At home in 2004
My slides from 2004.
My main focus during the first half of the year was on the Southern lines, principally recording the final weeks of service of the legendary Thumper DEMUs.
These trains, which were over 40 years old, and in truth were something of a disgrace, were old when they were new, by 2004 they were positively antediluvian. Riding in the DMBS with the noise and incessant vibration from the EE 4SRKT was enough to loosen teeth. Great for the railfan but purgatory for the regular commuter, who had every right to expect something better. But they soldiered on because like most things Southern they were built to last and were incredibly reliable, although that dropped off towards the end.
Their final day on Uckfield to Victoria/London Bridge service was Friday 21st May
The gallery includes a short break in Cornwall in May blessed with some great weather, the East Anglian diversions on occasion of the Ipswich Tunnel blockade and a week in the Welsh Marches. I visited Ireland a couple of times in search of steam but they are in my Ireland 1975-2007 gallery. There are also some large gaps which I put down to the appalling weather we endured for much of the summer, cold and wet as I recall.
Towards the end of the year I was working in Woking, which gave me the opportunity to take a few shots of SWT operations, including their last remaining slam door sets which would be gone by the middle of the following year.
Read MoreMy main focus during the first half of the year was on the Southern lines, principally recording the final weeks of service of the legendary Thumper DEMUs.
These trains, which were over 40 years old, and in truth were something of a disgrace, were old when they were new, by 2004 they were positively antediluvian. Riding in the DMBS with the noise and incessant vibration from the EE 4SRKT was enough to loosen teeth. Great for the railfan but purgatory for the regular commuter, who had every right to expect something better. But they soldiered on because like most things Southern they were built to last and were incredibly reliable, although that dropped off towards the end.
Their final day on Uckfield to Victoria/London Bridge service was Friday 21st May
The gallery includes a short break in Cornwall in May blessed with some great weather, the East Anglian diversions on occasion of the Ipswich Tunnel blockade and a week in the Welsh Marches. I visited Ireland a couple of times in search of steam but they are in my Ireland 1975-2007 gallery. There are also some large gaps which I put down to the appalling weather we endured for much of the summer, cold and wet as I recall.
Towards the end of the year I was working in Woking, which gave me the opportunity to take a few shots of SWT operations, including their last remaining slam door sets which would be gone by the middle of the following year.
