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Bala Lake Railway
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The largest collection of photographs comes from the Bala Lake Railway. This is
mainly down the fact that I am a volunteer driver on the line and rarely go there
without a camera with me! The line and its engines are extremely photogenic and
it is a wonderful place to work.
There are three different sections with photos from the line:
- The main collection, featuring photos
over several years. I have used several different cameras over the years, so the
quality of the photographs can vary...
- The 25th Anniversary Celebrations. After
borrowing a very high quality Epson scanner, I was able to scan the photos directly
from the negatives. Therefore, despite being taken on a disposable 35mm camera, the
images are generally of a good quality.
- The centenary celebrations for Maid Marian
and Irish Mail in 2003.
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Talyllyn Railway |
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I was an active volunteer on the Talyllyn Railway for
the best part of 15 years, which has resulted in a large collection of photographs from
this railway. As with the Bala Lake, the cameras used have varied considerably over
the years.
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Severn Valley Railway
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I paid a very brief visit to the Severn Valley
Railway in 2001 and this section contains a small selection of photograghs
from this visit.
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Dobwalls Theme Park
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My family and I have been visiting Dobwalls Theme
Park, near Liskeard in Cornwall, for as long as I can remember. I know the
owner of the park quite well and was fortunate to be able to renew my acquaintance
with him whilst on a holiday to the area in 2001. As you might imagine, I also
had my camera with me and this section contains the resultant pictures. Sadly, I
did not get any pictures of "Big Boy" in action.
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Keighley and Worth Valley Railway
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I visited the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway
when my fiancee and I were staying with her cousin and husband in York in April
2002. Whilst the girls explored Haworth, we traveled on the train and enjoyed a
pint in the bar on the train...
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Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway
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My trip to the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway
was on the occasion of their "Double-Header Day" in October 2001. It was a
splendid day but unfortunately, the weather started bad and got progressively
worse during the day, which made photography almost impossible. Still, I got
some reasonably good shots at Hythe before it turned really foul.
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Ffestiniog Railway
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I paid a visit to the Ffestiniog Railway
in September 2002 and was treated to some very spirited running by Blanche.
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The Jacobite
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We had a ride on "The Jacobite" during a visit
to Scotland in September 2002. The ride itself was spectacular to say the least
and the engine, Thompson 'B1' No 61264, was in superb condition; my only gripe
would be the state of the carriages which were absolutely filthy. The weather was
not great (what else is new in Scotland...!) but never-the-less, a very memorable trip...
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Bluebell Railway
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We visited the Bluebell Railway on the way
back from a wedding in Brighton. The previous day had been foul weather but the
Sunday turned into a gloriously sunny Winter's day. The trip was very memorable
behind 9F 92240, with 80151, "Birch Grove" and "Stepney" in action on other
services.
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The Roger H. Abbott Collection
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This collection of photographs was taken
by my late father, Roger H. Abbott. We discovered the negatives whilst sorting
out his belongings after his death in February 2002 and I thought it would be a
shame for others not to see them. Unfortunately, none of them were labelled and
my knowledge of BR steam when they would have been taken (late 1950s to early
1960s) is limited to say the least. However, I have undertaken research to
identify the locomotives (Rail
UK was a huge help in this task - thoroughly recommended!) and engines
as best possible but if anybody out there can help, I would be delighted to
hear from you.
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South Devon Railway
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We visited the South Devon Railway with
friends of ours who live near Exeter. It is a beautifully restored and scenic
line, capturing the spirit of a GWR branch line beautifully.
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Leighton Buzzard Railway
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The Leighton Buzzard Railway is our local
line and despite living near it for most of my life, I haven't visited it for
years. I put that straight over May Bank Holiday when three engines were in steam...
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Great Central Railway
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I paid a flying visit to the Great Central Railway
on 3rd April to test out my new Sony DSC-F828 digital camera. The weather was not
particularly good but the photos aren't too bad...
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The Golden Arrow - 14th to 16th May 2004
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In May 2004, we travelled on the Railway Touring Company's
Golden Arrow from London Victoria to Paris Gare du Nord via Dover and Calais. In England, we
were hauled by Tangmere and in France, by 231-K89. Unfortunately, Trangmere
was failed on the Saturday and we were taken from Dover back to London behind a Class 20. It was
an interesting weekend and 231-K8 performed superbly on both days.
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Videos
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A collection of short video clips of various railways...
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