tarboat's photos

Ground to a halt just outside the petrol station.

Old Co-operative shops are often very easy to identify, even if they are no longer in Co-operative ownership. This example in Congleton sports typical beige terracotta work in greater quantity than I would normally have expected to see.

When I visited Hatfield Main there were several power stations visible from the spoil tips. This is Eggborough with a long cloud emanating from the cooling towers.

A lull in the wind allows a set of vertical plumes from the four Maerz kilns at the Singleton-Birch operated limeworks, Melton Ross, Lincolnshire.

The blue pump in Blockbuster Video colours. King Edward Road, Macclesfield. Now all we need is a photo of the place when it was still a petrol station and garage.

Another Standard Goods Superheated heads back to the shed at Malakwal Junction. Just look at those lovely semaphore signals in the background.

On my final visit to the Jitong railway in 2005 steam locomotives were only running between Chabuga and Daban. On arrival at Chabuga we made for the station where we learned that a freight was due to depart and we followed this train in our minibus as it hurried westwards. As the light was rapidly fading this was the last shot I made that night. The locomotives were running hard and fast on the rising gradient and the sound will remain forever in my head. Just fantastic! And then it was gone.............

It's a long time since any petrol was dispensed from here. Hiding in the wall outside Blockbuster Video.

The Railway Inspectorate has given special dispensation for passenger trains to run over the section between Froghall and Oakamoor sand sidings on the Churnet Valley Railway on just two weekends. Today's DMU trip towards Oakamoor ended right here a few yards from the start of the sidings. The last time I travelled this section was in the cab of a pair of Class 20 locomotives heading the last sand train from Oakamoor in 1988.

Sanjiazi junction on the Tiefa system and the early evening rush of services has begun. Whilst waiting for an incoming train to clear the single line from Diaobingshan the carriage staff are busily cleaning the stock. As they could only manage so much at a time between services, the carriages ran for a short time with a curiously striped livery!

Two signs, different eras, one message. Little Street, Macclesfield.

Westport Quay Grain Silo View On Black

The Queen Anne furnace at Corus, Scunthorpe.

Coal mine at the northern end of the Nanpiao mining area in Liaoning Province.

The listed kilns at the Acme Marls site in Burslem look completely out of context and steadily deteriorate without maintenance. The mess in front is due to occupation of the site by travellers.

Mixed trains are relatively uncommon these days but on some of the Chinese industrial systems they can still be found. A long train hauled by JS 8250 crosses the long bridge over a frozen river near Gongye on the Yuanbaoshan coal railway as it heads for the mine at Fengshuigou. The passenger coaches are all at the rear of the train. Not the way things were done in the UK.

The older parts of the Aynsley factory, on Sutherland Road in Longton, appear to be empty and shut. I think they must have bought a job lot of blue paint last time the place was decorated.

At the recent open day at Hope cement works the Harry Needle Railroad Co. Ltd. owned type 20 was on display in its new paint job. For most of the Sunday it was parked on the sidings in a position only photographable by reaching up to shoot over a mesh fence. Unfortunately the stewards would not allow anyone to go over to the fence. Later in the afternoon it was started up and moved down to the far end of the yard where permission was granted for photographers to view it. At this point the skies turned black and just before the sun disappeared I was able to capture the loco starkly contrasted against the coming downpour.