Running from Tyseley to Bristol(Barton Hill) is '5z72' 60163 ready to take up it's duty on Sundays 'Torbay Express' Recorded passing Bathampton drawing just its Support Coach.Light was the usual pre-requisite----Dire! ..04 july 2009..

Ex-Barry Scrap Engine 9682 has been away from that historic yard now for 27 years,originally to Southall and now here as the main steam attraction at Chinnor.Seen in the yard there,today having a rest as it was a Diesel Day!..28 june 2009..

The last time I saw one of these A1-Pacific ECML Greyhounds was at York in 1965,these were being withdrawn and sold for scrap at £6000 each in full working order! Rather sobering when you think cost of building this superb replica machine would have bought the entire class of 49 engines at scrap value then twenty times over!!!!.....Here is 60163 running at full line speed through Berkley-Marsh with '1Z95' from Minehead to Victoria having lost over 40 mins on its schedule between Taunton and Frome?..18 june 2009..

'THE' loco to see at this moment is the'new-build' A1 Pacific 60163.Here it is heading the 'Cathedrals Express' from Minehead to London-Victoria(1Z95).Though it left Taunton on time somehow lost 40 mins to Frome mysteriously? Here the iconic-repro passes Berkley-Marsh nr Frome seconds before sun burst through for the first time today!..18 june 2009..

'1Z82' running as 'The Bath @ Bristol Express' eases through Bathampton as it slows for the Bath stop.Britannia-Pacific 70013 headed this working from Poole through to Bristol.This scene was regularly created back in the 60's when 15 Brits were allocated to Cardiff and were used on the Cardiff-Brighton services as far as Salisbury(Ah-yes I remember it well!)..30 may 2009..

Getting even a reasonable "side-on" shot of this returning "1Z83" VSOE from Bath to London-Victoria is a virtual non-starter with the train coming out of the sun setting in the west,so a glint-type shot it had to be! Here 35028 is seen gathering speed past the now defunct Cement-Works as it comes away from Westbury heading east..15 april 2009..

"Big" Bullied MN-Class 35028 emerges from the gloom as it eases down the Upton-Bank past Dilton-Marsh Halt "Off-Steam"with the VSOE "1Z82" from London-Victoria to Bath and Bristol.Steam comes off at Westbury but also re-joins here for the return leg via the Berks&Hants in the evening..15 april 2009..

Running as "1Z52" with 5029 and 70013 in charge is the Paddington-Par Special.Steam came on at Westbury.Working recorded passing down the Frome "Cut-off"..05 april 2009.. footnote---5029 failed at Newton-Abbot with a hot-box and the "Western" D1015 replaced it down to Par.Single steam not an option over the Devon Banks!......

Looking superb "Britannia Pacific" 70013 Oliver Cromwell swings past Ladydown nr Trowbridge with the returning "Cathedrals Express" from Bristol TM to London -Victoria running as 1Z73.Amazingly I was only person at this nice vantage point to record its passing!..02 april 2009..

Running as "5Z94" Gresley A4 Pacific "Bittern" 60019 canters almost silently through Blatchbridge-Frome on a movement from Alton (MHRly) to Bishop Lydeard (WSRly) in readiness for this weekends coming Steam-Gala..17 march 2009..

"In yer face" Tangmere on "1Z27" nr Woolhampton..14 february 2009..

With most of the steam-buffs jostling with 1/2 the population of England on the Southern chasing the new A1 60163, the B&H was rather quieter for this working. 34067 with "1Z27" from Paddington going to Yeovil via Castle-Cary.With a nice plume of smoke/steam she is seen passing Woolhampton with its mixed livery rake of stock.Even the horse looks on approvingly..14 february 2009.. Note---The speckles in the sky on this shot are in fact birds not dust on the camera sensor,no doubt disturbed by the "different" sound of a Bullied-Pacific instead of the regular diet of MTU's......

Having just crossed "Canute Road" 35028 is on the rear of the VSOE heading back towards Eastleigh for turning so this engine can head the afternoon departure to London facing the right way! Train loco was 67021(5Z83),this is the single line Southampton-East Docks-Line in the middle of Southampton Town..17 january 2009..

Running pretty much on time Bullied 35028 eases through Eastleigh,seen from Campbell Road with "1Z82" London-Victoria to Southampton E Docks VSOE working.Headboard indicates this is the "Union Castle Express"..17 january 2009..

7903 "Foremarke Hall" catches a late afternoon glint passing Didbrook on the final leg back to Toddington.Despite appearances this was the only sliver of sun viewed all day.Horses were quite happy having just been fed minutes ago..30 december 2008..

7903 plays tail-end charlie to 5542 with a south-bound train terminating at Gotherington due to a land-slip in the Cheltenham Racecourse section..30 december 2008..

