tarboat's photos

When I spotted this brickworks at Qiaotou near Nanpiao it stood out as worth a look. A request to view the premises was granted and we were shown the whole operation by the proud workforce. Most brick kilns that I have seen in China have been of the Hoffman continuous burning type but here they use downdraught kilns. I like the use of stone in the kiln construction.

By January 2008 it was the morning train to Linghe that was almost always steam hauled and this was what decided us on pursuing the train on this day. It was always a dash to get ahead as it wended its way up the hill from Xiamiaozi and the last shot was usually on this viaduct at Qiaotou, if you were quick enough to get there in time. On this occasion we discovered that because it was cloudy, and the sun had not yet risen, there was hardly any light. 1/60sec at 800 asa was not ideal, and neither was slithering across the icy river to get into position. It was still worth it, especially as I shall probably never get another chance.

Out and about in the Peak Park.

Early twentieth century magnficence at Leigh, Lancashire. Butts Mill was built for cotton spinning to the design of the Lancashire firm of Stott and Sons. It is now used for the manufacture of electric wiring harnesses.

The fading sign indicates the hand of the long defunct N.C.B (National Coal Board) in the capping of this eighteenth century coal mine at Pott Shrigley. Having installed the cap over the stone lined shaft, the only danger that I could perceive was that of tripping over the concrete obelisk itself! Sadly, this sort of engineering has destroyed much of the archaeological evidence that had survived at the surface.

This quarry above Ramsbottom was certainly active in 1876. Today it produces 500-600,000 tonnes of stone each year. To the left is a concrete products works which utilises much of the quarry output and employs around 150 people producing a range of items such as kerbstones and flags.

QJ powered coal train crossing the bridge over the frozen Yellow River at Wuzhong on the Daba to Guyaozi line in the deserts of western China.

On July 16th 1823, William Wood was set upon and murdered by three men as he returned home to Eyam after selling cloth in Manchester. He was carrying £70, which was a significant sum of money. Two of his assailants were quickly captured; one was hanged and the other died of injuries after attempting suicide. The third was never found. The incident is commemorated by this stone beside the Buxton Old Road between Disley and Whaley Bridge.

Out and about with Eagle1942 today, we headed onto the moors. Turning around on Whaley Moor after looking at Kinder , the other side of the ridge revealed a view of the ridge from snow covered Sponds Hill across to Bowstones Farm. Best viewed large .

Went walking around the Derbyshire/Cheshire border today amidst snow and hail. Stood on Whaley Moor marvelling at the rapidly changing light conditions and then suddenly Kinder was lit up amidst the black skies.

The two morning passenger services into the Jalainur opencast mine were combined for the return trip on this morning in January 2008. You were never sure if they would come separately with the second one pushing out. Today the service is down to just one train and the whole railway operation in the opencast mine is to be replaced with lorries in August.

The Lough Ree Power Station at Lanesborough on the Shannon was commissioned in late 2004 at a cost in excess of €200 million. This peat fired plant has a generating capacity of 100mw and is expected to burn 800,000 tonnes per annum over a fiteen year lifespan.

The Huanan Coal Railway runs right through the middle of a number of villages on the level(ish) section between Xiahua and Huanan town. Here a loaded train heads through Dajingang past a villager feeding a cow on dried maize stalks and leaves.

Coal Mining was quite extensive across Pott Shrigley in the eighteenth century, although the coalfield was small and badly divided by faults. Above Long Lane, which forms the boundary between Adlington and Pott Shrigley, there are a number of abandoned shafts which are easily spotted due to the plantations of trees over and around them. The planting of trees was a stipulation in the leases from the Downes family of Pott Shrigley. When a pit was finished and abandoned it was to be walled or fenced round and trees planted. The fences have long gone but the trees remain. These pits were working the Bassy Mine (or seam) which averaged about 48ins thickness but was split up by a number of dirt bands. The shaft on the right is situated on the outcrop of the Ribbon MIne which was only about 10ins thick, whilst the Sweet Mine (18ins) outcrops just in front of the camera. Nab Farm can be seen in the centre, whilst to the left is another mound with trees which is probably the site of another shaft. Until the late 1970s these shafts were open, but they have since been capped.

Evening in the yard at Oskova on the Banovici coal railway. 0-8-2 locomotives 83-158 and 83-159 simmer by the water column.

The Breck Quarry in Adlington had a long history. Certainly working in the early nineteenth century, it continued to operate until the 1930s but has since laid derelict and reverting to nature. In the 1830s paving stones were shipped from here to Stockport via the Macclesfield Canal to High Lane and then by cart down the turnpike road that is now the A6.

Styperson Pool and dam seen from Sugar Lane, Adlington. The orange colour is dead bracken in the low sunlight. When viewed large you can see that there is just a touch of snow on the hill above Bakestonedale.

After photographing the afternoon passenger train leaving Huangjia and then again at Xiamiaozi it was then a quick sprint up the other branch towards Sanjiazi to catch the second passenger train here at Shaguotun. The train is just setting of after the station stop and looks as if the locomotive has separated from the coaches. In fact there is a flat wagon carrying rails immediately behind the tender and this has rather spoiled the effect.