tarboat's photos

Passengers head for the exits at Liverpool Lime Street in the days when trains had real coaches. I had been riding behind Deltics as their time in regular service drew to a close and had just arrived in the train seen on the right, There was then time for a few shots around the station and a quick pint before reboarding for a run back to Manchester. Within a week or two the fun was all over.

The use of wooden signal posts is a particularly fine feature of the Midland Railway Centre.

Interior of the 1873 built Hoffmann limekiln at the Craven Limeworks near Settle.

The classic steam shot at Consall Forge on the Churnet Valley Railway with a train accelerating away from the station stop and crossing the Caldon Canal outside the Black Lion.

Tiling on old market entrance in Church Street, Stoke-on-Trent. This building is now used for the public library. sadly, this, and many other public buildings in the area have had the decorative architecture ruined by the application of brick acid to 'clean' them. The surface of these tiles has been badly damaged and they have lost their original lustre. This official vandalism is disgraceful and should never have been allowed to happen. Stoke Council should be ashamed!

Late afternoon glint on QJ 6911 at Lindong with the westbound passenger service over the Jitong Railway. The crew take advantage of the station stop to test the wheels and rods with the tapping hammer and also apply a little oil to the motion.

Limekilns at Liaosichang west of Baofeng near Pingdingshan. Limestone ready for burning on the left and a large supply of coal to the right. The main body of each kiln is underneath and they are emptied through a draw tunnel below and behind the chimneys

The tin tabernacle at the Midland Railway Centre, Butterley, was originally built as St. Saviours Church in Westhouses. This church was built in the late 1890s by the Midland railway for the workers and families at this rather remote depot. In 1995 it was moved to Butterley where it is still occasionally used for services.

Loading area for asphalt at a disused limestone quarry. A large tipping skip on rails ran up the gantry to feed these bins.

The Bird In Hand on London Rd, Trent Vale, has been closed for some time and is now up for sale. I would love to know more about the origins this interesting pub sign on the front wall of the building. Google streetview .

The Howe Bridge Mines Rescue Station was replaced in November 1933 by the state of the art Boothstown Mines Rescue Station to the design of architects Bradshaw, Gass, & Hope of Bolton. In addition to this building, a street of six semi-detached houses for the men was built alongside, with a further pair of semi-detached houses for the two instructors (seen here on the right). A detached house for the Superintendent was built just off to the right. The building was listed grade II in 1994 when due for closure due to the run down of the local coal mining industry. It is currently standing empty.

Coal washery at Beringen, closed in 1989.

My little camera has been playing up of late and so it was when I was preparing for a shot of the service train arriving at Swanwick Junction. This view was the result of my trying a shot just before the train arrived in order to be sure that the camera was working. It was working, sort of, but it refused to zoom at all.

Western Pit worked coal and ironstone for the Butterley Company and later acted as a ventilation shaft for the nearby Britain Pit. Western Pit mined the Deep Soft Coal at 162 yards deep, the Deep Hard Coal at 188 yards deep, the Low Main Coal at 246 yards deep and the Black Shale Coal at 288 yards deep.

The Industrial Railway Society held its 2012 AGM at the Midland Railway Centre at Butterley. Services on the line during the day were operated by industrial locomotives. Pecket 1131 ' Whitehead ' is crossing over after running round at Hammersmith, flanked by a fine example of a Midland signalbox and vintage signals.

Limekiln at Hall Dale, Ilam from the charging side. The quarry for the stone is just off to the left.

Level crossing sign at Midland Railway Centre, Swanwick Junction.

The Central Public Library on Garrick Street was completed in1900-1902 to the designs of H.T.Hare. The Grade II listed building is a mixture of styles with Art Nouveau vying with the Classical. This particular detail is very definitely from the Art Nouveau side.