Running over the road-bridge at the north-end of Dixton Cutting is viewed a very steamy 5542 with 7903 on the rear.An uphill section here until middle of the cutting just ahead..30 december 2008..

Ex-GWR tanky 5542 recorded soon after leaving Toddington at Didbrook with an early morning working..30 december 2008..

David Sheppard's 9F 92203 swings through Hailes-Abbey with a nice load of six carriages..30 december 2008..

Probably one of the most famous preserved steam locomotives is 3440 "City of Truro".Looking in top condition albeit with a lot of leaky steam from the front-end.Seen at Hailes-Abbey on the first of only 2 runs today smokebox-first..30 december 2008..

That tanky 5542 again! Cresting the rise in the Dixton Cutting before the drop down to Winchcombe.Shot framed by the nice 3-arch bridge at the south end of Dixton..30 december 2008..

Most photographed loco today was 5542,not complaining as these small 2-6-2T locomotives revive memories of when there were several of this class allocated to my local shed (Westbury 82D) in the early sixties..30 december 2008..

Andrew Barclay 0-6-0ST "Salmon" stands at Blunsdon Station basking in low mottled winter-light on the Swindon & Cricklade Railway..06 december 2008..

The "Cathedrals Express" today was from London-Waterloo to Gloucester (1Z82).Headed by 30777 "Sir Lamiel" (A nice change from 34067) the train is seen passing Denchworth rolling towards it's booked stop at the top of the loop here.West-Coast 47245 was on the tail of the train acting as a "Drawback Engine"..11 october 2008..

Bullied Pacific 34067 (Deputising for the failed 6024) stands (Out of steam) at the back of Bristol Barton-Hill Depot along with it's support coach.This week-end see's the final steam run from Bristol to Paignton for this year..25 september 2008..

"Oliver Cromwell" 70013 accelerating away from Yeovil-Junction seen passing Stoford with "1Z92" The Cathedrals Express from Waterloo to Exeter..14 september 2008..

Running at about the same speed as the usual HST's Stanier Pacific 6233 storms through Clink nr Frome with "1Z83" Exeter-St-Davids to London-Victoria.Under an evening low cloud base lighting was appalling requiring 1600-asa to enable a shutter-speed of just a 500th..20 august 2008..

This is the first time I have taken a Duchess from behind!..6233 plus support-coach head for Exeter to bring back 1Z83 later that evening.Loco reversed on the Westbury Tri-angle so as to be facing the right way round upon departure from Exeter.This is another diverted Tour originally bound for Minehead but Turntable there still not fully commisioned..20 august 2008..

Gliding gracefully into the Westbury stop is LMS Pacific 6233.1Z82 from London-Victoria to Exeter-St-Davids will have a change of loco here,final leg will be hauled by WC-rly 47245 due to no turning facilities for the loco at Exeter.The Duchess will turn on the Westbury tri-angle and run down backwards to take train back to Victoria in the evening..20 august 2008..

6024 (1V27) ran from Bristol to Weymouth today via Westbury.Here it is seen slowing for the Frome stop passing Clink...Forgot was running,wondered why about 6 people with camera's were on the wrong side of the bridge! Me? I was there for the "Ice-cream Van" 59001 coming the other way!..01 august 2008..

"1Z72" The Bristol-Explorer from Solihull to Bristol hauled by GWR 5029 "Nunney Castle" seen passing the loops at Bathampton nr Bath producing a fair exhaust considering the warm conditions..26 july 2008..

Big-Bullied 35028 "Clan Line"runs "off power" over the crest of Upton-Scudamore incline as the London-Victoria to Bath VSOE approaches Westbury.Here steam comes off and the final 15 miles are with an "EWS class 67"..23 july 2008..

Running as "1Z83" The Cathedrals Express returning from Bristol to London-Victoria hauled by 60019 "Bittern".Steaming quite hard as it powers down the Limpley-Stoke Valley near Freshford..16 july 2008

Today is the first time I have seen this locomotive since 1965,still a schoolboy then, I did a Glasgow-Aberdeen trip (one of the famous 3-hour trains),window hanging all the way! So quite nice to see her again and on the main-line as well. Here we see 60019 "Bittern" making a lot of noise but no smoke passing the old station site at Bratton on the B&H.Working was "1Z82" London-Victoria to Bristol-TM.Think it was supposed to go to Minehead on the WSR but the new turntable there not yet ready so trip was cut short to Bristol..16 july 2008..

Not quite the shot I had in mind! Monster tele-shot forced on me by an HST going in the other direction.HST was just out of shot,Standard lens position totally blocked by that train..But using max tele(170mm) and a generous crop in photoshop was able to produce this acceptable result.......Typical.........if it was dull the HST would have not been there..... 4936 "Kinlet Hall" with its short rake of "Choc and Cream Coaches passes through Clink near the start of its journey from the Merehead-Quarry and Tyseley.Reporting number was 5Z56..24 june 2008..

