Transport

The late afternoon sun highlights the exhaust from Great Western Modified Hall 4-6-0 6990 Witherslack Hall as it rounds Kinchley Lane and under bridge 346 to pass Ivatt 2-6-0 46521. In reality Rob, 6990's driver, had been asked to give the Photo-Charter participants beyond the bridge a solo "spirited run" while we were asked to remain stationary out of the way in the cutting. A stirring scene but one none of the photographers got to see or record from this angle!

A heavy mixed freight train heads south at speed out of Changchun double-headed by 2-10-2 QJ 120 & QJ242 on the evening of 21st October 1983. Our RT&P group had flown to Peking on Pakistan Airlines via Islamabad & after a few days around the capital flew to Harbin & from there, always with minders, made our way south through Manchuria to Dalien on the coast - steam all the way!

Dawn was breaking as we prepped BR Standard 9F 92214 on shed at Loughborough on the morning of day 3 of the 2022 GCR Winter Gala.

Super Power at Rothley. BR Standard 5 4-6-0 73156 double-heads with GCR Gala visitor Bulleid Battle of Britain pacific 34072 257 Squadron while BR Standard 9F 92214 sits in the Up C&W siding.

Another episode in the long-running "The Romance of Steam" series! Those purple/blue flames tell the story of BR Standard 4MT 2-6-4T 80080's fire. It was well and truly clinkered across the back of the grate and although this didn't actually cause any problems out on the line we did run shy of steam pressure. Now back on shed I had to try and clean it off the bars. It didn't help that the 80080 locomotive owners had decreed that the grate shouldn't be rocked as it wasn't fitted with an ashpan spray. After pushing the live fire forwards I set to with the bent dart and pricker to clear the back while trying not to damage the finger bars. Not an easy job but as you can just make out they are coming clean - I took this shot during a well-needed break in the activities. I then had to rake the live fire back again to cover the grate and have a go at the front bars which fortunately weren't too bad. When this was done I still had the smokebox to empty but as we were not on the pit at least I didn't have the ashpan to clean. A real labour of love.

Back at Loughborough after our two trips we were relieved by the afternoon crew and after helping Ron take water at the tank I grabbed this shot of Ivatt 2MT 2-6-0 46521 running round to platform 1 prior to taking out the 12.50 train to Leicester. HFF And enjoy your weekend, hopefully not blown away by the storms passing through.

City street scene looking up Powell Street at Sutter near Union Square with Powell-Hyde cable car number 10 heading downhill.

Any colour as long as it's black... Visiting Great Western Manor 4-6-0 7822 Foxcote Manor prepares to depart from Shenton the southern terminus of the Battlefield Line.

On the first day of the GCR Winter Gala BR Standard 5 4-6-0 73156 had just arrived at Rothley Brook with the 15.45 vans from Loughborough. The shunter was uncoupling and I went in the tender to pull coal down & took the chance to grab this shot. HFF & have a great weekend.