30, 2012 12:44pm PST

Around the world on the narrow gauge : For as long as I can remember railways with a gauge less than the Stephenson standard of four feet eight and a half inches have always held a fascination for me, whether it be climbing mountains in Switzerland, or venturing into the remotest corners of Western Ireland or carrying slate in North Wales or copper and nitrates in Chile. And over the years I have been exceedingly fortunate to have been able to indulge this facet of my interest in railways, most recently in 2012 with a return to the metre and 42 inch gauge railways in the Atacama Desert of Northern Chile and an Easter 2013 visit to the Isle of Man

Around the world on the narrow gauge

For as long as I can remember railways with a gauge less than the Step ...

Updated: Apr 22, 2013 11:46am PST

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