4936 "Kinlet Hall" chuffs up the incline to Merehead Quarry on the short freight line from "East Somerset Junction.Nice train with 3 matching GWR style Coaches.Working from Tyseley steaming all the way..20 june 2008..

Bullied Pacific "BB Class" 34067 powers the "Catherdrals Express" 1Z96 from Waterloo to Bristol TM.Viewed passing Arn-Hill nr Warminster running with matching Southern liveried stock..17 april 2008..

Ready to work a Rail-Tour in the Morning from Bristol to Kingswear,LMS Pacific 6201 "Princess Elizebeth" travelled down from the East Lancs Rly today running as 5Z79.Here we see her at Gastard near Corsham-Wiltshire running about 20 mins early.This was a case of arrive on site,shoot the pic and go home,all within 5 minutes,nice! Wish all shoots were like this..28 march 2008..

60103 shortly after being modified to resemble how it looked in its final years as a BR loco.Wearing Brunswick Green,Double Kylchap Chimney and German-type Smoke-deflectors, Brilliant !! ..Summer 1993..footnote--At this time loco was using an A4 type boiler not an A3 one,easily identified by the positioning of the washout plugs on the side of the firebox,on A3 boilers the plugs were level!....

"The Cathedrals Express" (1z69) headed by A4 pacific 60009 swings through Gt-Cheverill on the B&H on its journey from London-Victoria to Bristol.Despite a forecast for a very rough and wet day was lucky to catch this working in a brief patch of sunlight!..01 december 2007..

3440 "City of Truro" seen attacking the start of the gradient of Dainton-Bank at Stonycombe south of Newton-Abbot.Train was going down to Cornwall to participate in the Celebrations assoc with the double-ing of the Main-line west of Plymouth ..27 november 2004..

Running as 45440,once a favourite on the old S&D LMS Black 5 45??? runs into Williton during the 2006 40th year celebration of the closure of the old Somerset and Dorset Railway..18 march 2006..

34067 seems during the late summer to have the steam specials market virtually to itself.Most other loco's at this time having various difficulties.Seen returning down the Wylye Valley near Warminster towards Salisbury having just breasted the incline at Upton-Scudamore is the Diverted "Atlantic Coast Express" Exeter to Waterloo via Westbury..15 september 2007..

Popular Bullied Spam-Can 34067 "Tangmere" rolls off-steam through Dilton-Marsh with the diverted Waterloo-Exeter Atlantic-Coast Express..15 september 2007..

"The King" 6024 accelerates away from it's Taunton stop on the Bristol-Kingswear steam special..11 august 2007..

Over the weekend of 21/22 july 2007 a small celebration was held at Bradford-on-Avon station to commemorate 150 years since it's opening.Seen on a low-loader in the station car-park is ex-gwr pannier tank no-5764.Specially brought in to be the centre-piece of the celebrations..21 july 2007..

34067"Tangmere" restarts The VSOE from Westbury on the final leg of the journey from Bath to London-Victoria.Westbury now used as the locomotive change point from Diesel to Steam as it makes life easier than having to turn loco in Bristol for the return..11 july 2007..

34067"Tangmere" lays a magnificent smoke trail behind it as it runs through the Wylye valley nr Scratchbury Hill with the Victoria-Bath VSOE.Nice to see the rail presevation movement contributing as much as it can to global-warming and the depletion of the ozone layer..11 july 2007..

V of R number 9 sits at Devils Bridge.These locomotives were the only steam on the BR to carry "Rail-Blue" livery..Summer 1974..

Standard class mogul 76079 blasts up Upton-Scudamore bank with the Bright'n-Breezy(1Z79) Bristol to Brighton railtour running about 50 mins late due to points problem leaving WSR. This locomotive sounded like a machinegun as it attacked this gradient working really hard..01 july 2007..

Swindon's "Steam" Museam is now home for 6000 King george V..Nicely presented in a mock station setting...31 may 2004..

88(53808) departs Crowcombe WSR towards Minehead shortly after full restoration..11 march 2006..

71000 returns from Cranmore(ESR) to London Victoria through Berkley Marsh Frome in the evening of 30 may 2007

King 6024 thunders through Patchway Bristol heading for South Wales 14 may 2007

King 6024 heading for Paddington from Minehead with "1Z24 - The Capitals Express" passing Wootton Rivers on the B&H 18 November 2006

80104 and 47493 pass at Harman's cross on the Swanage Rly 09 september 2006

Ex S&D loco 53809 made a visit to Bath Green Park Station to mark the 40th anniversery of the closure of the S&D on 6th march 1966..Photo taken..5 march 2006..