Rail

Enjoy this Standard 4.6.0 class British Steam Engine up close. Smell the oil and steam!

Seen in Port de Sóller, What do you mean, something strange about this photo?

Vom Rhein Stadt Bingen fotografiert.

I think this is' Russell', (Hunslet 901 built in 1906. A 2-6-2T.

This is one of the special 'West Coast' excursions travelling from the Highlands coastal town of Mallaig to Fort William. This is being pulled backwards by the Lancashire Fusilier (LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0 5407). Funny enough the loco is based on the East Lancashire Railway at Bury just a few miles from my home! Snapped about a mile out of Mallaig.

Travel through the past on this iconic West Coast special steam train over the equally iconic Glenfinnan Viaduct. The driver having just pulled the whistle valve for us steam addicts raises the hairs on our neck. Enjoy - This is the steam Locomotive BR 44871, LMS 4871, Stanier Black Five Class 5MT 4-6-0 See less

As the 'Lancashire Fusilier' a Stanier Black Five Class 5MT 4-6-0 locomotive (45407) takes there lucky riders from Mallaig to Fort William and beyond, we photographers luxuriate in its passing here on the viaduct. The engine here is driving in reverse, pulling, as it could not turn around in the Mallaig station. Enjoy

After having completed its run from Fort William it now rest awhile before returning. This route is known for being one of the most scenic train trips in the world. - This is the steam Locomotive BR 44871, LMS 4871, Stanier Black Five Class 5MT 4-6-0 more info: www.westcoastrailways.co.uk/jacobite/jacobite-steam-train-details.cfm

Taken just south of Settle in the Yorkshire Dales.

Also called 'The Clava (or Nairn)' viaduct. An awe inspiring railway viaduct near the historical battlefield. Not the perfect weather here of blue skies or the 'golden hour' but an overcast day that, in its way suits this giant structure. I ask myself, should I have stayed for a train -but they were all modern ones. A steam locomotive -ah, that would have been worth waiting for. Taken on my North Scotland tour of 2014 but getting a new outing here. Worth a full screen viewing, I advice :) More info on the famous battle of Culloden: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Culloden

Taken inside Pickering station, now used as the terminus of the, 'North York Moors' historical trust line. The residual steam and smoke here combining to give a nostalgic feeling of the age of steam. See PiP " Essentially a tender version of the Standard 4 Tank like 80135 and 80136, the 4-6-0 version of the British Railways Standard 4 design was intended for general passenger and freight use on lines where the usual "Black Five" and similar locomotives would be too large or heavy. 80 examples were built between 1951 and 1957 and were allocated to the London Midland, Western and Southern regions. 75029 was built in 1954 and was decidedly mobile during her service life, being allocated to depots across the Western region including Reading, Oxford and Swindon, with a stint in Wales at Machynlleth and Croes Newydd sheds in the early to mid sixties. Painted in British Railways' Brunswick Green livery used on passenger engines, "The Green Knight" has been a stalwart of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, including being passed to work to Whitby and Battersby on the national network. A crack in the firebox was identified in 2015 and she is currently awaiting attention. " NYMR

A rare steam capture for me, here we see the 'Witherslack Hall' pulling mixed vintage carriages to its terminus from Heywood on the 'East Lancashire Railway' line: www.eastlancsrailway.org.uk Built for the famous GWR around 1948, this 4-6-0 was mostly stationed at the Main GW Paddington Railway shed. More info about this iconic engine: www.gcrailway.co.uk/the-railway/locomotives/6990-witherslack-hall See PiP for close-up detail. Worth viewing full screen. Enjoy

Inspired to post this after seeing this: www.ipernity.com/doc/2247998/46854248 . Taken on my trip to the Canadian Rockies in 2016. This section of the railway consist of a series of tunnels blasted in the side of the mountains that create a gradual spiral accent or decent. See here that the same train is just entering the bottom tunnel and coming out on its way right from the top tunnel and this is just one spiral tunnel of many on the same 10 mile hill stretch. See PiPs. More Info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Hill

Old and new at this station. Normally considered as one of Manchester's two main railway stations it is now shared with many of Manchester's trams. Originally opened c1844 and had the reputation for being the worst category B interchange station in the United Kingdom in 2009. Here we see the new roof and tram interchange added in 2015. Behind is the old main building edifice. I remember catching the steam trains to and from my home town of Oldham under imposing but yellow smoked grimy glass held up by Victorian wrought iron frames here. Always quite imposing but now a very much more modern feel to things. This is actually a Bombardier M5000 built in Bautzen, Germany from 2014. It is on its way to Manchester Airport. See PiPs for other internal views

The little 'Inside Passage' town of Skagway in Alaska is the starting terminus of this very old and famous railroad. The narrow gauge railroad began construction in 1898 during the Klondike Gold Rush as a means of reaching the goldfields. Here we see it returning from those high mountain goldfields with its historical trucks of modern tourist. More info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Pass_and_Yukon_Route See PiPs

This is one of the most majestic viaducts in the UK. I am here just behind the visitors centre on a nearby hill taking this, waiting for the West Coast special steam train. Glennfinnan, about 20 miles north west of Fort William is just as famous for its monument.

0-6-2T, No. 85 is visiting the Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway from the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway. Here we see it returning to its awaiting carriages after it has just reversed up this track and the switch having been set to the straight position. Plese see See PiPs - As usual -best full screen on black. No. 85 was built in 1899 by Neilson Reid for the Taff Vale Railway, which connected the Cardiff area with the coal mining industry located a few miles to the north. When the Taff Vale Railway was taken over by the GWR in 1922 the engine soon became surplus to requirements as the GWR had a policy of standardisation. In 1927 the engine was withdrawn and in 1929 the engine was sold to the Lambton, Hetton & Joicey Colliery Co. in County Durham to haul coal trains between the inland collieries and the coast. When the coal industry was nationalised in 1947 it became NCB No. 52 and remained in service there until 1968 and following withdrawal arrived on the Worth Valley Railway in December 1970. lt was re-built to its original outline by a group of Worth Valley volunteers in the 1990’s and gave good service until withdrawal in 2010. Seen as an ideal locomotive for the branch line, TVR No. 85 entered the workshops at Haworth and re-entered service at the 2016 Winter Steam Gala in its original fully lined out Taff Vale Railway livery.