Transport

On a grey rainy Boxing Day late afternoon Fowler 3F 0-6-0T 47406 storms away from Rothley with the 15.30 from Loughborough. In fact this really was the lull before the Covid storm which is still raging of course! The Jinty had a 6 month extension to its boiler ticket but sadly it passed the last part out of steam due to the pandemic closure. HFF to everyone and hope you have a sunnier weekend than this one in 2019!

GWR Modified Hall 4-6-0 6990 Witherslack Hall has just run into the yard at Loughborough where we will relieve the morning crew, Martin & Mat, to work the 15.00 service to Leicester North. The weather was abysmal but it did clear up later. HFF to everyone and again I hope your weekend is sunnier than this!

Smoke from the chimney of Stanier Black 5 4-6-0 45305 billows under Empress Road bridge as we were taking coal before going off shed.

Any colour as long as it's Black! Stanier Black 5 4-6-0 45305 Alderman AE Draper arrives in Quorn & Woodhouse station with the 14.00 service to Leicester North. The model T Ford was built in 1924 only 13 years before 45305! HFF to everyone & have a great weekend.

North British-built Class 24 2-8-4 3685 stands ready to go off Sydenham shed while behind Class 15AR 4-8-2 2082 leaves a cloud of steam as it sets off to itself leave the depot. Other 15ARs are on shed including 1802 simmering in front of the buildings on the right.

Light, shadow & steam. An early morning shot of the steamy atmosphere inside Sydenham loco shed in Port Elizabeth as the engines were being prepared.

Despite the atrocious weather 7P 4-6-0 46100 Royal Scot looked and sounded the part as she opened up to climb the gradient out of the Calder valley with the returning Saphos Rails Fellsman.

SNCF Class CC 72000 diesel 72079 pauses at the southern end of Troyes station en route to Mulhouse, Alsace. Postal workers have finished loading the mail and the tractor and trailers are pulling away. I had travelled on this train from Paris Gare de l'Est.

Yellow-liveried standard gauge HTM 1100, a 600v DC American PCC tram built under licence in Belgium, is on a number 9 service heading for Vrederust from the Kurhaus in Scheveningen and has just crossed Koninginnegracht. This is the stop for Madurodam which is on the left. We lived in the apartment block behind on Nieuwe Parklaan at the time & I used to catch this tram to the office in the Babylon Centre. I didn't need an alarm clock because the squealing of the wheels of the first tram of the day as it negotiated the bends across the canal immediately woke me up! HFF and have a great weekend.