UK Railways

The sun never seems to shine on Friday mornings when there is steam running from Crewe to Scarborough. 34067 Tangmere was in charge again today and is seen at Nether Alderley. Just to make matters worse the drive shut off just after this shot and drifting smoke then obscured a lot of the train at the point where I really wanted a photo. Thanks again to Eagle 142 for transport.

After photographing the train Buxton Spa Express at Middlewood, I drove up the A6 to Barmoor Clough just outside Dove Holes. Just a couple of minutes after I arrived on the bridge the train is seen bursting out of Barmoor Clough tunnel. The Peak Forest Tramway once ran on the land to the right of the wall in the foreground.

Two Black 5s on the Buxton Spa Express digging into the climb after being stopped at Norbury Crossing to allow the scheduled dmu stopping service to get far enough ahead not to cause problems later on. This view is from the bridge that once carried the Macclesfield Bollington and Marple Railway over the top of the LNWR line at Middlewood Station. The weather forecast said fair - it was raining!

Austerity 'Whiston' catches the afternoon sun as it climbs the bank away from Foxfield Colliery at the autumn steam gala.

Pannier Tank 9681 glides across the level crossing at Parkend on the Dean Forest Railway as the crossing keeper waits to reopen the gates.

A mixture of liveries as Standard Tank 80104 brings a short train into Corfe Castle on the Swanage Railway.

70013 'Oliver Cromwell' is just starting from the loop at Chelford with the Scarborough Flyer.

Blue John and a class 20 stand on the expanded sidings in the Lafarge cement works at Hope, Derbyshire.

Running alongside the River Churnet towards Consall on the Churnet Valley Railway. It would probably have been better if I had captured all the train in the reflection.

It was back to 6201 'Princess Elizabeth' on the Scarborough Flyer today. Sunshine, for the first time this year when this train was running, catches the exhaust as speed builds up passing Nether Alderley. The building on the left is the gaurdhouse a the point where a siding entered the Royal Ordnance Factory Chelford site. This operated as a munitions store from 1942 to c1964 and had an extensive railway system operated by industrial diesel locomotives.

Double headed thrash up the 1 in 19 out of Foxfield Colliery yard at the recent steam gala.

45379 is well into the climb as it passes Cliff Farm Crossing on the way to Caldon Low.

It was bad enough having virtually no light, but the wind added to the photographic problems as 5199 smokes out much of the train as it climbs above Winkhill towards the Caldon Low quarries.

There wasn't a lot of sun in August but I did manage to catch 6201 Princess Elizabeth in good light one morning as the Scarborough Flyer hurried past Nether Alderley. The brick building was the guard house at the entrance to the Sandle Heath munitions store that operated from WWII until the 1960s. There were extensive sidings here at one time, with the line into the storage areas heading off to the left of frame.

70013 Oliver Cromwell was motive power for today's Scarborough Flyer. It is seen with the train in the loop at Chelford whilst the Arriva service to Manchester overtakes. 1000 ASA this morning due to the gloom. :-(

The Foxfield Railway steam gala was blessed with sunny weather today and a good time was had by all. I had the great pleasure of meeting with midcheshireman and his wife and I am quite sure that they have very similar images to this one of the Dubs crane tank and Bagnall 0-6-0 saddle tank "Florence No 2" blasting up the 1 in 19 gradient out of Foxfield Colliery yard.

Deltic 55 002 at Carlisle with the Deltic Scotsman railtour.This ran from York to Inverkeithing via Leeds, Carlisle and Newcastle and then back via the East Coast line. On departure for Newcastle the train soon ran into trouble when damp rail and fallen leaves created problems for the Deltic near Wetheral with severe slipping occurring after being checked by a preceding DMU.

Pulling away from Apesford Crossing with a morning train as a local kestrel takes to the air in surprise.