Transport

We were on the shed road 2 ash pit at Loughborough while prepping Southern Railway N15 4-6-0 777 Sir Lamiel for the Wartime Weekend. I have posted shots of a steam engine's fire from the footplate before but this shot of the fire is from underneath through the damper door showing the ashpan and firegrate ! Not for the fainthearted... The firebars in the grate are not really aligned in parts & there is a gap on the left. This is to a certain extent the legacy of using Welsh coal which burns very hot & has distorted them. The grate was later replaced with new bars. The curved pipe on the left is actually the hose pipe I had introduced through the damper door & used to damp down the ashes before raking out the pan so no loose abrasive particles get into the bearings, etc.

No mistaking where this was taken... British Railways Standard 9F 2-10-0 92214 arrives in Rothley station heading for Leicester. The station is preserved in early 20th century condition complete with gas lamps. HFF and have a great weekend.

With first light on the horizon this is the view south from Mansion Lane bridge Halifax as Grand Central Class 180 diesel multiple unit heads towards Dryclough & Greenland junctions and onwards to London with 1A59 the 06.56 Bradford Interchange to London King's Cross.

Great Western 2884 Class 2-8-0 3802 arrived in platform 1 before our train and here Rob & Lee have got the shunt signal to cross over to shed road 1 and take water before running round their train. HFF & have a great weekend.

By 07.47 daylight is breaking out over Loughborough shed but no beautiful dawn this! Brewing up in the rain is British Railways Standard 9F 2-10-0 92214 alongside Standard 5 4-6-0 73156 not in service on this day. The front end of our loco, BR Standard 2-6-0 78018, comes into the right of the view.

The former Leicester Central station Up Home gantry towers over Stanier Black 5 4-6-0 45305 as it drops back into platform 1 at Loughborough prior to taking out the 12.50 train to Leicester North. HFF & have a great weekend!

It's the early morning shift change at Dongbolizhan. With the sun slowly rising two Sandaoling Coal Railway JS 2-8-2s wait in the sidings. 8190 on the left and 8173 on the right both head empty coal wagons and will soon reverse back into the open cast pit to reload.

The southern terminus of the former ESA metre gauge line from Alicante to Denia was at La Marina station and the original 1913 station building still stands. FGV (Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat Valenciana) tram 4231 is seen entering the station from the north on an L5 service which will terminate a few 100 yards off to the left at Puerta del Mar. HFF to everyone & have a great weekend.

We had crewed the 13.00 dining train to Leicester and back with Stanier 8F 2-8-0 48305 and then spent 1 hour 45 mins steam heating the stock in Loughborough station prior to its later use on the Winter Wonderlights trains. Finally at 16.30 we uncoupled, took water and came on shed where we waited for our relief to arrive at 17.00. Cue time to take some night shots. It may be only a chain fence but it is a fence... HFF & have a great weekend.